Free Lessons Jump Rope Exercises Workout Jumping Rope

Free Jump Roping Lesson

Professional boxers, among the most well-conditioned athletes in the world, have traditionally used jump ropes as an essential part of their fitness programs. Other professional athletes, including Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Arnold Schwarzenneger, Jerry Rice, Jimmy Connors, Michael Chang, and Herschel Walker, credit at least part of their success to jumping rope on a regular basis.

Although always considered to be an excellent form of exercise, jump ropes haven’t gained widespread acceptance because of two objections. First, while most people recognize jumping rope as an excellent cardiovascular exercise, they also believe it's simply too difficult. They don't believe they'll be able to continue to jump rope for the 20 minutes it takes to achieve a beneficial fat-burning, cardiovascular workout. Second, they generally view jump rope as boring and repetitive.

Louis Garcia, who performs jump rope routines and lectures to hundreds of audiences around the world, has pioneered a new and unique form of jumping rope called FreeStyle Jump Roping. Garcia's innovative teaching method is based on what he calls "neutral and resting moves" and the "three-step breakdown."

Neutral and resting moves were developed because it is difficult for the beginning jump roper to continuously jump through (or "inside") the rope for more than a few minutes without stopping. In fact, it can be a humbling experience for even the most well-conditioned athlete. Neutral and resting moves incorporate a variety of movements, many of which are used in traditional aerobic classes. Instead of continuously jumping through the jump rope, the participant turns the jump rope to the side of his or her body while executing movements outside the jump rope. For example, the participant does a basic low-impact march while turning the jump rope to the side of the body. It is through the use of neutral and resting moves that the beginning jump roper can keep his or her heart rate up, albeit at a less intense level than when jumping inside the jump rope, until rested and ready to resume jumping inside the jump rope again.

The constant interaction of jumping in and out of the jump rope allows the novice jumper to slowly increase the length of time he or she can maintain jumping inside the jump rope. An additional benefit of neutral and resting moves is they allow the jumper to gain a feel for the jump rope and improve timing without having to worry about catching his feet on it, or what seasoned jump ropers call "missing."

view movie	The "three-step breakdown" is used to teach a particular jumping move. Step #1: Practice the foot and arm movements without the jump rope to give you a feel for the moves and the timing. Step #2: Continue the movement and add the jump rope, turning it to the side of the body (a neutral and resting move). Step #3: Continue the movement and now jump through the rope.

By incorporating the three-step breakdown, the movement is broken down into its separate components in a systematic manner, making it easy to learn most jump roping moves in a short period of time.

FreeStyle Jump Roping's versatility eliminates boring or repetitive moves. Most participants improve immediately and soon become enthusiastic about the exciting dance elements and fun routines. When exercise is fun, there's a greater likelihood the participant will stick to FreeStyle Jump roping as part of a regular training program.

In addition to improving cardiovascular conditioning and fat burning, FreeStyle Jump roping maximizes agility, hand-eye-foot coordination, speed, explosiveness, and fluidity of movement -- and that's why FreeStyle Jump roping will also make you a better athlete. It's perfect for interval training (in which the focus is on anaerobic activity) and plyometric (speed and power) drills.

Frequent travelers will find FreeStyle Jump roping the ideal solution for exercising on the road -- just throw a jump rope in your suitcase and you're ready to go. When workout time is limited, FreeStyle Jump roping provides an effective overall body "pump" in less than 20 minutes. And for those involved in the business of personal training, FreeStyle Jump roping is a fantastic tool to add to the training arsenal.

While most people are aware that jumping rope is an intense lower body workout, they don't realize how much the constant action of turning the jump rope works all the major muscle groups in the upper body as well. FreeStyle Jump roping can be practiced alone or in a group. It's fun, challenging, easy to learn and inexpensive. And it's great for getting the kids away from the TV. With all the talk these days about getting back to basics, FreeStyle Jump roping is one work-out that really makes sense

RopeSport jump rope exercise workout combined with proper jump ropes and workout videos is a must have for burning calories and a complete body workout.