Jump Rope Training - Not For "Sissy Girls"

Yes, I realise that the accepted English term for this exercise is 'skipping'. However, humour my affection for certain American terminology, because by what ever name you want to call it, rope jumping is one of the best cardio/conditioning exercises available. Period.

The sports training potential of rope jumping has long been under-estimated, and jumping has been used to its full potential in only a few sports: boxing, wrestling (non-professional), tennis, and martial arts. Many coaches of other sports encourage jump rope training for their athletes but are not sure how to use it to meet the unique training demands of their sport. When done properly, jump rope training can lead to dramatic improvements in sports performance.

Bruce Lee used rope jumping as a warm-up and training strategy to develop timing, balance, quickness and speed. "The Greatest" Muhammad Ali, is often depicted in photos are rope jumping that personifies the image of power, grace and agility.

Now, don't be mistaken - jump-rope does not solely belong to the realm of professional athletes and die-hard fitness enthusiasts. When many people talk about "doing cardio" without the benefit of other people's wisdom, this equates to doing 15-45 minutes on the cross-trainer and calling it a day. Yes, this will burn calories. Yes, this can improve your endurance to low-intensity training. But presumably, the purpose of "doing cardio" is to train and develop the strength and conditioning of your heart as well as burning calories, losing body fat and attempting to improve your overall sexiness.



The numbers below show that rope jumping performed at a low intensity of 120 RPM (revolutions per minute) produces cardiovascular benefits. For those who prefer to use rope jumping as a fat-burning program, the following information is provided as a comparison between rope jumping and other fitness training activities

10 minutes of rope jumping at 120 RPM produces the same cardiovascular fitness as the following activities

Because jumping rope incorporates all the muscle groups and joints of the upper and lower body, it has greater fat-burning benefits than most cardiovascular activities, especially those that only emphasise lower-body muscle groups. A 150 lb person jumping rope at an average speed of 120 RPM burns 750 calories per hour. Calories expended are determined by body weight. Therefore, a heavier athlete would burn more calories during rope jumping. Jump rope rates a close second to running in burning calories. But when arm and complex foot movements are added to a jumping session, its fat-burning capacities are immeasurable.

Rope jumping requires the coordination of several muscle groups to sustain the precisely timed and rhythmic movements that are integral to the exercise. It's the coordination of these muscle groups that increases the athlete's capacity for dynamic balance - the ability to maintain equilibrium while executing complex, vigorous and omni-directional movements.

Rope jumping increases dynamic balance because the athlete must make numerous neuromuscular adjustments to the imbalance created by each of the hundreds of jumps per training session. These adjustments also force the athlete to balance the body weight on the balls of their feet, reinforcing the 'universal athletic position'. Ongoing adjustments also increase an athlete's capacity for streamlined and efficient movements. These in turn can create a synergy between quickness, timing and strength that generates power and explosiveness while also extending endurance. Energy conserved through efficient movements is available for improved performance.

But as I've previously stated, this blog is not aimed solely at professional athletes looking to improve their speed, quickness, agility and explosiveness. In addition to these benefits, properly structured jump rope training will also develop the following:

• Increased wrist, ankle and knee strength
• Conditioning of the back, shoulders and chest
• Increased grip strength
• Improved posture
• Increased proprioception of the feet and ankles (the ability to fine tune movements in response to spatial awareness)
• Increased strength in the calves and quadriceps
• Fat burning through the recruitment of multiple muscle groups.

So as you can see, rope jumping is something that you should incorporate, at least periodically, into your cardio program. One of the most important pieces of advice I can offer, however, is to perform your rope jumping on a surface with some slight give i.e. the hard rubber mats often found in gyms. This will allow a slight dissipation of the recoil force from jumping up and down, reducing the strain on your knees and ankles. Do not perform this exercise on concrete or hard-wooden surfaces if possible. As with any exercise, push yourself - 1 minute of jumping and 5 minutes of rest will not give results. By the end of your session, you should be hard of breath, sweating profusely, and genuinely spent of energy (if performed for a specific rope jumping workout). Low intensity rope jumping interspersed with resistance training is a challenging but ultimately incredibly rewarding program.

And if you still have your doubts, just remember:

Rocky did it.

Product Review: MuscleTech Nitro-Tech Hardcore Pro Series Vs. Optimum Nutrition Platinum Hydro Whey

For anyone engaging in dedicated athletic training, supplementing your diet with a high-quality protein source is essential. Although the vast majority of people who regularly practice some form of resistance exercise program would not define themselves as 'bodybuilders', the exercises they perform for the results they want to achieve follow basic body-building principles - by very definition, they are 'building their bodies' (or 'toning' for the more reserved gym-goers). It makes sense, therefore, to supply your body with the highest quality 'building material' if you wish to develop the highest quality muscle strength, tone and conditioning through your exercise program.

