Andrea Contents
How to choose the rope to jump!
What kind of rope to buy if you want to jump the rope?
The choice of rope to jump is something simple but it must be done carefully and can not miss in your home gym for fighter.
I prepared this post to tell you what I think of the different ropes to jump and help you understand what are the ropes to jump to buy or that you have to avoid if you practice combat sports, martial arts or self-defense.
The cheapest choice is to buy a climbing rope of the appropriate length, I did so to save but then I bought more professional ropes to be able to increase the number of turns and then increase the work done with the rope functional to martial arts.
Among the physical activities to start a workout or intersperse it while always being on the move there is the “simple” and multidisciplinary jump with the rope.
Practiced a lot in combat sports gyms and home fitness, this session helps muscle toning and endurance, as well as being an excellent exercise for cardio-vascular and respiratory tightness.
There are several factors to take into account before choosing a good rope to jump and keep fit, let’s see together what they are and what types are suitable for novice athletes or for the more experienced.
I write them in order of importance (this is my opinion) on how to choose the rope to jump
Rope training offers many benefits, such as muscle toning and endurance and is an excellent exercise for good cardio-vascular and respiratory hold.
A good muscular resistance allows you to reach your goals more easily and involves all the muscles of the body because it goes from the upper part of the body, with the rotation movement of the rope that acts on the arms, shoulders and pectorals; to the lower one, with the repetition of the jumps causes a muscle contraction.
We specify immediately that through the jump with the rope the muscles are defined without increasing the volume, for this reason it is necessary to resort to other types of training.
The rope is an inexpensive tool, made of different materials such as leather, nylon and cotton and is very useful for both boxing and crossfit as well as for PHA and aerobic circuit training in HIT (High Intensity Training).
How to choose the best rope to jump
Before you start jumping with the rope there are several factors to consider.
The choice of the jump rope that every athlete or aspiring athlete must do is oriented both to the performance of the rope but also to its practicality of use.
Before starting any physical activity it is always advisable to check with a doctor your physical fitness for the impact and high aerobic intensity of the activity and then for the choice of equipment.
Among the factors to be taken into account before purchasing are the material, rope and handles; the length and mechanism of rotation.
Jump rope rope materials
Many do not know that the ropes for jumping can be of different types:
- there are cotton ones,
- those of nylon and
- those of leather.
The first are certainly the cheapest ones, often also used by children, which have among the advantages lightness and manageability but these two characteristic disadvantages, it is a rope recommended for those who are at the beginning and can be used to warm up before a more intense workout.
The one in nylon or synthetic material are the right compressed for those looking for a good quality product at a price not too high.
This type of tool is recommended for beginners, because of their enviable lightness, but at the same time they can also be useful to experts, because they are able to reach high speeds and consequently guarantee intense workouts.
It is used for aerobic activity and can be a great choice, especially if you have weights.
Finally, the leather strings, which in terms of performance are not afraid of rivals.
It is the recommended solution for those who want faster and more intense training sessions.
These types of ropes allow you to improve the times on aerobic and anaerobic activity but before buying one it is better to experience with the first two.
Jumping rope handle materials
The handle of the rope is also very important and in the choice of the tool it is recommended to choose handles that can guarantee a good grip.
You have to choose between the ergonomic ones, which follow the handle of the hand; and non-slip ones, which allow you to never lose the tool during the activity.
These are made of different materials and coatings: ranging from rubber to wood to hard or light plastic, aluminum and sponge.
The more comfortable the handles, the easier the task will be.
Length of jump rope
The comfort in jumping and in the execution of the movement in an easy way is an important factor in jumping the rope and during the purchase it is essential to understand if the rope we are going to take has the right length, which obviously must be proportionate to the height of the athlete.
There are adjustable strings, which allow you to set the length depending on who uses it and vary the training according to our needs.
The calculation of the length of the rope:
- from 120cm to 145cm high – rope length 215cm
- from 145cm to 160cm height – rope length 245cm
- from 160cm to 180cm height – rope length 275cm
- from 180cm to 200cm high – rope length 300cm
- from 200cm upwards – rope length 335cm
Rotation mechanism
How do they manage to rotate the strings in this way?
This tool is equipped with a rotation mechanism that allows it not to stop and to complete the ride around the athlete.
Inside the handles there are ball bearings that facilitate the optimal rotation of the rope at 360 ° to reach the maximum speed in training.
The game of wrist, the coordination between the movement of the rope and the jumps become a real harmonious gesture once practiced with continuity that can be made more complex by varying the intensity but also the type of ways of jumping the rope.
How to choose the rope for jumping
There are many types of rope that, as already mentioned, differ in material and consistency and that are more or less suitable for those who are beginners or have already navigated in practice.
