Wednesday, September 15, 2010

The Old Great Fitness Tool

Yes, there are so many training tools from years ago. Remember the Nordic Track cross country ski machine, how about the Abdominal wheel, of course there are many others. One that I continue to use regularly every week of the year is the jump rope.

Jumping rope and learning the various techniques improves so many area's that have cross over benefits for endurance based sports. Yes, even for ultra distance events! Jumping rope improves overall body strength and of course speed/turnover. If you travel on business, it's great to throw in the luggage. It's a great tool to use for warming up or combining with other workouts.

For example, add to hill repeats (running) and at the bottom of the hill after your recovery grab the rope for 2 minutes of quick jumping and then climb the hill (repeat several sets). Do this workout weekly and you will notice strength improvements in the calves along with an increase of your turnover when climbing the hill. Not easy, but huge benefits!

Combine jumping rope with bike intervals as well and build over time to several minutes. I highly recommend adding to your routine and the more you jump consistently the better you will become on technique and speed.

If you want a quality jump rope, check out Buddy Lee Jump Ropes. He is amazing and makes a great jump rope. If possible, I recommend jumping on a cushioned mat and start out slow and build over time.

Add jump roping to your weekly training routine and experience the significant strength and speed benefits.

Have fun, it works!