And yet, proper jump rope form requires that you keep your core tight, straight, braced, and activated. Your abdominal muscles, also known as your core, tend to be an afterthought when it comes to jumping rope. This will force these two muscle groups to work harder to control the shifting weight and resistance of your rope as you jump, strengthening your back and improving posture (FYI – we cover heavy ropes in more detail in the sections below). Want an even more intense shoulder and back burn? Try incorporating heavy ropes into your jump rope workout routine.īy increasing the weight of your rope, you will add pressure to your shoulder stabilizers and back (in a good way). This will engage your lats and rhomboids and provide you with an excellent back workout that will pay HUGE dividends as you progress. The focus here should be on pulling your shoulder blades back, down, and together.
When it comes to mastering the basics (particularly proper form), your back and shoulders are key.
Anyone that has read a few of our articles or watched some of our videos on the JRD YouTube channel knows that we are borderline obsessed with making sure our community members stay disciplined in mastering the basics and avoid common beginner mistakes. Proper form is key to jump rope longevity. If you are interested in learning more about proper grip and the importance of strong hands and forearms, check out the video tutorial embedded above. If you focus on keeping your elbows tight to your body, your hands out, and your palms up, you will place more resistance on these two muscle groups and build more muscular endurance as you rotate your jump rope and try to maintain rope speed. The key to effectively activating these groups while jumping rope is to develop proper form. One particular study from 2019 found grip strength to be a great predictor of future overall strength, upper limb function, and bone density.įinally, stronger hands and forearms offer many additional benefits for athletes of all types (from boxers to powerlifters to climbers), especially for injury prevention. Second, studies have shown that grip strength is an excellent “biomarker” for well-being as we age. Whether opening a jar, carrying something up the stairs, or walking your dog, you need your hands and forearms to be strong and healthy. Now, why should you care about strengthening these muscle groups?įirst and foremost, we consistently use these two muscle groups in everyday life. While your hand and forearm muscles might not be the first muscle groups you think of when it comes to jumping rope, both are crucial to developing proper jump rope form (especially for heavier ropes). If you are interested in taking a deeper, more granular dive on the topic, we recommend checking our video tutorial from a few years back: What Muscles Does Jump Rope Work? While jumping rope will activate muscles from your head to your toes, this article will focus on seven major muscle groups: Important caveat: the following list is not exhaustive! Understanding that this term is rather ambiguous, we are here today to highlight some of the most important muscles worked when jumping rope, as well as the impact you can expect on each muscle group. Indeed, this happens to be one of the most common questions we (Dan and Brandon) receive here at Jump Rope Dudes.
You’ve heard us say it time and again – jumping rope is one of the best full-body workouts you can do.Īnd while this fact is probably obvious to anyone who has ever picked up a jump rope, there is some confusion among our community members regarding what “full-body” really means.