Which leads me to the subject of this weeks blog. For the longest time, I have been an avid proponent of MuscleTech products. MuscleTech is one of the largest and well-established sports supplement companies in the world, one of the main U.S. players in the industry. "Scientifically developed based on research at: St. Francis Xavier University & The University of Saskatchewan" is the tag-line of all Muscle-Tech products. During my tenure in WWE, amid a newly-established anti-drug wellness policy, the MuscleTech products I took also proved reliable. Together with the positive results I experienced, this was enough for me to ignore other products on the market.

However, the best way to study is to learn from more experienced people, and after conducting my own research, my long-established belief in MuscleTech products was shaken, basically, because so many people were adamantly against the company over doubts concerning the quality, price and false promises made. My research was in fact triggered by getting back on Cell-Tech (creatine), and experiencing a distinct bloating effect that became very noticeable having been off any type of supplementation for several months.

Enter Optimum Nutrition. I say that in a sense of my personal awareness of the company, Optimum Nutrition has been around for many years and is also a major U.S. player in the sports supplementation industry. It is also arguably the most highly regarded and well-reviewed supplement company today, which was why I was willing to mix-up my products and try something new.

Based on the reviews that I read and the over-whelming positive feedback, what I discovered to take the place of MT's Nitro-Tech HC/PS, was ON's Platinum Hydro Whey.

Below I have created a basic comparison table based on my personal opinion, results gained, and the feedback of over a hundred supplement users, with a brief description concerning my conclusion

"How do I get a six-pack?"

Last, but certainly not least, the conclusion of my personal workout regimen falls on the abdominals. The abs are considered your core muscles, in the sense that they are worked every day in a constant effort of stabilisation and contraction. It makes sense, therefore, that you are able to train your abdominals every day (to dispel the excuse of "I don't have time to do my abs").

The fact is, anyone who takes pride in their physique and is determined to display an attractive overall physical presence should have well-developed abs. You can argue 'genetic structure' as much as you like, but the fact is, no matter your strengths and weak points, well-developed abs can hide your weak-points to a great degree, as they are the visual centre of the body.

When performing heavy movements such as squats and deadlifts, your abs and obliques (the muscles that run down the side of your waist) are put under tremendous tension in a stabilising role, but are not subjected to full range of motion exercises which are crucial to proper abdominal development. For this reason, no matter your size, build or strength, it is unnecessary to train your abs with any extra resistance (although some exercises require more effort because you are using more of your bodyweight.

The most important goal of abdominal training is definition. The classic question "How do I get a six-pack?" is actually very simple to answer, but many fail to realise this involves two things - training and developing the abdominals AND reducing body fat sufficiently to reveal the muscularity beneath. So in that sense, EVERYONE has a six-pack (at least). Diet and aerobic exercise are crucial to display them.

When the abdominal muscles contract, a very simple thing happens: They pull the rib cage and the pelvis toward each other in a short, "crunching" motion. No matter what kind of ab exercise you do, if it is really a primary ab movement this is what happens. The back doesn't bend much doing a sit-up, while it curls a lot doing a crunch. That is the secret to full-range, quality isolation training of the abdominals.

For the obliques, many bodybuilders will avoid performing movements with extra resistance to avoid developing an over-developed mid-section, which can take away from the classic 'V' taper that is so desirable. Instead, try to stick to non-resistance movements such as twists and side bends, using no weight, which tighten the muscles without causing them to become too big.

You don't train abs for quality by contracting them against heavy resistance, by doing hip-flexor rather than abdominal exercises, or with fast, short choppy movements. The best abdominal training involves slow, controlled, full-range of motion exercises, and holding at the point of full contraction to achieve a full peak contraction.

For my personal ab training, I've found that the TRX machine is invaluable, as your core is constantly engaged the whole time you are using the machine, and you have a great variety of motion to perform twisting movements with straight legs, or reverse crunches (bringing your knees in to your chest). Twisting knee tucks, reverse crunches, and straight-legged twists (where you bring your legs around in a big arc making sure they don't drop below your hips) are great fun and very intense. More traditional exercises such as cable crunches are also ideal, as long as they are performed in a strict manner with no cheating.

For the more advanced ab training, some useful pieces of equipment include 'ab slings/cradles' - where you place your arms in suspended slings for knee tuck movements - and a big stick. Twists performed with a stick held behind your head are great to tighten your obliques whilst avoiding developing an overly thick mid-section.

Resistance Program #4 - Legs

Oh yes, I've gone and saved the best 'til last - the leg workout. The first thing to appreciate about the leg muscles is that they are some of the biggest muscles of the body. The muscle of the leg are capable of great power and endurance, able to propel the body hundreds of kilometers or shift literally a tonne in weight. If you are an athlete, regardless of the sport you play, the benefits of proper leg training are essential to maximise your athletic performance - explosive power and endurance are essential and measurable qualities in sport.

But having studied from the masters of their craft, and attempting first hand the lessons that they preach, any gym veteran will agree with me that, put simply:

Leg workouts = war

What do I mean by this? Because of their built-in genetic thresholds for endurance, power and muscle fibre density, to truly train your legs to a high standard requires you to bomb your leg muscles with more weight, sets and reps then any other body-part. To hear the training stories of some of the greats (Tom Platz, Franco Columbu - who both possessed tremendous leg development) is a humbling experience. But remember that technique is always the most important factor when training, regardless of your level of expertise or fitness goals.

