Not only children, but also professional boxers jump rope, and this exercise is considered a basic exercise for them. It would seem, what can children's fun give to athletes of such a serious sport? But after thinking about this topic, it becomes clear why so much time is devoted to jumping rope. It is worth noting that this seemingly simple exercise will be useful not only for professional boxers, but will also be relevant for athletes of other sports, and even for people who do not play sports.
What does a jump rope do for a boxer?
During training, boxers use a variety of equipment, but the jump rope is one of the most effective ways to increase endurance levels. Among the two opponents, the most competitive boxer will be the one who regularly jumps rope. For most fighters who are just starting to engage in this sport, the benefits of a jump rope seem dubious. Their training typically consists of pad and bag exercises, followed by sparring.
Much also depends on the coach, because his task is to instill in his ward the habit of jumping rope, so that in his subsequent career the boxer will be confident in the need to use a jump rope in training. Professional athletes mostly jump rope during a warm-up or cool-down.
Jumping rope is useful for several reasons:
- The muscles in the legs begin to function better;
- The level of endurance increases;
- The level of striking power increases;
- The body's respiratory system performs its functions better.
The question of the usefulness of exercises with a skipping rope requires more careful study.
Selecting a location
It would not be amiss to remind you of the danger of jumping, not so much for the boxer himself, but for the people around him. Therefore, before you start jumping, you should make sure that you will not hit anyone.
The surface you jump on also matters. Concrete and asphalt will be too hard to jump on. Performing the exercise on such a surface will place too much stress on the lower legs and feet, so you should exercise on a shock-absorbing surface such as a rubber floor, a rug, thin carpets, short grass or a wooden floor.
Increases your stamina level
Many experts believe that jumping rope is perhaps the best way to increase your endurance levels. The fact is that this exercise is quite universal in its essence, because when performing movements, the muscles of the whole body are involved. Moreover, this process can be controlled by the athlete himself, changing the pace and type of jumps.
An important factor for choosing a jump rope is also that its use helps to increase the performance level of the athlete. While jumping rope, a boxer performs many repetitions while maintaining a high heart rate. This leads to the emergence of muscle memory and improvement of the technical component. In the ring, endurance is an irreplaceable indicator, which in some cases can decide the outcome of the fight.
Improved sense of rhythm
It would seem, what relation can such a characteristic as a sense of rhythm have to boxing? In fact, rhythm is the most important component of combat. Properly distributing the energy consumed while being in constant motion is one of the main tasks of a boxer in the ring. Jumping rope compares favorably with other exercises, as it allows you to perform the exercise while maintaining the same rhythm as during a fight. While working with a jump rope, a boxer performs movements without stopping and maintaining a high level of concentration. Therefore, once in a combat environment, athletes jumping rope feel familiar. They are more attentive to their position in the ring, and at the same time they can monitor the position of their opponent. Moreover, if during training a boxer changes the speed of his jumps, then in the ring he will be able to maintain the correct rhythm, even if at a certain point in time the movement is not required.
The muscles in the legs begin to function better
The importance of high-quality leg function in boxing is undeniable, as in other types of martial arts. That is why it is important to correctly select exercises aimed at improving the functioning of a boxer’s legs. For many, this exercise is running or strength training with weights, but this opinion is not entirely true. First of all, footwork can be called high-quality if it is aimed at developing coordination. The goal of running and lifting weights, on the other hand, is to grow muscles and improve overall fitness, but not to develop coordination. For example, these exercises do not involve the feet.
The most suitable way to improve coordination is jumping rope. When jumping rope, a boxer must be as concentrated as possible and pay attention to his feet. To benefit from using the projectile, you need to jump at different paces and use different combinations. This type of training helps boxers focus on their footwork during the fight and in the ring.
Cost of sports equipment
You can purchase a jump rope for CrossFit in a specialized store. There you will be provided with competent advice and given a guarantee for the product. It is better for ordinary people to contact an online store after reading reviews from other customers. In this case, consultation can be obtained by telephone.
How much does a jump rope cost? This depends on several factors:
- brand;
- material of manufacture;
- complexity of the design.
The most expensive jumping devices are those produced by professional, world-famous manufacturers. These include the companies Reebok, Adidas, Everlast, Rogue, PCF, RDX. These jump ropes range in price from $25 to $65.
Remember: when buying professional equipment, you pay not only for the brand, but also for the high quality of the product.
The cords of professional jump ropes are highly wear-resistant, and the handles correspond to the anatomical features of the human hand
There are brands that produce sports equipment in a wide price range. Thus, Sasaki jump ropes, used in rhythmic gymnastics, cost from 650 to 3000 rubles.
