It is often advertised that jumping rope as an activity is an excellent form of cardiovascular training compared to other forms of aerobic exercise. But is this true? Let’s take a look.

When you first start your jump rope journey, it can be so much fun that you’re tempted to jump every day - after all, it’s so much fun! However, if you're jumping every single day as a beginner, then don't be surprised if you feel fatigued pretty quickly. Why? Your body needs rest.

There are many ways you can get your jump rope workout done. One of those ways is to music. This can be simply for the vibe and energy the music adds to your session, or you can use the music to help push you in your training. I have a Spotify playlist which I curated for clients to jump to for the latter.

HIIT workouts are a popular way to get your cardiovascular training done. They’re an efficient way to get a lot done in a short amount of time, making them a very suitable option for time-conscious gym-goers. Jump rope can make this an even better effect, due to how efficiently it burns calories compared to other types of cardio.

Whether you can jump rope on an empty stomach is more of a general question as to whether you can and should do cardiovascular training fasted or not. Are there any benefits?

One of the best aspects of jump rope is how diverse it is as an exercise tool. In freestyle, there is a whole branch of skills which don’t include jumping whatsoever. These non-jumping skills include step-throughs, wraps, and releases. For those looking for something to do on a rest day to keep active, a a non-jumping freestyle jump rope is a great option! Let’s look at a few of these skills.

It’s a common phrase that’s thrown around when promoting the sport; “jumping rope is great for fat loss.” Sadly, it’s just not that simple. Although jump rope burns a lot of calories per hour compared to other forms of cardiovascular training, this is not what really matters when push comes to shove. The only thing that matters when losing fat is achieving a caloric deficit over a sustained period of time. This means consistently burning more calories than you eat.

Jump rope is commonly promoted as a ‘full-body workout’ that targets all the muscles in your body. However, sadly, this is not true. Jump rope is not a full-body workout. Suppose you look at the biomechanics of how a person jumps rope. In that case, it’s clear that jump rope is predominantly a lower-body workout which targets both the anterior and posterior chain musculature.

‘Toning’ is a buzzword in the fitness industry that is used to mean increasing the visibility of muscle definition by either, or both increasing muscle size itself and reducing the fat on and around it. In this sense, jump rope will help tone your legs, but it might not be the most effective way to achieve that goal.

Jump rope is a cardiovascular exercise which primarily targets the cardiovascular system through low-intensity extended periods of movement. But is it aerobic or anaerobic? The short answer is, it depends. If you’re jumping rope for any length of time over 15 seconds then you’ll be performing aerobic exercise which utilises oxygen to provide energy to muscles for movement.

Jump rope doesn’t have to be a workout in and of itself. For some, jump rope is purely an exercise tool used for the warm-up before their main exercise program. The goal with any warm-up is to gradually build up the intensity to help physically and mentally prepare yourself for the main workout.

The short answer is no. Jump rope will not make you lose weight in a specific area. Spot reduction, which is the name for the idea that certain exercises can reduce or burn fat in targeted areas, has no basis in science and no peer-reviewed evidence to support it.

Contrary to popular belief, the jump rope you choose is not the contributing factor which will determine how successfully you can or will lose weight when implementing jump rope workouts. 

Jump rope is commonly promoted as a ‘full-body workout’ that targets all the muscles in your body. However, sadly, this is not true. Jump rope is not a full-body workout. I look at the biomechanics of how a person jumps rope, it’s clear that jump rope is predominantly a lower-body workout which targets both the anterior and posterior chain musculature.

In Crossfit gyms and competitions, athletes often use thin wire cable ropes. These ropes eliminate any resistance or feedback in the rope, which would otherwise slow down the rope and force the jumper to work harder for the same output. In competition, their goal is to breeze through their sets of double unders as fast as possible. So, the tool they choose is specifically designed for this goal.

A jump rope workout can really elevated with the inclusion of a good playlist of music. Different people use music in their jump rope workouts for different reasons. Sometimes for speed training, choreography or simply the great vibe it manifests.

Yes it is! Jump rope is very easy to count. We can count the number of times we do a Cross or a double under, to name but a few. We can also count the number of steps we take in a set time domain. This is known as 'speed training’. Let’s take a closer look.

Jump rope is known for being an excellent way to burn a lot more calories per hour than other forms of cardiovascular exercise. How does it compare to running, though? If your goal is to become a better runner, then no. If you want to improve your cardiovascular strength with the least obstacles, jump rope may prove more effective than running.

Yes, you can, but not at first. Think about when you signed up at the gym for the first time - you wouldn't do bench presses every day, or you'd injure yourself.

The short answer is, no. Not on its own. Jump rope is known for being an excellent way to burn a lot more calories per hour than other forms of cardiovascular exercise. When you do this, the ab muscles which everyone has will become more visible.