With me, I am limited to a degree on the time and equipment necessary to truly blast my legs. The gym at an Esporta Health Club is effective, but never intended to be a heavy lifting environment geared towards people craving hardcore muscle development! My philosophy is to keep it basic, but still to force myself as hard as I can go. Legs have always been a weak point of mine - correction; I have always allowed legs to be a weak point of mine. For the longest time, I lacked the necessary mentality to train my legs - I was not tuned into leg training at all. When I did martial arts, I told myself that I did not need bulky legs, just flexibility and quickness (which is true). With wrestling, for the longest time I wore long spandex that covered my legs, and I reasoned that as long as I could get up for a high drop-kick or leap frog someone, that was all that mattered.

Then they stuck me in trunks, and oh boy did my negligence come back to bite me in the ass...

So today, I try to put a lot of emphasis on my legs to make up some lost ground. It's far from perfect, but so far, this program is giving me some good results. One thing that I don't do with legs that I should do is to superset my exercises. Why I don't, I'm not quite sure - I think perhaps it's because I want to devote total attention to one leg exercise at a time. But my advice is to do as I say, not as I do - superset your leg exercises to really feel the burn.

1. Calf Raises (15 sets @ 20, 15, 10 reps)

Professional body-builders would put this muscle group in a program to itself because of it's importance to total body development and proportion. I recognise calves as my greatest weak point, and now take great pride in showing calf veins (the biggest of which I now call 'El Gigantor'). Training the calves requires a lot of weight, sets and reps - there's no way around it. Your calf muscles have carried your body weight your entire life, but have hardly ever been called upon to perform at the extreme ranges of it's potential movement - full extension or contraction. It is also important to remember that the calf muscles can be targeted in multiple directions by changing the direction of stress placed upon them - toes pointing in stresses the outside more, toes pointing out stresses the inside more. Toes facing forward will allow overall calf development. In my workout, I perform 5 sets for each position, starting with toes in at 20 reps, toes out at 15 reps, and then finishing with toes facing forward for 10 reps as heavy as I can go.

N.B. Calves are something that you can train without really realising it - in between sets of any exercise, perform calf raises. You won't have the weight, but really focus on full extension and really feeling the contraction. At work behind a desk, come up on your toes and squeeze your calves - it will all add up

2. Seated Leg Extensions (5 sets @ 15 reps)

Purpose of exercise: To define and shape the front of the thigh. Leg extensions are great for getting really deep definition in the thighs without losing size, and especially for developing the area around the knees. Always perform this exercise before attempting squats - I wish I had heard of this a lot earlier in my training, but this movement will help prepare your legs (especially the ligaments of your knees) for the heavy stresses that squats impose. Using one of the various leg extension machines, sit in the seat and hook your feet underneath the padded bar. Extend your legs out to the maximum without cheating the weight up, really feeling the contraction in your quadriceps, then lower the weight slowly until your thighs are fully stretched out.

3. Squats (Heavy/Deep) (5 sets @ 12 reps, 5 sets @ 15 reps)

Purpose of exercise: To build mass and strength in the legs, especially the thighs. Full squats are one of the traditional mass-building exercises for the entire lower body but are primarily for developing all four heads of the quadriceps. Squats come in many variations: front, half, sissy, partial, machine etc) but proper form and technique are crucial to avoid unnecessary sprain and injury, especially when using heavier weight. With the barbell on a rack, step under it so that it rests across the back of your shoulders, hold on to the bar to balance it in a wide grip. Raise up to lift it off the rack and step back. Keeping your head up and back straight, bend your knees and lower yourself until your thighs are just lower than parallel to the floor. From this point, push yourself back up to the starting position.

Squatting deep develops strength along the entire range of motion. The width of your stance will also determine the area of the thighs you will work - a wider stance works the inside of your thighs to a greater degree, a narrower stance tends to work the outside more. The basic stance for greatest power is usually feet shoulder-width apart, with toes turned just slightly out.

I like to go heavy to start and do 5 sets at 12 reps, then strip a plate off each side and do an additional 5 sets at 15 reps, but making sure that I go as deep as I can to maximise the fatigue I make my thighs feel (be aware that depending on your existing leg strength and intensity of workout, delayed muscle soreness can sometimes take days to fully disappear!)

4. Leg Curls (5 sets @ 15 reps)

Purpose of exercise: To develop the hamstrings (rear of thigh). Due to limited time, this is the last exercise I perform for legs. Depending on the machines available to you, they can be performed in a standing or horizontal position. This exercise should be performed strictly and through the fullest range of motion possible. Lie flat on a leg curl machine and hook your heels under the lever mechanism. Your legs should be stretched out straight. Keeping flat on the bench, curl your legs up as far as possible, until the leg biceps are fully contracted. Release and lower the weight back to the starting position. Hold on to the handles to prevent yourself from lifting off the bench.

"Not Everyone can be the best, but Everyone can be the best that they can be"