Skip to main content

The 9 Best Jump Rope Workouts for Runners, Cyclists, and More

Come, you aching runners, you shoulder-sore swimmers, you cyclists nursing chafed inner thighs the color of a sports car. Regardless of your sport of choice, everyone can gain fitness jumping rope. Jennika Landon, Crossrope athlete and part of the team developing its app-based workouts, has seen all types move into the sport, whether to rehab, supplement, or even switch due to chronic injury, only to discover its myriad benefits.

“It’s amazing what it does for your endurance and stamina,” the 40-year-old says. “And of course, you know, great calves.”

Related Videos

While calves might be the most visible adaptation you’ll make, jumping rope has a number of benefits. Besides being a caloric furnace (significant due to the activity’s total-body demand), it’s also surprisingly low impact, providing an alternate to many nursing foot and knee injuries from other sports. There’s also the fact that, without excluding resistance bands, it may be one of the most portable workouts available, making it an ideal choice for those in small spaces or frequent travelers.

If you’ve never jumped rope before, are coming from a different discipline, or were total crap the last time you tried in high school, then Landon cautions to start out slow. For the first few weeks, start with a five-minute beginner session of 30 seconds jumping and 30 seconds resting. Complete these every other day, allowing the lighter load and days off for your body to strengthen the smaller, injury-prone tissues. “It takes time for those things to build up,” she says. “But if you do it right, adaptation happens pretty quickly, as with most things in fitness.” Then, when you’re ready, try one of the below workouts.

Related Guides

Basic Ladder

Crossrope

Not as much about speed as it is consistency, time yourself as you progress through the sequence and see how fast you can get over time. Retest once a week or once a month.

  1. 25 jumps
  2. 50 jumps
  3. 75 jumps
  4. 100 jumps
  5. 100 jumps
  6. 75 jumps
  7. 50 jumps
  8. 25 jumps

Rest as needed.

Combo Ladder

Crossrope

Another at-your-own-pace workout that adds in extra upper body work, rest is as much (or as little) as you deem necessary. Again, time yourself and retest once a week or once a month, noting how your times drop.

  1. 25 jumps, five push-ups
  2. 50 jumps, five push-ups
  3. 75 jumps, five push-ups
  4. 100 jumps, five push-ups
  5. 100 jumps, five push-ups
  6. 75 jumps, five push-ups
  7. 50 jumps, five push-ups
  8. 25 jumps, five push-ups

Jump Rope AMRAP

Crossrope

Short for As Many Rounds as Possible, this jump rope-themed take is grueling, but at least it’s over quick. Over 10 minutes, complete rounds of:

  1. 100 jumps of the rope
  2. 10 plank up-downs
  3. Two tuck-jump burpees

Repeat until death or the timer goes off.

Jump Rope EMOM

Crossrope

Another famous gym acronym, these Every Minute On the Minute workouts reward hard work: the harder you work, the more rest you have before the next round. For the basic, grab your rope and rip through 50 jumps. Rest and restart on the next minute. Repeat for 10 to 15 minutes.

Climbing EMOM

Crossrope

For this intermediate-to-expert variant on the previous workout, the reps only increase while the rests get shorter and shorter. For repeating one-minute rounds:

  1. First minute, 20 jumps
  2. Next minute, 30 jumps
  3. Next minute, 40 jumps
  4. For every successive minute, add 10 jumps until you can no longer fit them in the prescribed minute interval

Combo EMOM

Crossrope

The easiest way to throw variety in the standard jump rope workout is to add bodyweight calisthenics, as Landon has done here. Rip through 40 jumps and then drop into four burpees. Rest and restart on the minute for 10 to 15 minutes.

Timed Interval Endurance Builder

Crossrope

Rather than focusing on revolutions, for this workout you’re focusing on duration. It’s longer, but remember you’re not trying to beat anyone, including yourself. Think of this as running’s weekly long run, where the object is time on your feet rather than a specific pace.

