How to Choose a Jump Rope
So you have decided you want to jump rope but how do you decide what rope to buy? The goal of this weeks blog is to help you decide on the best rope for you and your goals.
We types of jump ropes can be organized into different categories (that are better suited for particular goals):
Fabric or leather ropes
These types of ropes have been around for many, many years and may have been the type of rope you used as a child. They tend to be rather heavy and often cheaply made. Overall, unless you already own one they are not recommended for new jumpers. A few years back, I tried to get into jumping using a leather rope and found it to be heavy and cumbersome—and ultimately I stopped using it quickly. Better suited for various games (often used with children) but not great for fitness-based goals.
Beaded Jump Ropes
Image courtesy of Elite SRS Jump Ropes
The beaded jump rope is actually an interesting type of rope. Some argue that this is an ideal beginners rope due to the fact that it gives noise when it hits the ground to assist with timing. Apparently, the colorful plastic beads also make it a dramatic rope to watch when completing tricks. Although not a bad option (particularly if you already have one), it does have the downside of low durability of the beads especially if you do not skip on softer floors or a mat.
The PVC or plastic Rope
Image courtesy of Crossrope
These are probably the most accessible and cheap ropes on the market. They are essentially a plastic handle with a long plastic rope. For most people, the PVC rope is a great place to start, however there are a few things to watch for when buying one of these types of ropes. First, watch for how the rope connects to the handles. On the cheaper end, the ropes will simply rotate in the handle which will wear quickly and will not have the best feel when skipping. When you move to more expensive ropes, ball bearing systems will be introduced to allow the rope to spin freely inside the handle. It is recommended that you try to look for a rope that uses a ball bearing type setup. The second thing to watch for is the thickness and length of the rope. Usually the ball bearing type ropes will not be adjustable so you must choose the correct length for your height (handles to both armpits when standing on the rope is a simple way to size a rope for your body). The weight is important as a heavy rope can be uncomfortable to use for a beginner and are typically designed for the more advanced use. If you are buying a rope online, read some reviews on the durability and spinning action of the rope as this will give you a good idea on how the rope functions in practice.
The Cable Rope (or Speed rope)
Image Courtesy of Rogue Fitness
These ropes will utilize a ball bearing type system along with a thin steel cable that may be wrapped or raw. These ropes are designed for speed and typically can be a challenging rope to start with as they tend to be rather painful with mistakes and do not give as much feedback to the new skipper. The other disadvantage of this type of rope is that because they are designed for speed, they tend to work best at higher speeds and can deform when being used at a slow pace. One benefit of most speed ropes is that they typically do allow for adjustment of length. Price for these types of ropes vary but a quality rope can be found for a reasonable price.
A chat about mats:
A major accessory that can be helpful with skipping ropes is the use of a skipping mat. These mats are typically made of a rubber type material that serves two purposes:
Protects your floors or your rope (or both!)— If you skip inside your home, a rope can do some significant damage to your floors over time and a mat will prevent any damage. Furthermore, if you skip on a rough surface like concrete, this surface can damage your skipping rope quickly.
The second benefit is that mat can help to absorb the force of jumping. When learning skipping, the repetitive jumping can be challenging for your feet, knees, hip and back. A mat can be a helping hand to absorb some of the forces to help your joints feel better with the new exercise.
So what ropes have the Titan Team decided to buy? Great question!
The Wastou Speed Rope: It is a cheap and well reviewed speed rope found on Amazon. Tyler from Titan Project has been using this one for a long time and he has noted that it is both durable and works great for his workouts.
The “Get Lean” Cross Rope: Cross Rope makes and designs high quality (and expensive!) plastic ropes. The ropes are replaceable when they wear out and come in different weights and lengths. I would consider these ropes to be on the more luxurious end of skipping ropes, but they do review well and have good durability.
Rubber King Fitness mat (3x4): A cheaper exercise mat that is firm and heavy enough for skipping. These mats review well and can double to be used for other fitness endeavors
I hope today’s blog helped to educate you on the major types of ropes and helped you to decide on what to get for your own skipping adventure. Next weeks blog will be looking at case studies of the Titan team and the types of workouts they use now or what they will start with. Stay tuned. Please feel free to share any skipping ropes you used and enjoyed—we would be happy to add more to our collection at Titan Project!
