Jump rope for weight loss: reviews, exercises, benefits

Those who have visited a fitness club at least once may have noticed in the class schedule a type of training called skipping. The word is foreign and therefore difficult to understand for many of us. Therefore, let’s call this activity more simply – jumping rope for weight loss. Scientists who conducted a series of studies on volunteers proved that this children's game is a simple, convenient and, importantly, cheap exercise machine. And the effectiveness of jumping, even if it takes place at home, is higher than that of swimming and cycling. It’s not for nothing that for boxers and basketball players, any preparation for a game begins with the jump rope.

Benefits and results of jumping rope

A jump rope is an ideal exercise machine for making the process of losing weight fast, fun and without pain. Such exercises develop jumping ability, flexibility, and tone the muscles of the whole body. At the same time, the respiratory system is strengthened, posture improves, blood circulation is optimized, stagnation in the venous vessels disappears (the culprits of cellulite) and the mood generally improves. After all, we are taking a leap into childhood.

An important advantage of the jump rope is its low price (on average 200 rubles) and compactness - put your home exercise machine in a suitcase and go to conquer some resort with your jumps. Agree, taking your favorite exercise bike or treadmill with you on a trip, which will save your figure from gastronomic excesses in the form of a buffet, is simply unrealistic.

After just a week of daily exercises with a skipping rope, you will be able to see the results of weight loss - both your legs and waist will become slimmer. If you don’t give up training, then after some time your abs and hips will acquire a beautiful shape, and your buttocks will be dense and strong. But for the sake of such an effect, other girls “shed seven sweats” in the gym.

How to choose a jump rope

The simulator is selected according to the person’s height. A correctly selected rope length will allow you to perform exercises more actively and accurately, creating maximum stress for your muscles. When you come to a sports store or even a children's store, take the jumping ropes, fold them in half and stretch out your arms, holding both handles of the exercise machine together. The rope should touch the floor, but should not lie on it. In numbers, choosing the right simulator looks like this:

height up to 152 cm – jump rope 210 cm long;
height 152-167 cm – jump rope 250 cm long;
height 168-183 cm – jump rope 280 cm long;
height above 184 cm - jump rope 310 cm long.

Which jump rope to choose for weight loss? Indeed, this is a difficult question, considering that today sporting goods sell exercise equipment for children, high-speed, weighted, and even electronic (with a calorie counter). Beginners are recommended to use a speed or electronic jump rope. When you get used to the pace of the exercises and can set the training duration that is effective for you, you can move on to the weighted version - this will not only allow you to lose weight, but also sculpt your body.

How to lose weight using a jump rope - important rules

For the first 2-3 days, jump in place without a jump rope to prepare your body for future stress.
If your breathing becomes very difficult while doing exercises with a jump rope, give yourself a rest for a few seconds, but do not stop completely.
Losing weight will happen in the shortest possible time if you combine a jump rope with a hoop and reasonable restrictions on food.
The duration of the jumping session at the very beginning of training is no more than 15 minutes 2-3 times a week. During this time you can lose 200-250 kcal. When your respiratory system gets used to the load (after 1.5-2 weeks), you can gradually increase the duration of classes by 5 minutes until you bring their duration to 30-50 minutes.
To speed up the weight loss process, you can jump rope several times a day.
The starting body position for almost all exercises with a skipping rope is a straight back, legs together, elbows bent. We hold the end of a jump rope in each hand. Do not bend your back forward, do not lower your eyes to the floor.
Keep your elbows as close to your body as possible - over time, this will help you learn to move the jumping ropes using only the strength of your wrist.
The workout should begin by warming up all muscles. To do this, actively rub them with your hands for several minutes.
Do not strain your muscles during exercise - the more relaxed you are, the easier it will be for you to jump.
It is not necessary to do very high jumps - it will not burn more calories, but you will get tired faster.
It's great if after training you take a walk and take a warm shower.
A beginner should perform each exercise from the complex below for 2 minutes.

A set of exercises with a skipping rope for losing weight in the abdomen, legs, calves

Single jumps. Slowly rotate the rope and jump, pushing off the floor with your toes. When landing, bend your knees slightly. One bounce corresponds to one rotation of the machine. Gradually speed up.

Double jumps. Everything is the same, only for one turn of the rope there are two jumps. This exercise helps restore breathing because it is performed slowly.

Jumping to the sides. Jump left and right, and then back and forth.

Jumping with alternating legs. The exercise is performed at a fast pace on each. Jumps are performed on one or the other leg. Visually, this will look like an imitation of running in place.

Speed jumps. A very fast paced exercise, during which you need to raise your knees as high as possible.

Tilts. Roll the jump ropes several times and hold them by the ends. Stretch your arms in front of you and begin to lean forward. In this case, the jump rope helps to lose weight at the waist and get rid of fat folds on the sides and back.

Turns. Proceed in exactly the same way as in the previous case, just do not bend over, but turn your body alternately left and right. This jump rope activity will help reduce belly fat.

Jump rope - exercises for beginners

Circuit training

Excellent weight loss results can be achieved by performing circuit training - this is when each exercise is performed one approach in a row. Here you definitely can’t do without a heart rate monitor, since the workout itself lasts several hours, and the load on the body is constantly growing, bringing the heart rate to its maximum value. Jumping rope for weight loss is especially effective in this type of training. The results, reviews of which can be found in the media, are stunning: people managed to lose a couple of dozen excess weight in a few months.

