I made an appointment with a sports injury specialist the following week when I got home and proceeded to rest as much as possible. When I went in he was rather surprised to find that the pain was centered around where the patellar tendon connects to the tibia, he told me that it was rare for the injury to manifest itself there in an adult (I guess I must still be a kid physically...at least that's what he was implying :-) Usually the knee hurts closer to the patella. So in essence, I'm suffering from a teenager injury (let this be a warning to you kids that think you're invincible). Thankfully he said everything else related to my knees looked good, my x-rays were in good shape and it was a good thing that I sought attention so quickly as waiting for it to become chronic would seriously lengthen the recovery time.

From my rather quick research on the topic (I will admit this isn't an in depth paper on the subject), there are a couple reasons for this injury to occur, mine was almost guaranteed to have happened due to one very particular issue, flexibility. I was given some strengthening exercises to deal with possible muscle weakness, but I know that's not the problem (quick side note: I was given one exercise because he assumed my hip adducter is weak, as it is in most people, however I happen to know my adducter is quite strong as it is one of the most important muscles used to hold a unicycle seat while jump roping). No, my legs are strong as an ox, my problem was the second part of treatment, flexibility. I've always known that I need to work on this, but I've been getting away with avoiding it for most of my life, no more. I have now been seriously affected by my lack of flexibility and if I'm going to continue jumping, I have to fix this.

So now I'm onto my New Year's Resolution, stretching...a lot. I've been put on 2-3 times a day of strengthening exercises and stretching. I'm sticking to it from now on. No more putting it off because it's not fun, it's boring, it's tedious (all of which is still true) I'm a regular stretching machine. The thing I hate most about stretching is that it never feels like you're getting anywhere. I spent about 4 months stretching 30-45 minutes a day and I never saw much improvement, I felt better, but it never really seemed like I got anywhere. So I quit. This knee problem is all the motivation I need to keep at it, regardless of not getting anywhere (at least what it appears to be). The fact is that it is vital for any athlete to stretch consistently. You have to keep your body in prime condition otherwise you're placing undo strain on your joints. By having tight hamstrings, I was forcing more weight onto my knee and patellar tendon, forcing it to take much more stress than it should ever have had to deal with. Eventually something gave and here I am.

My advice, stretch. Make sure to warm up before you do so. It's not good to start stretching when your muscles are cold, but don't get into your warm up, feel like everything is good and skip it. It's vital. The other thing to remember, stretch when you're done! This is where you will actually see the most long-term benefit from stretching, but so few of us actually do it. Make it part of your workout, factor it in, this is just as important as all the rest of the stuff you're doing. Take it from me, you don't want to deal with jumpers' knee, it's not fun walking around like an old dude (my wife already makes fun of me enough for being old, it's not good to give her ammunition). If you do find a nagging issue with a knee or joint, don't wait for 2-3 months for it to become chronic. Bite your pride and get it checked out now. I was told that if I'd waited for 3 months, my recovery time would have gone from 2-4 weeks to 6-9 months. 2 weeks is bad enough, I couldn't imagine dealing with this for over half a year.

The good news, I'm not going to have this problem in a couple weeks. I will be pain free and off to a much healthier life as I get into my new role as the stretch master. I'll never be a yoga king, I will probably never do the splits, but I can say that I will be stretching consistently everyday for the rest of my life. Why don't you join me and save yourself a world of hurt.]]> http://www.jumprm.com/fitness/index.php?article=12 http://www.jumprm.com/fitness/index.php?article=12 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:00:00 -0500 I focused the session on teaching skills that they could master relatively quickly, but at the same time were challenging and would give them a great workout. One of the greatest things about rope skipping is that it offers a nearly limitless variety of skills to avoid the traditional burnout that comes with exercise. We ran through some various footwork skills (without the rope first as it's the best way to learn them) then we focused on a couple different styles of jumping, the cross, the rope release, the speed step, etc.

