Embarrassingly basic question about skipping

radia · 19-06-2010 08:15PM #1

I was buying some sports stuff and it came with a free skipping rope. Not something it would have occurred to me to buy, but now I have it I'd like to use it. The thing is, I've never skipped before, not even as a kid. In our schoolyard, it was always chasing, elastics, Red Rover etc.

So what I'm wondering is, when you twirl the rope is it meant to touch the ground in front of you before you jump over it, or does it skim over it without touching? I tried to tell from some online videos, but it's hard to distinguish the sound of the person landing from a possible slap of the rope against the ground, and it's moving too fast to see!

Thanks!

The Davestator · 19-06-2010 08:29PM

The rope usually makes small contact with the floo, but not so much that it causes the rope to change shape or bounce off the floor and disrupt your rythm. . There should be some vids online on the correct length for you.

Fuinseog · 19-06-2010 08:48PM

yes it should touch the group making a clicking noise if made of plastic. skipping is good and easy to learn, although i just use the one or two technigues. when i hear it click in front of me I jump slightly. more sklled peopel criss cross ship but thats too difficul for me. you can get the hang of it quite easily

BossArky · 20-06-2010 03:30PM

The rope should hit the ground just in front of you (a couple of inches). If it is too long and hitting way out in front then you should cut it if there are adjustable handles. The shorter the rope, the quicker you can spin it. Try to keep your hands near to your waist and flick with the wrist, not the forearm.

Aim to build up to a certain number of unbroken reps and sets e.g. 3x10. Now aim for 3x20, etc. You'll get the hang of it pretty quickly if you train a few times per week. Be careful to take days off to let your ankles/knees/calfs recover.

Once you're up to 100's of unbroken reps start trying cross overs and double unders (two rope passes underfoot per one hop).

Ok, I'm out of skipping knowledge

aFlabbyPanda · 20-06-2010 11:00PM

I just bought a rope today and noticed it was way too long as standard. Measure your jump rope by standing on the middle of the it. Bring both handles up until the ends reach your arm pits. This should be the right length.

Khannie · 21-06-2010 07:09AM

I had to teach myself how to skip there a while ago. Found a really good video online. I probably have it bookmarked somewhere. As Brian says ; rope length is important.

Nothing embarrassing about asking though....it's still a joke in this house how hillarious I looked starting out.

radia · 21-06-2010 08:41AM

Thanks everyone for all the great advice (and for not laughing)!

The rope is adjustable; the handles unscrew so I can cut a bit off the end and put it back. I'll definitely need to do that because it's way longer than armpit height at the moment.

I'm looking forward to this now - though the double unders could take some time!!

Khannie · 21-06-2010 09:45AM

You just reminded me of something....a good rope is really important. If the rope itself is very light you're gonna have trouble. I had a rope that sounds like it might be like the one you have....the handles were hollow with an unscrewable bit on top. Total disaster.

stephendevlin · 21-06-2010 09:52AM

Im a boxer .. the skipping rope should be shortened (tie knots in the rope) so it just passes your head and gets under your feet. your hands dont really move just your wrists. hop kinda from the left to the right on each foot. practice and you will get faster, feels akward at the start but as I say .. practice makes perfect! ps for extra weight loss pile on the jumpers! ALSO .. do it in sets... 5 mins 5 reps. if your fit enough do pressups on the breaks and dont stop. when you come to the end of each rep raise your knees higher on the last 10 secs and go FASTER... you will get very fit this way! ps keep a towel at hand

radia · 21-06-2010 12:32PM

Khannie wrote: »

You just reminded me of something....a good rope is really important. If the rope itself is very light you're gonna have trouble. I had a rope that sounds like it might be like the one you have....the handles were hollow with an unscrewable bit on top. Total disaster.

This is the one I was sent: Reebok Studio Jump Rope
It doesn't feel particularly light, but I've no other skipping rope to compare it too. Sure, it was free so I guess I'll see how it goes. If it turns out to be crap yet I get bitten by the skipping bug, I can always get a better one.

stephendevlin wrote:

do it in sets... 5 mins 5 reps. if your fit enough do pressups on the breaks and dont stop. when you come to the end of each rep raise your knees higher on the last 10 secs and go FASTER... you will get very fit this way! ps keep a towel at hand

Thanks but you're WAY overestimating my fitness!!! There'd be no towel that could cope with the state of me if I tried that at the moment. Maybe in a few months time. My summer goal = get fit.

Khannie · 21-06-2010 01:34PM

radia wrote: »

This is the one I was sent: Reebok Studio Jump Rope

Looks fine to me.

stephendevlin · 21-06-2010 02:44PM

radia wrote: »

This is the one I was sent: Reebok Studio Jump Rope
It doesn't feel particularly light, but I've no other skipping rope to compare it too. Sure, it was free so I guess I'll see how it goes. If it turns out to be crap yet I get bitten by the skipping bug, I can always get a better one.

Thanks but you're WAY overestimating my fitness!!! There'd be no towel that could cope with the state of me if I tried that at the moment. Maybe in a few months time. My summer goal = get fit.

Yes but thats a goal for you. ! If you can raise the bar to that level your almost there!

Fuinseog · 21-06-2010 08:46PM

each to their own. if you, like myself are not fit then do not kill yourself. Build it up day by day.
I got different ropes in elverys and Lifestyle. some of them have a counter which can be handy, but breaks easily.

while I find skipping good society tends to take the piss if they see someone skipping in public. not so with jogging.

radia · 21-06-2010 08:54PM

stephendevlin wrote: »

Yes but thats a goal for you. ! If you can raise the bar to that level your almost there!

I need to take you home as a motivator! I'm definitely nowhere near that at the moment, but like you say, it's a goal.

Fuinseog wrote: »

while I find skipping good society tends to take the piss if they see someone skipping in public. not so with jogging.

No way am I skipping anywhere but in my house/garden until I can do it without making an eejit of myself.

The Davestator · 21-06-2010 10:16PM

stephendevlin wrote: »

Im a boxer .. the skipping rope should be shortened (tie knots in the rope) so it just passes your head and gets under your feet. your hands dont really move just your wrists. hop kinda from the left to the right on each foot. practice and you will get faster, feels akward at the start but as I say .. practice makes perfect! ps for extra weight loss pile on the jumpers! ALSO .. do it in sets... 5 mins 5 reps. if your fit enough do pressups on the breaks and dont stop. when you come to the end of each rep raise your knees higher on the last 10 secs and go FASTER... you will get very fit this way! ps keep a towel at hand

Some good advice there but forget about the jumpers, it'll only cause short term water loss. (which is why boxers use this method to make weight)

Embarrassingly basic question about skipping

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