A gymnastic jump rope allows you to perform various elements without fear of impact.
The price range of jumping devices from Chacott is 750-2,700 rubles, Pastorelli is 600-1,700 rubles. If you need a high-quality jump rope for little money, pay attention to the products of Kettler (300-800 rubles), GREEN HILL (250-700 rubles).
To get a regular simple model, get ready to part with 35-50 rubles.
An ordinary jump rope, which you can buy in a supermarket.
Increased strength
Many people know that jumping rope is a cardio exercise, so they are surprised when they learn that using a jump rope can increase not only the endurance, but also the striking power of a boxer. The secret lies in the specifics of this exercise. Repeated jumping, performed in the same rhythm and at an intense pace, trains the athlete's body. As a result, the boxer in the ring can perform at the highest level of performance, which directly affects the power of the punch.
Another important result of training with a jump rope is the power of the movements performed during the fight. Boxing experts note that the difference between a boxer who trains with a jump rope and a boxer who avoids this form of exercise is obvious and striking.
Strengthening muscles and ligaments
Any experienced athlete knows that every muscle is important in boxing, and it must be well pumped. This is especially true for the calf muscle and hands. They affect the strength and hardness of the blow. A boxer's punch is not just a punch, it involves the entire body weight, the fist only delivers it to the addressee. To do this, you need to push off with your toe and the wave will begin to rise through your legs, abs, shoulder girdle, and only at the end your arms will be used. The calves provide the initial impulse; the stronger they are, the more positive this will affect the quality of the punch. Constant work on this simulator develops jumping ability and strengthens the leg muscles.
Strong brushes give a hard blow. When you fight with a boxer whose hands are well pumped, you can immediately feel it. When he hits, the first impression is that his gloves are made of cement. It’s unpleasant to miss such splashes, even for defense.
Developing the ability to relax
A fighter's muscles, no matter how contradictory it may sound, should not be tense throughout the fight. The fact is that the correct distribution of forces during a fight is directly related to the ability to relax the muscles when their contraction is not expected by the situation. Jumping rope is an exercise in which the muscles involved in the process of jumping are tensed, while the rest are at rest. Thus, the athlete’s body gets used to this kind of load, when not all muscle groups are tense at the same time.
Combinations with a jump rope
In order for all of the above benefits of jumping rope to manifest themselves, it is necessary not only to make monotonous jumps, familiar to everyone from physical education lessons: you need to jump using combinations. The secret to the effectiveness of combinations is that the movement that a boxer makes when jumping (raising and lowering the body) is similar to the movement that occurs when performing a series of blows.
However, during the fight, raising and lowering the body to make the most powerful blow must be accompanied by a transfer of body weight from foot to foot. To do this, during training you need to jump both on both legs and alternately on the right and left legs. Such combinations will help the boxer's body get used to such an action, and will allow him to perform strong blows in the ring without losing his balance and concentration.
To make jumping rope effective, you should carefully choose the equipment. The extent to which its beneficial effect will be manifested depends on the various characteristics of the jump rope.
When choosing a jump rope, you must take into account its length. There is a simple way to determine the appropriate length of the rope: you need to step on the middle of the projectile and pull the handles up - they should reach your armpits. However, experts recommend a longer rope for beginners; this will allow them to maintain the rhythm and chosen tempo. After several sessions, it will be necessary to reduce the length of the sports equipment to the desired size in order to make jumping rope a truly useful exercise.
High-speed plastic jump rope with handles attached at right angles
This jump rope is suitable not only for boxers, but also for representatives of other martial arts. The right angle of attachment of the cable to the handles of the jump rope with rapid rotation ensures the ability to maintain the rhythm chosen by the athlete. The handles of the jump rope are comfortable; when performing jumps, they fit easily into the hand, creating circumstances for the athlete in which he can concentrate only on performing the exercises.
The placement of the cable and handles also helps ensure that the rope does not twist during training. This is important because the benefits of training will only come when the athlete performs the exercise continuously. Such a jump rope allows you to achieve one of the most important goals for a boxer: maintaining a uniform rhythm and increasing the level of coordination. The only negative is the frequent absence of such shells in retail stores, but you can easily place an order on the Internet.
How to choose a jump rope for a boxer
- Despite the fact that there are a lot of opinions regarding the choice of a jump rope, the most correct one is the one in which, if you step on the rope with one foot, its length should reach armpit level .
- It is easier for beginners to practice with a longer rope. The shorter the jump rope, the more difficult it is to practice with it, as the intensity of the jumps increases.