We finished out the workout with a session on Double Dutch. I showed them how rope skipping can develop some awesome upper body muscles by doing push-ups, crabs, shoot-throughs, handstands, etc. I ran everyone through the skills outside the ropes so they could practice them on their own, and also to see how much of a workout they really are. We then went into the most important part of Double Dutch...Turning. We ran through a variety of turning drills and then gave everyone a chance to try jumping. As I always find, people are amazed at how hard it is to do. But at the same time, they're amazed they can all do it. The key to being good at Double Dutch is being a good turner. When I was turning, we were able to get everyone in the ropes that wanted to give it a go.

JoAnna runs the gym and she was all about learning as much as she could. All in all, we had a great time and everyone walked away with a variety of new techniques they could add to their workouts. If you haven't given it a try before, rope skipping will challenge you in ways that you won't believe. If you're willing to try a few different techniques, it will give you an awesome total body workout. Your legs will burn (but in a good way that will help them get that lean shape you've always wanted), you'll feel muscles in your fore-arms that you didn't even know were there. Your heart will also be in for a treat as it's one of the best cardio workouts available today. Give it a go and see how you come out.]]> http://www.jumprm.com/fitness/index.php?article=11 http://www.jumprm.com/fitness/index.php?article=11 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:00:00 -0500 There are 2 ways you can get a jumper into Double Dutch. Have them jump in from the outside or have them start in the middle. I will deal with starting in the middle in a moment, but let's go over entering and exiting Double Dutch as this is the preferred way to get your jumper in.

The easiest place to enter the ropes is from the side of one of the turners. Most people will instinctively try to start right in the middle of the ropes, but trust me, it's easier entering from the side. Have your jumper stand close enough to a turner that they can touch their shoulder with ease. When the rope that is closest to the jumper hits the ground, count: Ready, Set, Go. You can choose to make the count every time any rope hits the ground, or every time the rope closest to the jumper hits. The important thing is that the word 'Go' is said when the rope closest to the jumper is on the ground. As that rope lifts up past the jumper have them take one large step toward the middle of the ropes and then jump into the middle. It's best to give the jumper a practice try or two before they enter the actual ropes, so hold the ropes apart and let them try a couple times to get the feel for what they're supposed to do. If they consistently don't jump far enough forward to be in the middle, you might want to pick a spot on the floor where the middle is easily identified by a line so they know just how far they need to go.

From a turning standpoint, you need to be aware that every jumper jumps at a different speed. I like to have them take a couple jumps outside the rope first so I know about how fast they will be jumping. When they get into the middle they may or may not actually jump that same speed, but at least it will give you an idea of what to expect. The first couple times you turn for a jumper, don't be too timid about pulling the ropes under their feet. It's easy to think that you're going to pull their feet out from under them and knock them over. If you turn without any confidence it's really easy to cause a jumper to miss because you're not actually pulling the rope under their feet fast enough. However, sometimes you will catch them. If that happens, simply let your arm hang really loose or let go of that rope. Smaller kids can be knocked over by a rope and you can make matters worse if you hold on with a death grip. It doesn't happen often, but it is something you should be aware of.

Exiting Double Dutch is very similar to entering. You want to end up going out next to a turner, we usually advise people to exit the opposite of where they entered. When they're in the middle, count the rope on the side you want them to exit (when it hits the ground). Use the same count as when they entered: Ready, Set, Go. On 'Go' have them take one jump toward their exit point, then step out of the ropes close enough to the turner to touch their shoulder.

Have them practice entering and exiting quite a few times so the timing begins to stick. After they can get in and out with you counting, have them try counting the ropes by them self so they can do everything on their own. You're now jumping Double Dutch!

