As with any sports training, the jump rope requires the best possible equipment if you want to get the most out of your exercise.
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Jump Rope: the guide to starting using it and choose the right one
Choosing the right materials and the highest quality will not only get you started in the best way but will help you avoid two common problems:
- Injuries caused by poor technique (due to poor equipment).
- Ineffective workouts and wasted energy.
Jump rope is one of the safest exercises there is when it comes to injury statistics. Compared to running, jumping the rope transmits less stress to the joints, if done correctly, and forces you to maintain an upright posture.
This is because rope jumping is performed with the knees slightly bent and landing on the forefoot, distributing the energy more evenly over all the leg muscles. The most important decision that you will make when purchasing a rope, concerns the material with which the rope is made.
Grips are important, but using the correct type of cable makes the difference when jumping the rope. This guide will help you choose the correct cable for different jump types and skill levels.
The different types of jump rope
Until recently, there was only one type of jump rope, and the choice was quite easy. Now, as rope jumping has grown in popularity for fitness and as a sport, you have seemingly endless varieties and styles of ropes to choose from.
Jump ropes in fabric
This is the most common type of rope. It’s what we had as children. It usually has plastic handles and a fabric or nylon rope. They are the cheapest strings, but the quality is often low. They are not the best choice for athletes who practice CrossFit, boxing, or aerobic workouts.
There are some good-quality fabric jump ropes, but for competition or speed training, a fabric rope has two main drawbacks:
- Weight (they are heavy)
- Friction (they are slow)
All that excess weight equals wasted energy. These ropes cannot be used outdoors on wet ground, as the fabric rope will absorb moisture, becoming even heavier.
Jump rope with plastic beads
Producing a show of colors and patterns, these ropes are undoubtedly the most fun to watch on the move. This is why they are popular in competitions (and also among children).
These are the best jump ropes for beginners, as the sound on the floor helps you find rhythm and cadence. Weight is a favorable factor with these ropes, as it provides greater muscle feedback, allowing a beginner to deal with what’s going on. The only drawback is that the plastic beads inside can eventually break.
Leather jump rope
Popular among boxers, the leather jump rope has been a favorite of legends, including Mohammed Ali, Pacquiao, Mike Tyson or George Foreman.
They are mainly used to improve coordination and speed of leg movement, and greater agility. These boxing ropes have plastic or wooden handles and are faster than the plastic or fabric ones we’ve seen above.
Since it is an organic material, attention must be paid to external wear and in areas exposed to moisture. Also, be careful if you perform high-speed jumps, as they can hurt you greatly. If you are a beginner, be careful if you use this type of rope.
Plastic or PVC jump rope
These are the most popular strings on the market, and their price varies greatly depending mainly on their quality, so much so that it can range from $4 to $60.
You can find them in various shapes, finishes, colors, and thicknesses. These ropes are suitable for beginners and more advanced athletes but are not recommended if your only goal is speed. For example, if you want to do Double Unders in Crossfit, you will find them more difficult to master with this type of jump rope.
The weight and thickness of the cable is usually not optimally balanced for speed. Getting started with simple jumps and other workouts is more than enough.
An advantage of these ropes is that they can be used outdoors without problems and that the cables last longer than usual, even on the hard ground since they are not excessively heavy.
Jump Rope steel cable (Fire 2.0)
This type of jump rope has gained popularity in the fitness market, particularly among CrossFit athletes who want to do double jumps as quickly as possible. These ropes are basically designed with one goal in mind: speed.
There are 2 types of cable: 4mm or 2.5mm. The 2.5mm ropes for Speed Jump Roping produce less muscle fatigue, making them better for competitions. If you are unable to perform 25 uninterrupted double under, you should not start with these strings.
Practice with a 4mm cable, on the other hand, allows athletes to feel the rope better. If you are training for boxing or martial arts, we recommend using 4mm plastic-coated steel jump ropes: they not only allow high speed but also train your endurance more efficiently.
The service life of 4mm cables is obviously longer than 2.5mm cables because the PVC or plastic coating is thicker. Remember that these jump ropes are made with a very dense cable.
This means that they are very fast ropes, but errors in their use are painful. Avoid using these ropes on concrete, as the hard surface can wear down the plastic.
They are recommended for use in parks with rubber floors like those you can find in any city, or in a gym with rubber or parquet floors inside.
Weighted jump ropes
There are also weighted ropes that allow you to add weight to the rope by customizing the training from time to time. You can choose between ropes that allow you to add weight in the handles or ropes that allow you to add it to the cable.
The best, most efficient option is to add weights to the handles and use a thicker cable. The weighted handles and thicker cables are perfect for building speed, power, and endurance simultaneously.
These ropes are not suitable for beginners and require high-level training to take advantage of them. Their price is high, even if you want a good range of weights.
10 points to summarize the choice of jump rope
To summarize, these are the points to remember when choosing a rope:
- The most important thing when choosing a rope is to consider the thickness and density of the cable.
- If you have a rope with a thick, low-density cable, such as a PVC rope, you will begin to feel the air resistance in the rotational speed.
- High/medium-density ropes such as PVC or 4 mm steel ropes are the most suitable for beginners.
- If you are interested in CrossFit or functional training, you should choose steel ropes: 2.5 mm if you have learned the technique and 4 mm if you are a beginner.
