It’s amazing to think that one of the simplest, oldest, most time tested pieces of exercise equipment, the jump rope, has evolved the way it has. In it’s origins, the jump rope was simply a piece of cotton rope. Soon cotton turned into leather and eventually plastic. Today, the best jump rope on the market is made of plastic-coated metal wire and has smooth, fast-spinning handles. It’s called a speed rope and has made rope workouts the most effective they’ve ever been.
The faster the handle is able to turn, the more jumps per minute are possible. This helps elevate the heart rate and allows for the most demanding and efficient workout. A fast-turning handle also allows for greater foot speed which helps increase coordination as well as endurance.
Speed ropes aren’t just important because of the speed they’re able to generate. The smooth action allows for a consistent, almost effortless jump. The speed jump rope enhances the workout by allowing the user to have greater success with less effort. With just a slight flick of the wrist, the rope goes soaring over the head and down under the feet, consistently and rhythmically. This allows for more concentration on the workout itself and less battling against the equipment.
Traditional jump ropes not only move slowly through the air, but they are also inconsistent and get tangled during the jumping process far too often. This inconsistency can really hinder or even ruin the whole experience. The speed jump ropes add consistency as well as speed and really allow the user to have the most success and the best experience possible.
All those cool jump rope “tricks” like double and triple under (where the rope passes under the feet multiple times in one jump), high knees, and crossovers are more easily executed with a speed rope. While a leather or cotton rope moves slow through the air and gets caught up in the legs during these “tricks”, the speed rope moves through the air with such little resistance that these “tricks” can be performed routinely. These “tricks” aren’t just for showing off, they’re great training exercises that add a new dynamic of intensity and fun to a workout.
Another great way to workout is to employ what’s called interval training. This kind of training balances short periods of extremely high-intensity workouts with short periods of rest in between. A slower moving jump rope doesn’t really allow for interval training as the speed necessary isn’t possible. Yet another reason why the speed rope is a superior piece of equipment.
When it comes to portability, ease of use, effectiveness, value and fun, the speed jump rope is impossible to beat. It can be transported and used almost anywhere and costs less than a week’s worth of gym membership. No matter what the fitness goals are, utilizing the speed jump rope on a daily basis can help any goal to be achieved. Since the days of the cotton rope, the jump rope has proven to get results, now with the speed jump rope improving effectiveness, those results have gotten even better!