If your jumper is brand new to Double Dutch and they have no confidence in what they're about to do (ie a Kindergarten student), OR when they try to jump in they can't seem to jump rhythmically, I would suggest having them start in the middle. Have them stand in the direct center between both turners, have one rope on each side of the jumper and have them start jumping up and down. If they are barely off the ground, encourage them to jump as high as they can and mimic what you're looking for. Once they're jumping, pick a rope to start with and hold the other rope out to the side. I usually have people stick their arm straight out to the side so that rope is completely out of the way. Swing your starting rope up and over the head of the jumper, as that rope is at the top of it's swing, start turning the other rope up and over. Watch your jumpers feet and swing the rope underneath them. As they take their next jump, swing the other rope and keep turning so that they're jumping inside the ropes. This does take a bit of practice to get the ropes going without slapping them together or smacking your jumper in the head so practice it a few times without your jumper first.

If you find that your jumper switches their jumping style once the ropes start turning, you may want to try a little trick...have them jump with their eyes closed. I've found that a lot of students try to help us with their jumping and actually make things harder by doing so. When their eyes are closed you eliminate this problem and it speeds the process of them jumping inside the ropes. Once the ropes are going, tell them to keep jumping high and open their eyes. This usually helps them to see that they don't need to change anything in order to keep jumping Double Dutch. If they switch back into a double bounce, start over again with their eyes closed and try again. Once you've got your jumper starting good in the middle, eventually work on having them jump in from the outside just like before. I've found this helps build the little bit of confidence they need to get in on their own.

As with everything in jump rope, practice, practice, practice. Double Dutch is quite rewarding once you get it, but it does take some time to get it down. If reading about all this makes your head dizzy, click here

www.jumprm.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=160

and let me teach you via video. Watching how it's done can certainly make things easier.]]> http://www.jumprm.com/fitness/index.php?article=10 http://www.jumprm.com/fitness/index.php?article=10 Sat, 10 Apr 2010 12:00:00 -0400 without a jumper. You need to be able to turn before you can have a jumper in the middle.

1. Picking out the right ropes

   When it comes to Double Dutch, there is no such thing as the perfect ropes, just what's perfect for you. You can use cloth, beaded, speed, leather, etc. Every type has their pluses and minuses, but everyone will work. Try a few different types to find what feels most comfortable for you. The thing that is important is the length. When starting out, it's best to use 12-14 foot ropes as they are long enough to easily fit a jumper in the middle, but not too long to introduce excessive fatigue when you're first starting to turn. If you're only practicing turning, you can get away with using 8-10 foot ropes to learn the turning skills, but when you're ready to add a jumper you need to get up to at least a set of 12 footers.

   Whatever length you choose, make sure that both ropes are the same length! If you practice with ropes that are way off, you'll quickly develop some bad turning skills to compensate for the ropes.

2. Wall-e

   Having good form is critical to mastering Double Dutch. You can start out turning with someone, but a quick drill that you can do just about anywhere by yourself is actually a great way to start. Find 2 pencils, sticks, jump rope handles or something similar. Just make sure they're about the same size. Put one 'handle' in each hand and face a wall. Step close enough to it so that you can comfortably hold the handles in front of with their ends barely touching the wall (quick pointer, I wouldn't suggest doing this on a wall you really, really care about as it could possibly scratch it a bit). Keep your elbows in by your side and slowly 'draw' a circle on the wall with each hand.

   You want your hands to be working oppposite of each other, so when one hand is up, the other is down. Also, you want your turning motion to be toward the center of your body for normal turning. You can turn the opposite direction for a different style of Double Dutch (Irish/Egg Beaters), but I would suggest starting with the regular style. The circle should go from about your chin to your waist line in height, but they shouldn't overlap, the inside edges of the circles should just barely touch in the middle. Your handles should also never leave the wall. The point of this exercise is to familiarize yourself with turning circles and keeping your hands at the same distance from your body. If your hand goes in and out as you're turning, it can make life very difficult for a jumper.