- You should focus on a light jump rope , especially for a beginner. First of all, it is better to be made of plastic, with a connection angle of ninety degrees. A right angle allows the cable to rotate more easily, twist less, and also easily adjust the length.
- You definitely shouldn’t opt for heavy leather jump ropes , especially in the high price segment. Firstly, they are heavy and hurt, and secondly, such models do not allow you to work at a fast pace.
- Don't worry about the cost of sports equipment. The price of a jump rope has absolutely no effect on its effectiveness.
Licorice jump rope made of plastic
In second place in terms of benefits is the licorice jump rope, made of plastic. Its main advantage is its low price and availability in all retail sports stores. However, for such a price, the athlete receives an insufficiently long shelf life and a lower rotation speed.
But you shouldn’t pass by such a rope, because even with its disadvantages, it allows the boxer to carry out the movements that he needs during the training process. It will be a little worse for those who are used to performing double jumps.
PVC jump rope
This kind of jump rope is not the most suitable option for professional athletes. On the one hand, bearings located in the handles are needed to ensure that the rope rotates evenly. On the other hand, their presence in sports equipment turns the elementary process of changing the length of the cable into a long and labor-intensive one, which is definitely not suitable for training. Another disadvantage of such a jump rope is that during jumping the cable stretches greatly and the rotation speed becomes too high. Thus, the athlete will lose rhythm and coordination, which will definitely not contribute to preparation for the competition.
Rope Tricks for Boxing
Well, now it's time for something more interesting. I hope that with this list of simple jump rope tricks, you will finally want to start jumping on it. The jump rope is truly an amazing thing that will do wonders for your boxing coordination, rhythm and mobility!
Spectacular footwork, crossovers, double jumps, all those things you've seen professional boxers do on the rope...you can do it too. And I'll show you how.
Jump ropes that professional athletes should not buy
These sports equipment include:
- Jump ropes are too expensive . As a rule, the high cost is due to the tricking ability of such projectiles, and for the training of professional athletes such a function is useless.
- Beaded . Training with a beaded jump rope is less effective, since the projectile involves too powerful a release of energy during the training process.
- Jump ropes in which the cable is made of steel . It is not suitable for beginners, since when using it the rotation speed is too high, which will prevent you from choosing the right tempo.
- Jump ropes with a thick cable. Such jump ropes, on the contrary, are too difficult to rotate, so it is quite difficult to perform any jumps other than classic ones.
- Jump ropes with weights. It would seem that such a jump rope will allow you to develop the muscles of not only your legs, but also your arms, but in reality, weights only interfere with concentrating on performing the exercises.
- Jump ropes with thick handles. Everything is simple here: the athlete is forced to pay attention to the handles, and not to the pace of the jumps.
In addition to carefully choosing the type of jump rope, an athlete should not purchase one that causes the slightest inconvenience during use.
Beaded jump rope is suitable for outdoor activities in winter
Due to the fact that its cord is not solid, but consists of segments, it retains its properties in the cold. Therefore, with a hexagon you can train outside in winter without restrictions, which cannot be said about most other jump ropes with PVC or rubber cords, which freeze in the cold - take on the wrong shape and become very brittle.
You can buy a beaded jump rope here
In accordance with your style, a jump rope of any color can be easily assembled with your own hands
Watch a video about the Hexagon beaded jump rope
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Rules for using a jump rope during training
The main advice from experts is regularity. To benefit from jump rope exercises, it is recommended that a boxer train every day for an average of 30 minutes. However, beginners should not get hung up on the execution time. If an athlete notices that he is starting to get confused and catch the rope, he needs to take a break and only continue after breathing has been restored.
One of the advantages of jump rope exercises is that the body gets used to this type of load relatively quickly. Fatigue in the initial stages of working with this projectile is normal.
Experts recommend that boxers follow several rules when using a jump rope.:
- You need to breathe only through your nose.
- After the jump, you need to land not on your entire foot, but only on your toes. In this case, you should bend your knees slightly.
- It is better to perform short jumps, but at a fairly high pace.
- Rotate the rope using your hands, not your shoulders.
- It is important to listen to the cable touching the surface - this is a hint to maintain the correct rhythm.
- When the rest period begins, you cannot stand, much less sit down, you need to walk.
- Pain in the calves is a signal to stop training because it can cause injury.
- It is important to make short jumps, this helps develop the ability to relax and tense only the necessary muscle groups.
To summarize, the use of a jump rope is an integral part of the physical training of boxers. All the features of this type of load are aimed at improving those skills and abilities that will help the fighter in the ring, and, perhaps, will become decisive for the outcome of the fight.