  1. Five minutes of freestyle jumping
  2. Rest one minute
  3. Four minutes of freestyle jumping
  4. Rest 45 seconds
  5. Three minutes of freestyle jumping
  6. Rest 30 seconds
  7. Two minutes of freestyle jumping
  8. Rest 20 seconds
  9. One minute of freestyle jumping

For your first workout, go all the way through. In the future, add successive rounds by feel.

All Jump Tabata

Crossrope

Like all traditional tabata, you’ll go hard for 20 seconds and then take a 10-second break. While its duration is a mere four minutes (trust us, it’s an intense four minutes), you can add multiple rounds for a complete workout. When you’re running out of time, just finish one.

  1. 20 seconds basic jump, 10 seconds rest
  2. 20 seconds alternate jump/10 seconds rest
  3. 20 seconds basic jump/10 seconds rest
  4. 20 seconds alternate jump/10 seconds rest
  5. 20 seconds basic jump/10 seconds rest
  6. 20 seconds alternate jump/10 seconds rest
  7. 20 seconds basic jump/10 seconds rest
  8. 20 seconds alternate jump/10 seconds rest

Combo Tabata

Crossrope

For those who want to incorporate some bodyweight calisthenics, this hybrid has you recovering during your jumping before burning out another part of your body. As with the previous workout, you can complete one round when time is short or add rounds for a full workout.

  1. 20 seconds basic jump, 10 seconds rest
  2. 20 seconds curtsy lunges, 10 seconds rest
  3. 20 seconds alternate jump, 10 seconds rest
  4. 20 seconds 180° squat jumps, 10 seconds rest
  5. 20 seconds basic jump, 10 seconds rest
  6. 20 seconds curtsy lunges, 10 seconds rest
  7. 20 seconds alternate jump, 10 seconds rest
  8. 20 seconds 180° squat jumps, 10 seconds rest

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Study: 5 sleep habits that can add years to your life
This study tells you all of the ways you need to get your sleep schedule in check right now
A man getting ready for bed but still on his phone.

The older we get, the angrier we get that we didn't take advantage of those naps as a child. And the more years we see, the more we appreciate how a great night's sleep transforms us from a grumpy Squidward into an upbeat SpongeBob. Though we have more reasons to get less sleep with all of the adult responsibilities, we need not only the proper amount of sleep, but more restful sleep. Good thing there was a study on all of that, and we'll share the highlights.

The top 5 healthy sleep factors
The study was conducted by the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session with the World Congress of Cardiology and centers around people who are 30 years old.

Read more
The 10 best men’s workout shirts to help you get fit in 2023

There are multiple things to consider when purchasing new workout apparel. You want to make sure you do your due diligence beforehand. When looking for the optimal workout shirt, functionality often takes precedence over style, for most men. After all, a minimalist cotton t-shirt is ideal, but it won't look (or smell) so great after an hour-long workout, especially if your working out, outdoors. That's why, in the past decade, some of our favorite activewear brands like Lululemon, Vuori, and Under Armour have developed breathable fabrics with moisture-wicking and odor-fighting technology that are now practically must-haves for any exercise gear, especially when it comes to making high-quality shirts.

That being said, not all workout tops are created equal. When it comes to finding the right workout fit, make sure it doesn't feel too tight or baggy around your underarms, your shoulders, or across your chest, i.e., the areas you exercise most. We sifted through some of the most popular brands to select the best workout shirts that are as practical as they are fashionable. Here are our top picks for the best men's workout shirts of 2023.

Read more
The best Peloton instructors to match your workout vibe
If you're new to Peloton, here's our guide to help you choose the best trainer to suit your needs and style
Peloton bike at home.

Peloton has become one of the most famous brands in the world of fitness since it was founded back in January 2012. The first Peloton bike was sold in February 2012, and since then, Peloton has become a multi-million dollar business. The main reason for this success is that it offers gym-style workouts without the need for customers to leave the comfort of their own homes.

It's not just the Peloton bikes that have become famous; even the Peloton instructors have become celebrities because of the large international customer base that Peloton has attracted.

Read more