I don't know about you guys, but I HATE
cardio! I probably hate cardio because today's form of cardio
typically involves running on a treadmill staring at the same wall
for twenty minutes, or the same on the eliptical. I HATE IT! I hate
having to do cardio for 20-30 minutes after working out over an hour.
I like my cardio in short, quick, and fast bursts so my mind can't
even have the time to think of reasons to stop. This may just seem
like I'm venting (that may be partially true), but I'm bringing this
up, because theres an amazing cardio tool that you probably have
laying around the house collecting DUST (costs less than $5 if you
don't have one too). According to WebMD,
you'd have to run an 8 MINUTE MILE to burn more calories than one
would doing this secret form of cardio. Well, it's not really a
secret, it's just forgotten about. Wanna know? Well..its....
JUMPING ROPE!
Yes, that’s right, jumping rope is
this secret form of cardio I'm talking about. Who would of guessed?
The jump rope is really a forgotten piece of equipment these days by
everyone except one profession. Those would be boxers. Boxers are
notorious for jumping rope, if you ever walk into a boxing gym, bet
you'll hear a ton of thumps of the rope hitting the ground. These
boxers don't jump rope for fun guys. They jump rope because of the
amazing benefits it has. Think about attributes boxers need to be
successful: speed, elusiveness, quickness, footwork, movement,
endurance, stamina. The jump rope helps them excel in all these
categories! I don't believe there is another piece of workout
equipment that can give you as much bang for your buck as a jump rope
can.
The best part about a jump rope is the
bang for the buck you get. I just bought a new jump rope today at
Marshalls.
Here it is. It's actually a pretty sweet jump rope, and it was
only $5.99. I know that site says $14.99, but trust me. You shouldn't
be paying over $10.00 for your jump rope, hit stores like Ross and
Marshalls, they carry quality jump ropes. Five Below even has a
decent selection of ropes.
I like to do quick intervals when I'm
jumping rope and vary the type of jumps I do. I suggest doing
anywhere from 20-30 second intervals when starting and working your
way up to 1 to 3 minute intervals of jumping rope. I prefer to take
the same amount of time I do jumping as a break. So if I'm doing 30
second intervals, I'll jump for 30, break for 30, jump for 30, break
for 30, etc. Doing these kind of HIIT (High Intensity Interval
Training) workouts, really gets the heart pumping and the sweat
racing. You people can keep your slow jogs at one pace, I'd rather
jump my rope and get that heart rate going.
There's so many different things you
can do with a jump rope too. I like to alternate between the basic
jump, one legged jumps, and jogging jumps. I'm still learning too. The best thing about
jumping rope is that there is always something different you can do.
With an elliptical or treadmill, it's ALWAYS the same thing, just
running and staring at a wall for 20 minutes, BORING. You can go on
youtube and see all the different type of things you can do, it's
really amazing the skill you can acquire if you work hard enough.
Check out these awesome jump roping
videos, to see how far you can really take it if you want too:
Jump roping is a good form of cardio
because it comes in quick bursts. Whenever I'm on the treadmill, I'll
be on there for like 4 minutes and it feels like an hour. With the
rope, I can combine a bunch of different things and make my own
little circuit that kicks my ass in 20 minutes. But it isn't a
dragging 20 minutes, its quick. Along with what I mentioned above,
sometimes I like to set goals in my head when I jump. I'll say “Okay,
I'm gonna go for 100 basic jumps and I'm not stopping until I get
there”. After some of my sets, I'll take off for a jog around the
yard for a few times. It's just a fun workout that doesn't feel like
I'm watching paint dry like when I'm on a treadmill/elliptical. You
can also freestyle, which is fun too. Free styling is just doing a
bunch of different combinations of jump rope techniques and just
having fun with it.
The jump rope is a great alternative
for people who are tired of the deathmill and other cardio machines.
It's just adding a little spice to your cardio workout. Plus, jumping
rope can look pretty cool when you get good at it. The cardiovascular
benefits are there and you will feel the rope working your heart when
you get going. I'm all about finding FUN ways to do cardio, and this
is definitely one of them. Try jumping rope and please let me know
what you think. Look up some youtube videos and see how skilled you
can get. It's always fun to look at something and imagine where you
could be with a skill one day. Have a great weekend everyone!
CLICK THE ADS PLEASE!!!!
@Dcorrigan50
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