What it trains
Skipping trains your fitness, but also your feet, calves and sense of rhythm. Your calves and feet do most of the work in the small, springy jumps, with your quads and glutes helping to absorb each landing. Each jump is small, but there are hundreds in a few minutes, so your calves and Achilles tendons get a lot of work. Harder footwork, such as alternating feet or double unders, demands more coordination and fitness.
Common mistakes
- The rope is the wrong length. Too long and it slows you down, too short and you hunch. Stand with one foot in the middle of the rope: the handles should reach roughly to your armpits, or a little shorter once you are used to it.
- An extra bounce between turns. Many beginners add a small hop for every turn of the rope. Fine at first, but aim for one jump per turn for a quicker, smoother rhythm.
- Looking down at your feet. Your head pulls your shoulders forward and your rhythm suffers. Look straight ahead and trust the rope to come round.
Variations and alternatives
- Pogo hops give the same bounce without a rope, good for learning the rhythm or when the ceiling is too low.
- Jumping jacks raise your heart rate at home with no kit and no timing to learn.
- Shadow boxing alternates well with skipping rounds, as many boxers know.
How to plan your sessions
Skipping works best in rounds. If you are new, 20 to 30 seconds of jumping and an equal rest, for six to eight rounds, is enough. Tripping on the rope is normal at first, just start again. Once it flows, build up to rounds of one to three minutes, resting about a minute between them. Before a leg session, two or three relaxed minutes with the rope work well as a warm-up. How much skipping your week can take depends on your other training, which the guide on how often to train helps you weigh up.
Early on, lengthen your rounds rather than adding sessions, so your calves and tendons can keep up. Longer rounds, fewer misses or harder footwork all count as progressive overload. If your heel or calf hurts, rather than just feeling stiff and tired, stop skipping and have a physiotherapist or doctor look at it.