I LOVE jumping rope, but its one of those exercises that the more you do, the more you have to challenge yourself. You can challenge yourself in different ways: alternate jumps with your feet, single foot jumps, more reps, etc.
I like the idea of adding a load to jump ropes. When I say load, it can either come from an outside source like a weighted vest or weighted belt, or it can be the rope itself.
With the weight being in the rope, it becomes a "cardio-strength" workout as you perform your jumps.
TIPS:
- When you jump rope, jump in increments. I like to use an ascending and descending ladder: 25x5075x75x50x25. With heavy ropes I like to go straight similar reps like 25x25x50x50x75x75.
- Alternate your sets between using the heavy rope and using a lighter rope. For example, 25 jumps heavy, 25 jumps light, and so on.
- For an added cardio effect during your workouts, jump rope in between sets. Do a set of back squats, then rack it, and immediately perform a set of heavy rope jumps (typically about 20-25 reps).
