Boxing training includes a variety of activities, ranging from punching drills to calisthenics to cardiovascular training to sparring. Jumping rope, an activity as iconic to boxing as punching a heavy bag, is a part of a boxing regimen that serves a variety of purposes. A boxer can jump rope to develop all of these attributes at once, or focus his jump rope workout to intensify the benefits for one performance area.
Cardiovascular Training
They say boxing matches aren't won in the ring, but on the road — an adage that reflects the importance of cardiovascular endurance to success in a bout. Jumping rope elevates your heart rate for an extended period, which is exactly the kind of exercise that helps develop cardio endurance. According to health resource website NutriStrategy, an average-sized person will burn between 400 and 800 calories per hour of jumping rope. This is a comparable calorie burn to group aerobics, moderate jogging and swimming.
Forearm Development
You work a jump rope by spinning the rope while holding onto handles on each side. This forces you to work your forearms both in maintaining your grip and in keeping the rope in motion. A boxer uses his forearms to stabilize his wrists when he lands each punch. Weak forearms result in "mushy" punches that hit with less impact and expose a fighter to the risk of breaking a wrist as the joint buckles with the force of a punch.
Calf Development
Boxers use their calves to drive the fast footwork that gives them advantageous positioning in the ring. Calf muscles also begin the full-body motion that drives their most powerful punches. When you jump rope, your calves are the muscles primarily responsible for the short hops that allow the rope to pass under your body. In this way, jumping rope adds explosive power, endurance and mobility to the muscles in your calves.
Rhythm and Timing
If you jump rope, you have to maintain a consistent rhythm if you want to keep your rope-jumping session up for very long. This develops an internal sense of rhythm and response that's vital to success in the ring. Beginning boxers will work on maintaining the same metronomic rhythm throughout a session of jumping rope, while advanced boxers will change the rhythm in order to improve their ability to respond to new circumstances during a bout.
References
- "The Art of Expressing the Human Body"; Bruce Lee; 1998
- Nutristrategy: Calories Burned During Exercise
- "MMA for Dummies"; Frank Shamrock; 2009
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