Double Under

MartMax

I've seen a lot of guys and girls who can do this as many as who can't. I suppose it's a skill that one can learn by practise. I can do single alright but DU is a killer. I just feel the need to nail down this so I can do at least a decent number of DUs in a row.

Saw a few youtube for techniques and tips but I would be grateful if you wish to share your tips and experience. Thanks!

columok

Presumably you're a crossfitter.

I'm not really qualified to talk about double unders in general as mine are so hilariously inept. I can pull off single under MASSIVE jump double under STOP. I can get a slight degree of consistency with this. I think the trick to stringing them together is to get the single under after the double under so that you can go single double single double etc. etc.

Practice, practice, practice...(and talk to will/colm for advice!)

Barry.Oglesby

Skipping you mean?

It's a fairly bog standard thing for boxers, just used to break the monotony of turning the rope. I'm very surprised when people make a big deal of it and I have no idea why it's a part of Crossfit programming. Just keep trying it and you'll catch the rythm sooner or later. I'd only have one bit of advice and that's not to jump high and tuck your knees, instead kick both of your legs forward as you go for it.

Hail 2 Da Chimp

I do the odd bit of skipping and I can't see how double unders could be a problem for anyone... Fair enough if I try to get 10 in a row, I may miss one, for what it's worth here is what I do:
3 normal skips, double under, 3 normal skips, double under... Spin the rope faster during the double under.

token

It's all in the wrists really I see lots of people swinging their arms mad agressively and doing excessive jumping. You just have to swing or whip your wrists faster than regular skipping that's it you do not need to expend a lot of energy on them. Keep your wrists close to your body and don't let your arms flair out too much. You also barely jump any higher than you would regular skipping. Once you get them down to where they are "beyond piss" you will find that they provide a chance to catch your breath in a lot of metcons.

Personally I find using a rope an extra few inches longer than you would use for regular skipping helps. I just grab the end of the handles to facilitate this.

TommyKnocker

I'd settle for being able to skip for more then a couple of seconds at at time

M

TheZ

looking at buying a skipping rope - any views on best one to get

was thinking of getting the leather rope on irish lifting

thanks

d'Oracle

Barry.Oglesby wrote: »

Skipping you mean?

It's a fairly bog standard thing for boxers, just used to break the monotony of turning the rope. I'm very surprised when people make a big deal of it and I have no idea why it's a part of Crossfit programming. Just keep trying it and you'll catch the rythm sooner or later. I'd only have one bit of advice and that's not to jump high and tuck your knees, instead kick both of your legs forward as you go for it.

Why do boxers use it?

Khannie

d'Oracle wrote: »

Why do boxers use it?

Skipping in general like? It's a convenient cardio exercise that you can do in a confined space with next to no equipment. Good for coordination too. If you use a heavy (tube) rope it'll work your arms and shoulders very well. Skipping's a great exercise. I hate it.

Barry.Oglesby

Khannie wrote: »

Skipping in general like? It's a convenient cardio exercise that you can do in a confined space with next to no equipment. Good for coordination too. If you use a heavy (tube) rope it'll work your arms and shoulders very well. Skipping's a great exercise. I hate it.

All true. Also fighters need to be light on their feet and to maintain that for x amount of rounds. Skipping is a good conditioning workout for just that. Teaches them to stay on their toes, works the shoulders, good conditioning workout, all good.

I'm not convinced of the merits of people using it for fitness. Mostly I see people turn the rope for a minute or two, get tired/bored/frustrated and then stop. Try it for 5x3min rounds then you'll know why it's used

token

In the context of crossfit, it isn't just about fitness it's about developing skills and athleticism also. Skipping develops coordination, timing, agility etc which I'm sure has carry over to other activities. Being light on your feet is always a good thing. Plus it's just bloody hard to do when your lungs are trying to escape your chest in a the middle of a metcon.

If you felt like humouring me Barry you could try a prowler & double under couplet to see what it's like doing DU's when you are fooked beyond belief.

10 min As many round as possible of:
prowler push X distance
30 double unders

Transform

token wrote: »

In the context of crossfit, it isn't just about fitness it's about developing skills and athleticism also. Skipping develops coordination, timing, agility etc which I'm sure has carry over to other activities. Being light on your feet is always a good thing. Plus it's just bloody hard to do when your lungs are trying to escape your chest in a the middle of a metcon.

If you felt like humouring me Barry you could try a prowler & double under couplet to see what it's like doing DU's when you are fooked beyond belief.

10 min As many round as possible of:
prowler push X distance
30 double unders

agreed

Barry.Oglesby

Just mentioned the Prowler thing to my thaiboxing coach and his reponse was pretty funny:
"so you should get really tired and then jump up and down a bunch of times?"

It's just skipping.

columok

Barry.Oglesby wrote:

It's just skipping.

And the entire sports of powerlifting and olympic lifting can be summarised by "It's just lifting".

Hanley

columok wrote: »

And the entire sports of powerlifting and olympic lifting can be summarised by "It's just lifting".