Here is a list of types.
Speed rope as bearings and handles in tight plastic and 90-degree connection of the rope. (THE BEST CHOICE)
This is the best jump rope for training in martial arts and combat sports.
The string is thin, in combination with the 90 degree connection, spins easily and perfectly for the typical rhythm you need for these activities.
The thin plastic handles are easy to hold, which allows you to focus on the rope and various tricks that make training specific to combat sports and martial arts more efficient.
The 90-degree connection helps the rope spins easier, avoids creases, and makes it easy even to adjust the length.
The rope gives you a perfect resistance (not too much or too little), which helps you develop coordination and rhythm.
These ropes if you want it you have to buy it online because often even specialized stores do not have them.
Plastic rope with no 90-degree connections – (Second choice)
This is the cheapest option and found in sports stores.
They’re fine for and all in all they’re a bargain at only about 10 euros.
The problem with these strings is that they do not rotate easily and do not last much because they do not have the connection to 90 degrees.
You can do all the basic tricks, but already if you have to do double turns you have to push a lot more, but a little effort trains you.
But I already tell you that you save but if you use it a lot and with greater speed, the rope eventually breaks near the plastic handle.
If you start this can be a cheap solution but that makes you gain confidence and skill with this exercise.
PVC rope (not good and does not favor rhythm)
The PVC jumping rope is often black strings with black padded handles, but now they also make them colorful.
They also have ball bearings that should spin the rope evenly, but this is actually a crap because so you can’t adjust the length of the string.
NO GOOD!!!
One of the main problems with PVC strings is that it stretches when you turn it is at higher speeds it screws easily because the rubber rope is too light and this also makes it difficult to keep a rhythm suitable for this type of training.
If you want to try it but I don’t recommend it.
Skin rope – bad choice, painful and slow
I don’t recommend thick leather ropes with wooden handles.
The main problem is that they are too slow and also if you are barefoot and fail I assure you that they are very painful, I am a lash.
They used to be fine when there were no new materials.
Other types of rope that exist but don’t want you to consider:
The most expensive strings
There are also ropes that cost 50 euros and that run very fast even 4 times the average speed of the standard ropes in the trade and are born to do stunts, but for martial arts do not really serve.
The relief strings
They are valid strings but require too much energy to spin.
They are larger and for external use, on abrasive soils but are thick and covered with plastic because the rope is not damaged.
They do not make sense for those who want to jump rope to train, they are ropes usually made for children who want to play.
Metal jumping ropes
They are too easy to spin and therefore too fast for beginners.
These strings make it harder for beginners to learn the rhythm because they spin hard.
Another thing is that the steel ropes do not extend like the plastic ropes and in this way you do not attach your arms.
These strings are better to show that you easily make triple or quad jumps but do not serve for martial arts.
Thick ropes in general or climbing ropes
In general, thicker strings take longer to spin because they require more energy.
They are jumper ropes that are more static, I also use it and I used it but it is not ideal although it is okay if you have to make standard rope or you are on holiday and you need to make rope without buying one that maybe you forgot at home (you can also use some thread to spread laundry).
On individual laps you can also use it but in double rotations it is much more difficult if not impossible especially for beginners.
Use as I have already told you of the thinner strings in order to develop better coordination through faster laps.
It’s your footwork that you need to develop.
Strings with thick handles
I don’t recommend it because in the end you focus on the grip on the handle and on the rope itself.
A standard handle then thin allows you to keep the rope safely and comfortable with a relaxed hand so you don’t have to focus on “holding” the handles even to learn tricks.
Then an important thing is that the resistance must come from the swing of the rope rather than the weight of the handle because it is through the rope that you develop the rhythm of the jump.
Tube rope with sand or heavy
Sometimes used in Muay Thai workouts filled with sand.
Many times people think that if they add weight increases their hand speed, but they do not agree, the ropes to skip uses to develop coordination and rhythm.
Adding weight makes it a slower exercise and prevents you from developing quality coordination.
It’s good for conditioning muscles but I don’t find it so useful.
Thai boxers use it for conditioning.
Council!!! If you want to do a more challenging workout with the rope, increase the speed and difficulty by inserting tricks, not the weight. You need more leg speed than struggling with your arms with this exercise.
“Fake” string for apps (NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!)
They are strings that are of no use to those who do not want to learn.
Jump the rope with the playstation and then keep looking at the capable ones and you on the couch watching who’s capable.
Now I hope you have the clearest ideas about the types of jump strings that exist.
Run to buy the right rope for your specific job or give your own to buy a new one.
Jumping the rope is the first footwork you need to learn.
Ps. See also this smart and technological rope
Stay Tuned!
Street Fight Mentality & Fight Sport
Andrea
