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jump rope workout

JUMP ROPE WORKOUT FOR FAT LOSS

Is your goal to burn fat? Maybe you are solely focused on losing fat without too much concern for muscle mass, or perhaps you want the best of both worlds: lean and cut muscle mass.

Either way, I can tell you right now that you aren’t going to see optimal results unless you have an awesome fat burning workout.

If you’re spending an hour or more on a treadmill slowly trudging along, you’re wasting your time.

Want to know what the pros use to skyrocket fat loss? I’ll give you a hint: It’s a cheap and old-fashioned piece of training equipment.

I’m talking about jump ropes.

I think the jump rope is probably one of the most underutilized tools in the industry. Why?

It might not be fancy, but the jump rope allows you to get a fast and effective workout that’s ideal for building up agility and quickness.

You’ll also condition your legs, work your forearms, and support your rotator cuffs. Not to mention the insane amount of caloric expenditure.

If you’re ready to get serious about burning fat, I have a jump rope workout for you to do each week.

Get ready for three rounds of torture… I mean three rounds of jump rope exercises!

benefits of jump rope

DOES JUMP ROPE BURN FAT?

Before we jump into the jump rope workout, I want to answer a question I get asked all the time:

Does Jump Rope burn fat? The short answer: Absolutely.

I consider Jumping Rope the king of conditioning exercises, and it’s one of my personal favorite forms of cardio and taking care of your heart health.

Jump Rope is a total body cardio workout that puts a huge aerobic and oxidative demand on the cardiovascular system.

The muscle engagement from this one exercise includes your entire lower body, shoulders, arms, and core.

In order to burn fat, you have to make sure that your workouts are of high enough intensity to cause oxidation without being purely aerobic.

Studies have found that Jump Rope burns more calories per minute than most other popular cardiovascular exercises.

Forget the nonsense where people tell you to work out at a low intensity to burn fat. Treadmills are okay for rest days… but that’s about it.

Sure, you may burn a higher percentage of calories from fat, but you won’t burn nearly as many OVERALL calories as you will with higher intensity interval training (HIIT).

And guess what: One of the jump rope benefits is that it’s a form of HIIT. That is why, with a higher overall calorie burn doing a high intensity workout, you’ll see a larger number of overall fat loss.

What’s more, studies have found that Jump Rope burns more calories per minute than most other popular cardiovascular exercises.

If you’re able to do 100 jumps per minute, you could burn about 15 calories per minute. And if you can Jump Rope for ten minutes, you’ll burn 150 calories.

Trust me, guys, if you’re looking for a proven fat-burning workout, the Jump Rope is the way to go.

Now, let’s talk more about this complete jump rope workout.

 
 

HIGH-INTENSITY JUMP ROPE WORKOUT

I also call this the Frozen Rope workout routine because you don’t want the jump rope to stop moving. It should be frozen in motion.

Now, why is it important that the jump rope keeps moving?

If the jump rope stops moving either because you get tired or your feet hit the rope, you get a penalty.

And that penalty is 10 Plyo Push-Ups.

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10 plyo pushups

You can perform a jumping or clapping variation – it’s up to you – but you must choose one.

You’ll definitely feel this throughout your chest, shoulders, and core on TOP of the lower body workout you’re getting from the jump rope.

Remember to maintain proper form and keep your core engaged throughout the exercise.

As soon as you’re done, you come back up and continue from the number you left off at. You don’t have to start again at one.

Invest in speed ropes. They are lighter and easier to swing, especially with a lighter grip during the Double Under exercise.

So, as an example, let’s say in Round One when you’re performing 50 repetitions of the Two-Foot Hop, you hit your feet at number 32. Well, in that case, you put the rope down, perform 10 Plyo Push-Ups, and resume at number 32.

Now, that you know the one nuance of the workouts, let’s get started with the Jump Rope exercises.

Don’t worry if you’re not sure exactly how to do some of the jumping rope exercises; there will be a video demonstration for each one.

Most importantly, you don’t have to have an insanely high fitness level to do this, but if you’re untrained or out of shape, you might need some time to adjust.

One final tip for you: Invest in speed ropes. They are lighter and easier to swing, especially with a lighter grip during the Double Under exercise.

That’s okay! Do what you can and keep pushing through this jump rope circuit.

ROUND ONE

You start off this activity with 50 repetitions of the basic jump rope exercise, Two-Foot Hop.

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JUMP ROPE Workout Used By Pro Athletes

You don’t have to go for broke right off the bat.

Start off with a lighter rope and focus on a nice, steady, and gentle jump.