No one's talking about skipping being a sport here.

Chillax on the koolaid pal!

Barry.Oglesby

columok wrote: »

And the entire sports of powerlifting and olympic lifting can be summarised by "It's just lifting".

There's a massive difference between Olympic lifting and skipping. My niece can comfortably do double unders at aged 9, but it might be a while before she can clean and jerk double bodyweight. Skipping is a warm up, a decent aerobic workout, a bit of fun or incredibly boring depending on who you ask.

I have no problem with people skipping and having a bit of fun doing it. But don't tell me it does what it certainly doesn't do. The only way skipping will make you more agile or skillful is if you were basically unathletic to begin with, in which case anything would work. Also, if you've never skipped before then learning how would be taxing and you would be extremely inefficient at doing it which would make it hard.
I've seen obese kids spinning ropes like you wouldn't believe doing doubles, crossovers, double crossovers and a lot more.

Try this workout:
As many rounds in ten minutes of
1) 10 squats with bodyweight on the bar
2) Jumping around like a lunatic waving your hands in the air

We could literally make anything very, very hard.

d'Oracle

Hanley wrote: »

Chillax on the koolaid pal!

I don't get the whole koolaid thing....

d'Oracle

Barry.Oglesby wrote: »

Try this workout:
As many rounds in ten minutes of
1) 10 squats with bodyweight on the bar
2) Jumping around like a lunatic waving your hands in the air

We could literally make anything very, very hard.

Give it a rep scheme for the jumps and a girls name and I'm all over it.

Khannie

Double unders are taxing IMO. Achieving enough vertical lift to get the two turns of the rope is not maintainable indefinitely. Skipping is (of course within reason).

columok

Hanley wrote:

No one's talking about skipping being a sport here.

Chillax on the koolaid pal!

No koolaid here amigo. I'm just pointing out that you can flippantly dismiss any activity by simply stating "It's just X". I'm neither playing down the value of powerlifting/oly or hyping up skipping to be the most important aspect of fitness. Just indicating that a "It's just X" statement is pointlessness in itself. Barry's followup post was much more insightful rather than dismissive which "It's just skipping" was. It was a thread of someone asking for help with their skipping - therefore skipping was probably going to feature heavily throughout the thread.

Barry.Oglesby wrote:

I have no problem with people skipping and having a bit of fun doing it. But don't tell me it does what it certainly doesn't do. The only way skipping will make you more agile or skillful is if you were basically unathletic to begin with, in which case anything would work. Also, if you've never skipped before then learning how would be taxing and you would be extremely inefficient at doing it which would make it hard.

I don't disagree with you on the relative difficulties and merits of oly vs. skipping. I would say that a lot of guys (particularily those in and around my size) have never really learned to skip so its a good thing to learn. Also how you measure agility is a relative thing. I've been adept at plenty of agile things (e.g flinging myself through flips and breakfalls around tatame at high speed during my pre MMA days) and yet never been able to skip per se. I guess its only of value as a training tool if one assumes that most people find it hard- which they seem to!

Barry.Oglesby wrote:

Try this workout:
As many rounds in ten minutes of
1) 10 squats with bodyweight on the bar
2) Jumping around like a lunatic waving your hands in the air

We could literally make anything very, very hard.

Can't argue with you here!

I propose splitting the fitness forum into a separate skipping subforum to avoid any future disagreements!

Khannie

columok wrote: »

I guess its only of value as a training tool if one assumes that most people find it hard- which they seem to!

It's weird....I was totally brilliant at skipping when I was a kid. But when I tried to do it after I'd taken up the Muay Thai I looked hillarious / could not maintain it. It took some real practice to get into the swing of things (badum-tish!).

columok

Khanne wrote:

It's weird....I was totally brilliant at skipping when I was a kid. But when I tried to do it after I'd taken up the Muay Thai I looked hillarious / could not maintain it. It took some real practice to get into the swing of things (badum-tish!).

Sometimes I wish there was a special sound proof enclosure I could skip within so that nobody could witness the hilarity and nobody could hear the endless string of profanity...

token

Barry.Oglesby wrote: »

Just mentioned the Prowler thing to my thaiboxing coach and his reponse was pretty funny:
"so you should get really tired and then jump up and down a bunch of times?"
.

That's about it in a nutshell alright. Give it a go.

Barry.Oglesby wrote: »

It's just skipping.

Yes it's just skipping. A kettlebell swing is a just a kettlebell swing, a pullup is a just a pullup, a clean is just a clean. Place them in a hard metcon where you are under duress and the dynamics change. How well can you keep the same quality technique and composure you had when you were not dieing from a lack of oxygen and lactic acid buildup.

DamienH

Can anyone give me any tips on learning to skip for any normal length of time? I recently started skipping and I'm just practicing every day. I've gotten slightly better but is there any kind of method to follow? I'm just doing the usual two leg jump, no shuffles.

Edwardius

d'Oracle wrote: »

I don't get the whole koolaid thing....

