Jumping Rope vs. Running

Not to mention long distance running is brutal on the knees...Jumping rope is a great alternative to running...:)

Sure is, its a lot more convienent and I find it easier on my joints - I also feel more worked when I jump rope then I do when I run, jog or sprint.

Dont you guys ever mess up and miss a jump?

Ha ha yeah I must have been doing it wrong. Whats the proper way to do interval training?

20 minutes is a LONG time...

If you're a martial artist, it would be better to do shorter lengths. Like 3-5 minutes and do a number of sets. That'll be far more beneficial for MA.

I always jumprope with headphones and my favorite rock and R&B tracks. It helps me keep time and keep rhythm. I don't count jumps or anything, I just jump alternating feet every jump like a boxer for as long as the song goes. 1 song is about 3-5 mins, and I get as long as the pause between tracks is to rest. I try to go for at least half the CD, which is a good 25 minutes.

Hmm, I like that idea about using the music lenght to judge your time..I have always been wondering how to time myself. My watch just doesn't beep loud enough to know when I am done and I hate to just stop and look at my watch..Tks for the pointer..:)

I am going to give a different opinion, while jumping rope is certainly as good a jogging if not better, it burns more calories than running if you maintain a jumping pace equal to your stride pace it does have a few major drawbacks. Running not jogging brings more lower body muscles into the workout, if you are actually running you will work the glutes, hamstring, calves, and quads. Jumping rope works mostly the calves. Second in cardivascular work it is easy to improve a psecific motion very quickly but you need to vary your cardio or you may find yourself able to jump 20 minutes but only spar for 5 minutes also don't jump two feet at a time alternate feet to increase load. The plus on jumping rope is that you can train different rhythms and vary speed and footwork exercises, but running should be preserved as necessary to a complete training routine. If you get bored running some suggestions 1never run more than 2 miles but try to work to a 10 minute 2 mile pace, it is a difficult goal but nobody gets bored in 10 minutes, vary your running run sprints of varying distance from sets of 20 meter sprints up to 600 meter sprints and do them in sets like weightlifting.
Both are good exercises, if you read Jack London's Stories about boxing he outlines an old time training routine that included running sprinting and jumping rope.
In fact for boxing there are considered five primary exercises, running, jumping rope, shadow boxing, heavy bag and sparring.
Jumping rope is a great workout but I would use it to replace jogging and keep hard sprinting workouts as part of your routine.

I'd like to add to that. If you get bored running on the streets or on a track, get some good sturdy shoes and run in the hills! Its really hard but you'll never get bored if you do hill workouts, and they'll benefit you so much more than just strait track work. But don't jump strait to running only in the hills, you'll shred your legs, build up to it. peace.

Thanks for the advice on running WADO and mma. I do like jumping rope a lot better, but ill give your running ideas a try.

If you jump rope doing the "jog-step" you can do both at a time, here is an instruction: duvide.com/skipping-instruction.htm

IF you think running beats rope jumping try this


1) double jump for 10 minutes - i bet there is not a single person on this forum who can do 5 minutes let alone 10 minutes, the goal is 20 minutes of continues double jumps - ive never met one boxer in my life who could even do four or five minutes of this let alone 10 minutes.

2) alternative footstep - lifting knees up, no higher than 3 inches of the ground, running in place *this is how it looks* do this for 5 minutes rest 1 minute continue*

3) double jump 20 times, then do alternative footstep for 1 minute, then back to double jumps for a total of 3 minutes

Try work up to 20 minutes of double jumping try get a soft mat to do it on, or good trainers, the impact will be about the same as running in my experience, could be less if you limit the height you jump, this workout beats any any form of running

Never skip like a boxer who bounces on one foot then the other, always rope jump on two feet.