Once you get through your 50 repetitions, you immediately move on to the Single-Leg Jump.

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one foot hop jump rope

You perform 50 repetitions on the left leg, and then 50 more repetitions on the right leg.

Just a reminder: If the rope stops moving, you have to do 10 Plyo Push-Ups.

Now, once you finish the Single-Leg Jumps, you finish the round with the Two-Foot, Side-to-Side Hop. Again, you’re going for 50 repetitions here.

Congrats, you’ve made it through round one – only two more to go.

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side to side two foot hop

ROUND TWO

Now, on to round two. You’re going to start off with 50 repetitions of the Two-Foot Hops, just as before.

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JUMP ROPE Workout Used By Pro Athletes

Next, you’ll move on to Single-Leg, Side-to-Side Jumps. That means you’re moving side to side on one leg at a time.

Perform 50 repetitions on the right side, and 50 more repetitions on the left side.

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side to side one foot hop jump rope

Finally, we finish the round strong with 50 repetitions of High Knees.

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high knees jump rope

Again, penalties still count here. If that rope stops, you should be doing 10 Plyo Push-Ups.

 
 

FINAL ROUND

Welcome to the final round. Spoiler alert: I guarantee that you’re going to get a penalty in this round.

We start off the last round with my favorite jump rope exercise, Double Unders.

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double unders jump rope

The Double Under is really explosive.

An important note about Double Unders, it ONLY counts if you are able to clear the rope under your feet twice in one jump.

The swings in between the double swings don’t count.

Perform 20 repetitions. From here, move on to the Boxer Shuffle.

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JUMP ROPE Workout Used By Pro Athletes

During the Boxer Shuffle, you’re moving your feet in front of you one at a time like rope skipping or boxer steps.

It’s really just a casual bounce moving from heel toe, heel toe. This mimics the traditional boxing jump rope workouts.

Perform 50 repetitions of the Boxer Shuffle.

Now, you go back to Double Unders.

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double unders jump rope

Perform 20 repetitions, and then finish strong with the Boxer Shuffle.

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JUMP ROPE Workout Used By Pro Athletes

Perform 50 repetitions of the Boxer Shuffle.

If you can get through this entire jump rope workout and you feel like you need a bit more of a challenge, consider using a heavier rope.

Weighted ropes come in a variety of sizes, but it’s not a bad idea to start off with a 1/2-pound rope.

You don’t want the heaviest rope you can find, and you definitely don’t want a flimsy rope. A weighted jump rope that is strong and solid that allows for a steady swing.

Guys, this challenging jump rope cardio routine is not for the faint of heart.

But if you’re serious about burning fat and leaning out, I promise this cardio activity will help get you there.

The catch is that you have to do it consistently in conjunction with a resistance training program.  If you’re looking for the best resistance training program, we’ve got you covered there too! Check out our ATHLEAN-X programs to see which is the best fit for your goals and fitness level.

 
 
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THE HIGHLIGHT REEL:
JUMP ROPE WORKOUT

  1. One of the most effective ways to burn fat at home is with a jump rope. The jump rope training workout time takes about 13 minutes and it’s guaranteed to leave you a sweaty mess.
  2. Before you begin this jump rope routine, it’s important to note that if the rope stops moving, you have to do 10 Plyo Push-Ups. Not just once. Every time you stop Jump Roping.
  3. If you do get a penalty of 10 Plyo Push-Ups, continue where you left off with the exercise. For example, if you stopped at rep 32 of 50, you would continue at rep 32 after the 10 Plyo Push-Ups.
  4. Round One: Two-Foot Hop: 50 reps / Single-Leg Jump: 50 reps each leg / Two-Foot, Side-to-Side Hop: 50 reps.
  5. Round Two: Two-Foot Hop: 50 reps / Single-Leg, Side-to-Side Jumps: 50 reps / High Knees: 50 reps
  6. Final Round: Double Unders: 20 / Boxer Shuffle: 50 / Double Unders: 20 / Boxer Shuffle: 50

Jeff Cavaliere Headshot

Jeff Cavaliere M.S.P.T, CSCS

Jeff Cavaliere is a Physical Therapist, Strength Coach and creator of the ATHLEAN-X Training Programs and ATHLEAN-Rx Supplements. He has a Masters in Physical Therapy (MSPT) and has worked as Head Physical Therapist for the New York Mets, as well as training many elite professional athletes in Major League Baseball, NFL, MMA and professional wrestling. His programs produce “next level” achievements in muscle size, strength and performance for professional athletes and anyone looking to build a muscular athletic physique.

Read more about Jeff Cavaliere by clicking here

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