Jump Rope Intervals

Timed skipping rounds. Cheap, portable, and one of the few conditioning tools that also loads the calves and feet for running durability.

DIFFICULTY
Beginner
EQUIPMENT
Jump rope · Timer
PRIMARY MUSCLES
Calves · Quads
ALSO WORKS
Forearms & Grip · Feet & Arch · Tibialis Anterior · Diaphragm
HOW TO DO IT
  1. 01Size the rope so the handles reach the armpits when you stand on the middle of it.
  2. 02Start with small bounces, turning the rope from the wrists with the elbows near the ribs.
  3. 03Skip for sixty seconds continuously, staying on the balls of the feet with soft knees.
  4. 04Rest thirty to sixty seconds, then repeat for eight to fifteen rounds.
  5. 05Progress by lengthening the work interval or adding double-unders once single-unders are unbroken.
COACHING CUES
  1. 01Turn it from the wrists, arms stay quiet.
  2. 02Low bounce, barely leave the floor.
  3. 03Land on the balls of the feet, heels kiss the ground.
COMMON MISTAKES
  1. 01Jumping far higher than the rope needs, which wastes energy and hammers the calves and achilles.
  2. 02Swinging the whole arm to turn the rope, which slows the turnover and tires the shoulders.
  3. 03Doing high volume on day one, which reliably produces calf and shin soreness that stops the next session.

Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.

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