- If your interest is martial arts, training, steel or leather 4mm ropes are the best option.
- If you want the jump rope to be your main form of training, we recommend using weighted jump ropes.
- If the external impact also matters to you while jumping the rope, use the strings with plastic beads. If you are a beginner, you can start with these strings, but put on a show you should become a professional.
- The handles should be comfortable for the hand. For CrossFit, look for comfortable light handles, preferably made with resistant materials such as metal for greater durability.
- If you train outdoors, you can use weighted jump ropes (with PVC coated cables) or steel ropes, preferably 4 mm. Outdoors, in damp conditions, leather or fabric ropes, or wooden handles, are not recommended.
- For interiors, you can use any jump rope you want based on your goals; paying attention to heavier ropes, which can leave marks on the floor.
- Ideally you should do your workouts on rubber floors on a concrete base.
How to adapt the jump rope to the height and level of competence
Finally, to end this guide, keep in mind that the most important thing, regardless of the string you use, is that it should always be adjusted correctly. The ideal length is obtained by standing on the rope with one foot and lifting the handles horizontally to the height of the nipples.
If you are a beginner, you can extend this cable length by 2-5 cm, never more, because you would completely change the mechanics of the movement when you jump the rope, and this is not good for your training.
A little more length gives you room for maneuver and allows you to feel the hammering of the rope on the ground to speed up the pace and technique more easily.
As you progress in technique and agility, you can gradually reduce the length of the cable until you feel comfortable with the ideal length.
The 10 best jump ropes
There are various types of jump ropes, each with specific advantages. Buying a jump rope can seem intimidating, considering the differences between one and the other. The best jump ropes are built to last, come with many extras, including replacement parts, and are covered by a lifetime warranty.
- Durable & Adjustable Rope / / This jump rope is made of steel wires that are coated with strong PVC material, making it...
- Jump Fast, Jump Easily / / Built-in with high-quality ball bearings, the skipping rope provides you with comfortable jump...
- Ergonomic Foam Handles / / The ergonomic handles are well designed for your safety and convenience: they are covered with...
- 【Durable & Tangle-Free】 This jump rope is made of steel wires that are coated with strong PVC material, making it durable...
- 【Adjustable Rope】The Jump rope design with 9.2 feet long of the rope. This jump rope's long enough to meet the skipping...
- 【Comfortable Foam Handle】: Comfortable handle makes it easy to grasp and carry,and the non-slip & moisture-wicking...
- Smooth and Fast: the ball bearing system avoids the twisting, winding or bending like other fitness jump ropes, it ensures...
- Sports Fitness: our exercise jump rope can shape your cardio endurance, stamina and speed, while improving the muscle tension...
- PVC Embedded Wire Rope: the braided steel wire rope is coated with PVC, which features durable and smooth, ensures the...
- Self-Locking Exciting? Definitely. With a unique self-locking design, you can adjust the 10 feet long rope to a suitable...
- Faster and Smoother - Premium grade 360-degree ball bearings? You are right. Our newest speed jump rope built-in with high...
- Adjustable Rope - We provide 1 steel cable cable, the crossfit jump rope is made of steel wires that are coated with...
- ADJUSTABLE: The SPORTBIT jump rope for fitness is easy to cut and customize. You can even use kitchen scissors when adjusting...
- FLEXIBLE AND DURABLE: This speed jump rope will not tear or break. The SPORTBIT jump rope was built to last. The handles spin...
- SWEAT-RESISTANT HANDLES: The ergonomically designed 4.8-inch long handles will fit adult hands. The handles on our jumping...
- Jump Rope with Smart Counter: Designed with HD LED display, which shows Timer, Weight, Calorie and Circles. It will record...
- Built-in Quality Steel Ball Bearing: These jump ropes built-in high-quality ball bearings to provide a smooth exercise...
- Durable and Adjustable Length Steel Rope: Durable steel rope protected by premium PVC sheathing to avoid cracking or...
- 【Perfect Choice for Fitness】It's no secret that skipping rope is a great way to get fit, using a heavy jump rope helps to...
- 【Humanized design】 In order to avoid spraining the wrist and reduce the wear of the hand, our weighted jump rope has...
- 【Durable material】After a long period of experiments, HPYGN heavy jump rope decided to use polymer synthetic fiber as the...
- The upgraded tangle-free double ball bearings ensures that the jump rope is free of tangle, fast and smooth, so that you can...
- The gold combination of 9mm braided cotton rope + 9mm solid PVC rope can not only prolong your jumping rope life by at least...
- Aluminum + Silicone Grips Handle not only make the jump rope Durable, but also comfortable to grip. The raised silicone...
- WEIGHTED TANGLE-FREE & DURABLE ROPES. 6MM PVC-coated steel cable allows for safe and durable jumping on any surface, the...
- Premium Ball Bearings. The precision swivel ball bearing double rotation mechanism increases your rotating power and gives...
- Comfortable Handles. Wear-resistant handles provide weight for an upper-body workout, great for a total body challenge....
- Durable/High-quality Materials:The jump rope is made of cotton, the bottom has a protective cover to keep the rope from being...
- Foam Handle: Comfortable handle makes it easy to grasp and carry, which makes your hands feel comfortable and non-slip during...
- Adjustable：The skipping ropes is 9.19 feet long and 0.354 inches(9mm) in diameter, 0.485 lbs weight. are long enough to...
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