What do school children and chiseled boxers have in common? A thin rope of plastic and an affinity for skipping. While “Cinderella, dressed in yellow…” may not be echoing from the rugged recesses of your local boxing gym, one can bet that well-conditioned men and women alike are inside, twirling a rainbow of ropes and mentally tracking revolutions.
Jumping rope has been synonymous with boxing for decades, and for good reason – it is cheap, versatile, and fully functional in even the smallest gyms. It builds cardiovascular endurance while mimicking realistic footwork patterns for use around the bag and in the ring. There are over a dozen variations in skipping patterns that encourage athletes to synchronize their hands and feet, including double unders, skip-steps, high knees, crisscross, straddle and more.
The benefits of jumping rope extend beyond footwork, coordination and rhythm – its unmatched efficiency in elevating heart rate is perhaps the top reason it has become an irrefutable staple in boxing programs worldwide. A 2013 study from Arizona State University followed 92 male college students as they compared the benefits of jumping rope to running [1}; half of the group was randomly assigned to run 30 minutes per day for 6 weeks while the other half substituted 10 minutes of jump rope for running. The Harvard step test was performed on all subjects before and after the 6-week window, and results indicated that a 10-minute jump rope session was equally as efficient as a 30-minute run amongst the subjects. While road work remains a valuable aspect of boxing conditioning, jumping rope is a quick and effective way to raise the heart rate before a workout, leaving more time for sport-specific training.
A typical CU Women’s Boxing class includes a 2-minute warm-up round on the jump rope, but advanced fighters often preempt their workout with at least 5, 3-minute rounds of continuous skipping. Although jumping jacks, over-unders and garage sprints are valid cardio alternatives for those intimidated by the ropes, all members are encouraged to practice jumping rope at least once per week to familiarize themselves with the activity and become more comfortable with the basic skips.
Jump ropes have transcended boxing history, evolving from basic warmup tools to flashy and versatile training weapons for pugilist greats like Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio. While fancy footwork on the ropes is a popular promotion trope for the pros, basic skipping remains a foundational component of warmups for amateur and recreational boxers everywhere.