It's a reference to the Jonestown massacre

Barry.Oglesby

token wrote: »

Yes it's just skipping. A kettlebell swing is a just a kettlebell swing, a pullup is a just a pullup, a clean is just a clean. Place them in a hard metcon where you are under duress and the dynamics change. How well can you keep the same quality technique and composure you had when you were not dieing from a lack of oxygen and lactic acid buildup.

Okay then try this workout:
12 reps of:
Run 400m
Write a 1 page essay on the Public Transport system

I guarantee that after your 3rd or 4th 400m, your ability to write a short essay will decline because you're in the middle of an intense metcon blah blah.

Just because it feels "hard", doesn't mean its doing what you think it's doing. You have a lot of definitions mixed up. Skipping requires no skill and very little agility.

d'Oracle

Why, eh, can it not be an active rest section.
Kind of like jogging between sprints.

Except its considerably more difficult to get better at than jogging.
And therefore much more rewarding to engage in.

Mellor

Barry.Oglesby wrote: »

Skipping requires no skill and very little agility.

That's a ridic statement. There are different levels of everything.
Basic skipping, I'd agreed.
Crossovers, doubles etc, not a huge amount of effort required.
Somersaults, spins etc all while maintaining the rope spinning require huge amounts of skill.

Transform

Barry.Oglesby wrote: »

Okay then try this workout:
12 reps of:
Run 400m
Write a 1 page essay on the Public Transport system

I guarantee that after your 3rd or 4th 400m, your ability to write a short essay will decline because you're in the middle of an intense metcon blah blah.

Just because it feels "hard", doesn't mean its doing what you think it's doing. You have a lot of definitions mixed up. Skipping requires no skill and very little agility.

who gives a toss, sometimes people just want a good workout and double unders or even single unders can help people get that in much the same way running, rowing, weights metcons etc can do the same

Barry.Oglesby

Mellor wrote: »

That's a ridic statement. There are different levels of everything.
Basic skipping, I'd agreed.
Crossovers, doubles etc, not a huge amount of effort required.
Somersaults, spins etc all while maintaining the rope spinning require huge amounts of skill.

But we are talking about the very basics. Who said anything about somersaults? I'd be surprised if the majority of people on this thread could move forwards and backwards while skipping. It's still skill-less, nobody is pushing you over while you're doing it.

Transform wrote:

who gives a toss, sometimes people just want a good workout and double unders or even single unders can help people get that in much the same way running, rowing, weights metcons etc can do the same

Apparently a lot of people give a toss, in fact they toss so much that they're willing to classify skipping in the same bracket as Olympic lifting, and then try to tell me it builds agility and skill.

I agree that sometimes just feeling like you've worked hard is good, but I have a finite amount of time in my week, and I'd like those hours I dedicate to conditioning, metcons or whatever, to be the most productive. I'm certainly not going to spend my conditioning skipping. It's the pretty standard fallback argument tbh.
A: "x exercise is awesome for your glutes/back/traps"
B: "It actually isn't it does nothing for you"
A: "Well I feel like it does so that's enough for me"

If you want to do double unders I'm not going to call der skippinger polizei, but don't come on the internet telling me how a basic (remember, the little obese kid I train does it better than you all) exercise is an agility and skill improver.

columok

Barry.Oglesby wrote:

But we are talking about the very basics. Who said anything about somersaults? I'd be surprised if the majority of people on this thread could move forwards and backwards while skipping. It's still skill-less, nobody is pushing you over while you're doing it.

I think what you're driving at is that skipping is not an alive activity and that is in fact technique rather than skill based. Ah semantics!!!

Barry.Oglesby wrote:

Apparently a lot of people give a toss, in fact they toss so much that they're willing to classify skipping in the same bracket as Olympic lifting,

If you're referring to me you've entirely missed the point of what I said.

token

Where's Buddy Lee when you need him

d'Oracle

Barry.Oglesby wrote: »

they're willing to classify skipping in the same bracket as Olympic lifting, and then try to tell me it builds agility and skill.

I'm certainly not going to spend my conditioning skipping.

That didn't actually happen.

And no-one asked you to. I'd imagine as a competitive athlete at some sort of sport (if you still are) you would have much more stringent concerns as to what would be best use of your conditioning time.

Barry.Oglesby

d'Oracle wrote: »

That didn't actually happen.

And no-one asked you to. I'd imagine as a competitive athlete at some sort of sport (if you still are) you would have much more stringent concerns as to what would be best use of your conditioning time.

There was a comparison, but I suppose that's a matter of opinion.

Also as a professional I have much more conditioning time than the average person. I get maybe 4-6 hours per week that I can dedicate solely to conditioning, so I could probably play with stuff a bit more than others. If I had 2 hours per week I'd be thinking more along the lines of getting value from every exercise I was doing. Skipping as anything other than steady state cardio or a warm up would be low on my list.

I'll say it again, I have no problem with people skipping and I know I look like the dickhead here, but it's just skipping. The reason most people find it hard isn't because it's super smokin awesome it's just because they're rubbish at it.

I had to google Buddy Lee. I dig his groovy style.