Jumping rope

[xboxist]

I'm rather bored of using the elliptical machine for my cardio needs, so last night I decided to switch it up. I was looking around the gym for other options. I tried jogging on the treadmill but knee discomfort started to settle in around half a mile, so I stopped immediately (old sports injury -- bad knee).

Then I saw some jump ropes hanging up on the wall that I never noticed there before, so I went for it. Holy hell these things destroy me in about a minute. I'm 6'2", 295lbs., so a constant jumping motion isn't the easiest thing for me to do. But I had to stop after about a minute. I probably jumped roped for about 5 actual minutes between rests, and I feel like I got a workout that is almost equal to my usual 60 minutes on the elliptical. I'm definitely going to integrate jumping rope into my cardio routines from now on.

 

[brikis98]

More intensity = more results. Jump rope is awesome and learning double unders will make it even better. Also consider burpees, rowing, interval training and anything else that makes you work harder than most people do on ellipticals.

 

[gotsmack]

are you doing the jump with both legs on and off the floor at the same time, like you're doing a potato sack race? If so that's why.

You have to use the style that boxers use and only have one foot touch the floor at any given time and it looks like you're skipping. I can go for quite a while that way. It's more an issue of coordination than endurance at that point.

 

[Sealy]

I like jumping rope, but I'm forever tripping over the rope

 

[xboxist]

Originally posted by: gotsmack
are you doing the jump with both legs on and off the floor at the same time, like you're doing a potato sack race? If so that's why.

You have to use the style that boxers use and only have one foot touch the floor at any given time and it looks like you're skipping. I can go for quite a while that way. It's more an issue of coordination than endurance at that point.

Yes, I was potato-sacking. heh

I'll have to learn to do the boxer-skip.

 

[Redfraggle]

Strangely, I can go longer with both feet in sync, but I do switch up for a rest on one foot at a time.

 

[StageLeft]

I'd like to try the one-leg. I'm surprised you can do this with a bad knee but running bugs you. It will blast your cardio doing this but 60 min is still superior on ellipitcal.

 

[darkxshade]

If you get discomfort in your knee from jogging on a treadmill, why would you jump rope? Doesn't it have a higher impact on your knees than your typical trudging on a treadmill?