3. The Thumb/Nose Paradigm

   Once you're ready to move away from the wall, a good way to continue good form is to practice touching your thumbs to your nose. The way we do this is by holding the handles/end of the rope in your hands, palms facing toward your body and then you stick your thumbs up. Starting with one hand (make sure your turning partner is using the same side, ie if I am turning with my right hand first, my partner is moving their left hand since we're facing each other) bring your thumb up to your nose, lightly touch it, then bring your hand down to your waist, then back up to the nose and repeat. Remember that you're making a circle with your hand while you're doing this and that your hands are on opposites while you go, when one hand is up, the other is down.

4. Mirror, Mirror on the...

   Symmetry is very important to making Double Dutch work well. Think of the center of your body as a mirror. Your hand should never cross the midpoint of your body and both hands are doing exactly the same thing, albeit at different times. It's very common to see a new turner making a very good circle with one arm, but the other arm is really struggling. Both sides are very important and you need to make sure that you're watching your form so that you start off on the right foot. Watch your partner as you're turning and helpfully point out if you see them making different looking circles from their left to right side. Ask them to do the same for you.

5. Ol' Stumpy

   Your leg position will help you greatly as you get into turning. Don't stand with your feet together, otherwise you might find yourself tipping over or waving around as you're concentrating on everything else you're doing. It's best to bring your feet about shoulder width apart as it will give you a good steady base to work off of.

6. Can You Hear Me Now?

   The best way to know if you're turning correctly is to listen to the ropes. It's very common to hear a galloping sound when you first start, this isn't good. Turning correctly should make a very even, consistent sound as the ropes hit the floor. It should be 1-2-1-2-1-2 not 1---2-1---2-1, etc. Use your ears and make sure that the ropes are making a nice even sound as you go.

7. Go Speed Racer, Go

   Turning speed can be one of the most frustrating things to figure out when you're first starting. What's correct? Well...that depends on the jumper. Everyone jumps at a different pace and it's your responsibility to turn at whatever pace they're going. Most new jumpers have a hard enough time jumping somewhat rhythmically that they can't think about changing their jumping pace, so it's up to you to turn at whatever pace they're jumping. While you're practicing at the beginning, it's good to attempt turning at different speeds. Try to turn as slow as you can, then slowly speed up and go as fast as you can. The key to remember while doing this, make good circles! It's very easy to start having bad form when you attempt to change pace so always listen and watch that you're still using good turning form while practicing different speeds.

That should get you started with turning. These tips will help you get past some of the common mistakes that people make, but just like swimming, you have to jump in the water to actually learn. Don't assume that just because you know how to do something, that you will immediately do it perfect. Get out there and practice. 5-10 minutes a day and you should have the basic turning down in about a week or two. If you really want to get good at this, practice with different people. Everyone starts out with their own quirks and if you always practice with the same person, you may just develop an opposing quirk to the person you're working with where things are working fine, but you're both doing something wrong. You'll notice these quirks when you work with someone new. Turn with as many people as possible and this will force you to develop a good turning technique.

If reading all this makes you loopy and you need to watch it in action, pick up Jump Rope Basics and watch and learn as we break all this down in the first section on Double Dutch, go to www.jumprm.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=168]]> http://www.jumprm.com/fitness/index.php?article=9 http://www.jumprm.com/fitness/index.php?article=9 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500 A number of years ago I was involved with one of the first rope related plays that was ever produced called, "Rope: A New Twist". The idea was to have a variety of rope related performers in one show with a story line. We had one of the best rodeo ropers in the world, a jump roping dog, rhythmic gymnasts, a unicyclist that jumped rope and of course, some regular old rope jumpers which included me. The show was a lot of fun to do, but my favorite part was the time that I got to spend with the other performers. We all learned new skills from each other and had plenty of time to think of creative ways to interact completely different uses of a rope. **Quick side note: The rope release skills that have become quite common in the jump rope world got their start from this collaboration. The style of rope spinning the rhythmic gymnasts used was the starting point for every major rope release that's being used today.**

Anyway, all that to get to this part of the story. One of the nights a well known jump rope "artist" showed up and we invited him to do a routine in the show. His entire routine was designed to be graceful, smooth and very interpretive (at one point the rodeo guy turned to me and said, "all he needs is some candles and flowers and he'd be right at home"). To be brutally honest, I didn't really care for it, but that's not the point...that's how he saw jump rope. Being able to use a rope in a way that makes sense to you is awesome! You may not win a tournament doing that, but that's not what we're going for here. I want you to understand that jump rope can be an extension of you if you're willing to bring your skills and talents to the rope. Or lets flip that around...bring the rope to whatever it is that you like to do.