In circuit training, jumping rope must be performed at an accelerated pace, without allowing the body to rest. Therefore, many professional athletes recommend learning how to perform and then use the system of high-speed jumps with a weighted rope. You will also have to practice the exercise technique, in which, in order to achieve maximum rotations of the rope around the body, you need to control the height of the jump - no more than 2-3 centimeters between the floor and the toes.

Disadvantages of jumping rope for weight loss

Jumping rope is child's play, but for our adult weight loss, we should take into account the presence of some contraindications to such activities, namely:

heart diseases;
hypertension;
rachiocampsis;
joint problems.

In principle, these are all situations in which the benefits of jumping rope, instead of losing weight, can clearly transform into harm to health. But it still wouldn’t hurt to get a preliminary consultation with a doctor before starting such exercises.

What muscles are involved?

It is believed that during training using a jump rope, only the legs receive the load. Apparently because of this myth, there is an opinion that regular exercise with this equipment increases the size of your shins. In fact, jumping with and without a rope improves muscles and tightens problem areas of the body.

During weight loss exercises using this equipment, not only the leg muscles, but also the thigh biceps and buttocks are actively involved in the work. The abs also get their share, which, combined with a balanced diet, leads to a decrease in abdominal volume. Also, such training has a positive effect on the arms and shoulder girdle.

Let's consider the load on each type of muscle separately:

The calves receive the largest share (depending on the intensity and quality of the jumps - from 55 to 65%). After working, be sure to pay attention to this area. Do some stretching exercises, as these muscles get tired extremely quickly and take a long time to recover.
Quadriceps thighs and buttocks - about 8-10%. These muscles are very large, there is a possibility of injury to them during active exercise. To be on the safe side, try to avoid raising your hips too high towards your torso.
Although the back accounts for about 10% of the total load, it cannot be said that it works weakly. During active movements, the musculoskeletal system forces the stabilizer muscles to work, so their training is very important.
The abs are not worked as seriously as other parts of the body. But with a little trick, you can further activate your abdominal muscles. To do this, you need to constantly keep your abs tense while jumping.
Hands receive the least amount of stress. But this is not a reason to say that they are resting. The biceps and triceps take the biggest hit. The deltas and forearms are worked out quite well.

Depending on the exercises and the rhythm of the workout, your body can receive either a more serious workout or a lighter version.

What is the first thing to lose weight?

Like other types of exercise equipment, a jump rope allows you to get rid of fat accumulated in women's most favorite areas - the buttocks, legs and abdomen. As a rule, first the waist becomes slimmer, the hated sides go away, and the tummy begins to tighten.

After a month of intensive training, representatives of the fair sex notice that their legs become thinner, their buttocks are more toned and rounded, and cellulite gradually disappears.

Training with a jump rope is one of the most effective ways to burn fat and lose extra centimeters in the ankles and calves. Usually the first results here become noticeable after 2-3 months. The last thing to lose weight is your arms. Therefore, if you have fat reserves in the upper body, it is recommended to add arm exercises with dumbbells to active jumps.

Jump rope for losing weight on legs and belly – reviews and results

Nadya, 24 years old. I decided to get acquainted with the jump rope after I heard the story of one person’s weight loss. In six months, he managed to lose 60 kg (his initial weight was 120 kg) only with the help of jumping ropes. The man started with 2-minute workouts and gradually reached the point where he could jump for more than 10 hours in a row. Cool! In a month I have only lost 5 kg.

Olesya, 27 years old. Losing weight with a rolling pin is something unreal! I’ve been jumping for two weeks now – the effect is super. And the belly became smaller, and the rolls on the sides went away, and the buttocks noticeably tightened, and the cellulite decreased, and the nasty “breeches” on the hips began to melt. In general, I will continue and recommend it to everyone as an addition to a balanced nutrition system.

Arina, 25 years old. I am overweight, but I don’t have enough willpower to go on diets and constantly go to the gym or at least run in the morning. Jumping rope is the best thing you can think of for losing weight. Only at the very beginning of training did I have trouble - I pulled a tendon. When I recovered, I corrected my main mistake - when jumping, you need to land on your entire foot, and not on your toes.

Katerina, 30 years old. In three weeks, I really felt how effective the jump rope is for losing weight. At first, I must admit, I was very doubtful. I jump three times a week for half an hour and have already “lost” 3 cm in my waist and 2 cm in my hips.

Cardiovascular monitoring

Of course, any exercise on apparatus raises your heart rate, and jumping rope for weight loss is no exception. Reviews in the media, as a consensus, recommend that all beginners get a heart rate monitor or, at worst, simply measure their pulse periodically. The heart rate should not exceed 80% of the maximum heart rate, which can be calculated using the formula: (220 - “athlete’s age”). For example, if a beginner is 34 years old, then the maximum heart rate will be 186 beats per minute, and the maximum that should not be exceeded while jumping rope is 150 beats per minute.

An increase in heart rate is very often accompanied by shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling of the limbs and a dull pounding in the ears. If you feel one of the symptoms, an exercise in which it is not possible to control the pulse with the help of special devices should be stopped immediately.