When was the last time you jumped rope? Did you know that it can help maintain muscle?
Jump rope is an excellent workout that involves heavy amounts of concentration, stamina and endurance.
What muscles are you using when jumping rope? Let’s find out!
Hands and Forearms
When jumping with a weighted rope, this can put a lot of strain in your hands and forearms.
Think of the movement. You’re continually making small circles with your hands and holding onto the rope.
When you use a weighted rope, this becomes twice as difficult. You aren’t going to get large forearms, but you will notice a massive improvement in endurance for your grip strength.
That especially helps in combat sports or other activities where grip strength and endurance is required.
Shoulders
When you put that heavy rope in a spinning motion, your shoulders are keeping it stationary.
The shoulders are making small circles too. Apply a heavy jump rope and a three-to-five-minute circuit workout, and you will feel shoulder burn!
Abdominals
Oddly, yes, your abs are being worked. That is all due to the correct form when jumping rope.
Your jumping rope form needs to have a correct posture. You need to stand up straight and squeeze in your core.
That simply allows you to jump rope longer without injury and allows a multitude of muscles to aid you in the workout.
Using the correct posture, you’re using your abs and core with every jump.
Back Muscles
Using correct posture, you’re standing up straight and pushing back your shoulder blades.
With each rotation of the rope, you’re ever-so-slightly pushing your shoulder blades together. Doing this is working your back.
Using a heavy rope, this will become fairly difficult. Performing a three-to-five-minute circuit will light up your back muscles, and you will definitely feel it.
Glutes
Yes, you are working your glutes when you jump rope. It all comes with the correct posture.
When you use the correct posture, you’re keeping your glutes and core tight, your back straight and your shoulders back. When your glutes are tight, and you’re jumping up and down, you are activating the muscles.
Calves
These muscles are by far the most used muscle during jump rope.
When you’re hoping for a long time, however, you are going to feel massive burning in your calves.
Now, you aren’t going to get huge calve muscles or any muscles for that matter, but jumping rope is one of the best workouts you can do to gain stamina and muscle endurance.
That is why a lot of combat sports athletes jump rope. It allows them to gain muscle endurance and stamina. They have to use one hundred percent of their muscles for a long time.
If you want a great all-body workout, jump rope should be in your arsenal!