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Skip gym and get fit

Low on cash or time, and really need another option? What about skipping gym? 

Skipping is a very intensive cardio workout where 10 minutes are the equivalent of a 45 minutes running. For someone low on time/money or just wanting to up your fitness, skipping is a fantastic fitness workout. It’s very challenging to skip for 10 minutes, never mind if you use the same jumping method.



If you jump the same way for the full 10 minutes you are only targeting one group of muscles, at the same frequency, which makes your calves/shoulders burn and it much more difficult to do 10 minutes even if your fitness is ready for it.

Where to start 

  1. Get a good rope. The cheap plastic ropes work perfectly.
  2. Sizing your rope.The length of the rope should be right for your height. Stand on the center of the rope, and lift the handles upward so they rest in your armpits, if it is too long, tie knots near the handles.
  3. Beat the heat. With Mark Stent’s Skipping music track with is syndicated by Health and Fitness Professionals Academy. Nutrigion design the beat, which can be viewed from their Sound Cloud page.
  4. Plan your work-out. Warm-up 10 minutes of fast walking; design a set, stretch; and repeat.
  5. Stretch your calves. Before and after each session.
  6. Keep at it. Do it at least 3 sessions per week to see great results.

General skipping guidelines

  1. Jump using your toes, while using your slightly bent knees to absorb each landing.
  2. Swing the rope with your forearms, you are not meant to use your shoulders except for the cross.
  3. Feel the rhythm, jump to a music beat at a smooth well timed speed. It’s more about rhythm than speed.
  4. The sample routine is 90 seconds long, repeat it until then end of your session.

Session length

  • Newby: 5 minutes          
  • Beginner: 10 minutes         
  • Intermediate: 12.5 minutes          
  • Advanced: 15+ minutes

Sample routine        

  • Basic jump: 20 seconds
  • Bell jump: 20 seconds
  • Alternating: 20 seconds
  • Rest: 30 seconds

 Basi jump

This is your basic double foot jump over the rope. Beginners should master this technique first before moving onto more advanced techniques. 

Alternating

This style consists of using alternate feet to jump off the ground. This technique is very useful to avoid shin splints and to skip for longer periods. 

Belljump

A front-and-back jump, keep feet together. 

Scissors

A jump putting one foot forward and the other back, then switching back-and-forth.

Criss-cross

This method is similar to the basic jump with the only difference being that while jumping, the left hand goes to the right part of the body and vice versa for the right hand. To make this technique work you will have to whip your arms across so that the rope has enough force to make space for you to skip through. 

Double

To perform a double jump, you need to jump up higher than usual while swinging the rope twice under your feet. To land this trick focus on exploding off the ground with your toes, while whipping the rope around twice with much more pace. Use an explosive burst using your forearms, not your shoulders. NB. Don't forget to watch your timing not just speed. 

Facebook/Twitter Challenge

How many doubles can you do in a row? At Kilo2kili, the in-house record is 100 doubles in a row. Who’s gonna top them?

Rules:

  1. If the rope stops spinning you take the count of your last successful clearance of the rope.
  2. All doubles must be done consecutively, without any other skipping methods used.

(Joni Kowensky, Founder of Kilo2kili, June 2012) 

Read more:
3 fat-busting cardio workouts

Image: Man skipping from Shutterstock

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