Want to improve your combat endurance, punching power, balance and footwork in just 10 minutes a day?

…if yes, then GET UP AND START JUMPING ROPE!

I hear fighters complaining about their footwork and stamina while not jumping rope. Don't cry when your opponent moves better than you because you have no idea what you're missing. Don't forget to jump rope! [Haha clear?]

Why Do Boxers Jump Rope?

For as little as $5, you won't find a cheaper, more effective piece of boxing training equipment (except maybe gravity). This is one of the most effective and fun ways to improve your boxing performance! If you're not jumping rope, you're missing out on one of the best drills for fighters.

Pros of jumping rope for fighters:

better endurance
better footwork
increased striking power
increased stamina for combos
improved respiratory performance
improved ability to remain calm

Jumping rope will improve your:
physical conditioning, rhythm, coordination, footwork and strength.

Jumping rope is one of the best training discoveries I have made in any sport. I used to come into the gym, work on the pads, work on the bag, and then go straight to sparring. I never made time for jump rope.

It took time, it wasn't fun (at first), and I never saw the point in it. Plus, my first coach didn't make me jump rope. It's just a shock that many sports don't include jump rope as a standard exercise. I can only speculate that this is probably because jumping rope is difficult to learn at first, and confuses even seasoned athletes.

All professionals jump rope

I started jumping rope only after I started to want to copy the pros. They did it for warm-up and cool-down, and I thought I could do at least a few rounds every day. The results after a month were simply amazing. I felt like an idiot for not doing it sooner.

Best Footwork

This is the most obvious plus, and it makes sense. For most beginner fighters, the only legwork they do is 75% from running and about 25% from plyometric exercises, weights or non-running exercises. The problem is that all of these exercises don't really develop a better "coordinated lower torso."

Good footwork has more to do with foot coordination,
than with the physical condition of the legs.

You might think that running really develops the legs, but it is not. Many fighters have their heads in the clouds when they run, or throw their legs out at random. Even the most diligent runners hardly do anything difficult with their feet, except to make sure the foot hits the ground. Plyometrics, weights, and other resistance exercises have the same problem. These are boring, repetitive movements and do little to activate your foot sensation. At best, you will have better leg condition, but you will still not have control over your lower body.

This is where the jump rope comes in handy. Jumping rope FORCEs you to be more aware of your feet. And the more jump rope tricks you do, the more attentive and coordinated you need to be. The development of coordination certainly leads to better footwork in the ring. The ability to control your feet will be more important than simply picking up and throwing your feet around.

More Stamina

The jump rope is by far my number one endurance exercise for boxing. It's better than running, better than swimming, better than CrossFit, better than anything else I've ever tried. And now I'll tell you why...

The first reason is that the jump rope can copy many exercises. You can run, you can run sprints, you can jump high, you can jump low, squats, snatches, twists, turns, etc. You can do virtually unlimited body movements while jumping rope. Add in the fact that you can vary the intensity, speed, difficulty, rhythm, etc, and you have the perfect exercise.

The second reason (which is more important than the first) is that the rope WILL DEVELOP BETTER PRODUCTIVITY. This is a technical question, not a physiological one. The jump rope forces you to do a lot of repetitive motions over and over again, and also with good rhythm (or else you'll trip over the rope). It quickly develops muscle memory, coordination and superior technique.

I don't care how good a sprint program or weight training program can be. If I were to compare a boxer who jumps rope for 10 minutes every day with a boxer who lifts weights for 30 minutes every day, the one who jumps rope would easily outperform him every time. He will have more balance, more control and more agility in his legs.

I know this because I developed my shuttle through jumping rope. Running was good for developing endurance, but jump rope really taught me how to shuttle efficiently. With a jump rope, I easily skipped more than 100 times a minute, so naturally I quickly learned to jump in the most productive manner. It's such a fundamental skill, yet so many fighters STILL don't know how to shuttle the whole round without getting tired. I'm not saying that you should always shuttle around, but it's important to be able to move without getting tired!

More Rhythm

The jump rope is an incredibly useful training exercise for fighting because it imitates the fighting rhythm better than other exercises. You have to be in constant motion and always maintain attention. The problem with fighters who don't jump rope is that they aren't used to being in constant motion and don't have constant focus. They slowly move from stillness to movement.

Skipping rope always improves your mental focus. You don't "sleep" in fights anymore, because you're used to always being on the lookout for something (like the rope). In the ring, this heightened mental focus helps you avoid incoming punches or find opportunities to counter. At the very least, your improved focus helps you keep your mind calm so you don't panic during sudden exchanges. Fighters who jump rope are better at maintaining a consistent rhythm (physically and mentally) even when they are not actively moving.

More Power

This may come as a surprise to some, but jump rope really increases your punching power. As I said earlier, when you jump rope, your body is forced to make many repetitive movements quickly and in rhythm, thus your body naturally learns to move productively. This same skill will be transferred to how you hit.

And the jump rope increases not only the power of your punch, but also the power of your movements. You will be much more powerful in every move because you are now a more productive and more coordinated machine. Generally speaking, I can look at the fighters in the ring and tell which of them are jumping rope and which are not. Once you learn how to jump rope yourself, you will be able to see what I am talking about. There is a difference between fighters with a naturally relaxed shuttle and a shuttle that wastes muscle energy.
The Right Jump Rope for Boxing
Check out my review of the different types of jump ropes and find out which ones to buy and which ones to avoid.

Plastic Speed ​​Rope with Plastic Handles attached to the cable at a 90 degree angle - BEST OPTION
This is the perfect jump rope for boxing training. A thin cable attached to the handles at 90 degrees rotates easily and is ideal for a typical boxing rhythm. The thin plastic handles are easy to grip, allowing you to concentrate on the line and tricks.

The 90 degree angle allows the cable to rotate more easily, avoid twisting, and the length is also easily adjustable. The rope itself gives you the perfect amount of resistance (not too little, not too much) to help develop coordination and rhythm.

These jump ropes are usually bought online as they are not found in regular stores. You can purchase the same ones I use (called "The Boxer's Training Jump Rope" from the link below):

Plastic Licorice Skipping Rope WITHOUT 90 degree angle - 2nd best option
This is usually the cheapest and most common option in sporting goods stores. They are absolutely perfect for boxing, and are a pretty good deal at just $5. The problem with these jump ropes is that they don't spin as easily and don't last as long because their rope doesn't attach 90 degrees to the handles. You will be able to perform all basic tricks, but double jumps will require a little more effort.

With increased use and increased speed, the cable will break the plastic handles at the very top over time. For a jump rope beginner, this will most likely happen in a couple of months. For an experienced jumper, this may happen in the first week.

These jump ropes are commonly called "Speed ​​Ropes" and cost about $5.99 at your local sporting goods store.

Rope PVC (polyvinylchloride) - bad, terrible rhythm
The most obvious PVC ropes are those with black rope and black padded handles. They even have ball bearings, which are supposed to rotate the cable more evenly, but in reality they become a hassle when you want to change the length of the cable.

The main problem with PVC jump ropes is that the cable stretches when you spin it at high speeds, which can easily throw your rhythm off. Sometimes the rubber rope will feel too light and it will be difficult for you to get the rhythm right. You will understand what I mean if you try to jump on one of these.

Skin is bad, slow and hurts
I especially HATE HATE HATE thick leather jump ropes with wooden handles. I don't know why they are being sold because they are terrible and useless. My main gripe is that they spin