An inexpensive, easy to set-up, challenging workout is put together with a jump rope and a pair of dumbbells. Use interval training to combine the cardiovascular benefits of jumping rope with the strengthening benefits of weights and cut your workout time in half. You will also burn calories to aid in weight loss and improve your endurance.
Interval Training
An interval training program uses predetermined time periods of jump rope and weighted exercises for the duration of your workout. For example, combine a three minute warm up with six segments of three minutes of jumping rope and 1 1/2 minutes of weights for a 30-minute workout. The concept behind weighted interval training is to alternate a cardiovascular exercise and a strength-training exercise. Your timed intervals remain the same, whether you use two, three or four minutes for cardiovascular and approximately half of that time for your resistance training.
Jump Rope
A variety of jump ropes are available. The American Council on Exercise recommends using a non-weighted jump rope with foam handles to absorb hand sweat. Use a variety of foot movements during your three minute jump rope segments. Jump with two feet at a time, one foot at a time or lift knees high as you run over the rope. Add movement to your jumps by jumping both feet side to side or front to back. Add a jumping jack and hop your feet apart and then together as the rope passes underneath your feet. Aim to use a different style for each jumping segment to protect your lower body from overuse injuries.
Weights
A pair of dumbbells is used to strengthen your major muscle groups. Press the weights overhead to strengthen your shoulders. Bend and straighten your arms as you curl the weights to strengthen your biceps. Hold the weights in your hands as you bend your knees and squat or lunge forward to strengthen your legs. Perform a side bend to strengthen your core as you hold the weights in your hands. The key is to select an exercise for each muscle group. Perform the exercise for 90 seconds and then return to rope jumping. You can also use body-weight exercises such as pushups, pullups and situps for your strength segments.
Endurance
One of the greatest benefits of using interval training with jump rope is the improvement to your endurance. Jump rope is an intense cardiovascular exercise. Your heart rate elevates quickly in response to the jumping, and it stays elevated. This high intensity is difficult to maintain nonstop for 20 to 30 minutes. When you use the small intervals of three minutes, you are able to accumulate a larger total jumping rope time. Over an extended time period, your ability to maintain rope jumping for the longer durations will improve.
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