This has all been a little abstract so let's get a bit more concrete. I once did a demo at Dance Chicago. While there I was watching a group of kids doing Irish Step Dancing (truly fascinating to watch). I got to talk with the guy who trained them and he told me that every move they do has to be done with a jump rope. Here's a group of kids that love to dance, but to be able to do it better, they use a jump rope to help with their rhythm and timing. Rope release skills (like I mentioned earlier) got their start from rhythmic gymnastics. Regular gymnastics are some of the most common ways to combine sports. Soccer, basketball, football...they need to work on their foot speed and timing, there are a number of drills they do with a jump rope. Bring a rope to whatever activity that you love and find a way to incorporate it for some variety and challenge that will help you to improve or just have more fun.

I've learned so much from watching other sports that has helped me become a better jumper. Be willing to learn and experiment. If you find yourself stuck in a rut, look to someone else and what they're doing. Even if you don't like their style, you can still pick up something from them that you can tweak to make it work for you.

If you can ever truly wrap your mind around this concept, that nothing is out of bounds with a jump rope, you'll open up a world of fitness that is truly limitless.]]> http://www.jumprm.com/fitness/index.php?article=8 http://www.jumprm.com/fitness/index.php?article=8 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0400 I digress, anyway, I was taking a walk yesterday early in the morning around the neighborhood where my in-laws live. As I was coming up to one of the yards, a dog came flying out to meet me at the fence barking it's head off. Some dogs are quite gifted at the bark and this one certainly fell into that category. I started to speed up so I wouldn't wake the neighbors when I heard a little girl whistling for the dog. I looked at the house and noticed she was probably about 6 or 7 and stood there whistling over and over again. The dog looked back at her, ran a little ways before it turned around and ran back at me barking. It did this a couple times before the little girl ran inside the house. I honestly thought she had given up, but just as I was about past the house I heard a whistle blow. I turned around and saw the dog immediately give up barking and race back to the house without a seconds hesitation. This girl knew that dogs number.

Does your exercise routine feel like you're just whistling in the wind. No matter how often you go and run on the treadmill it's almost like a dog that toys with you, momentarily obeying before turning and running away again? So many people try doing the same thing over and over without ever seeing the results they desperately crave. Is that you? If you find that's the case you need to learn an important phrase...Cross Training.

Every good athlete knows that to see the most improvement you can't just do the same thing and expect to be at your best. You have to mix in different exercises that challenge your muscles to work differently. I used to work in a gym as a trainer and I remember seeing the same people in there everyday doing the exact same exercises. No variation, day after day, month after month, no change at all. After a while, your muscles adapt to that consistency and you can go a long time with that exercise and not really get a very good workout.

Let me give you an example. I jump rope. I'm sure you've figured that out already, but just in case, I jump rope. In fact I do it a lot. Last year I did 365 programs in roughly 170 school days. One comment I hear from loads of teachers after my performance is, "I can't believe you can talk so smoothly while you're jumping". I wear a wireless microphone and talk through the entire show. I don't breathe hard, outside of how much I sweat, you'd be hard pressed to tell I even did anything. Jump rope is easy for me because I do it so much. Everyone thinks I'm in amazing shape, which I am, but I can't run a mile without almost dying. What gives?

My body is so conditioned to jumping that I can do it without hardly any effort, but running kicks my tail because I do it so rarely. If you only do the same thing over and over, your body adapts to that exercise and you don't get nearly the workout you could be getting if you just started cross training. Most people run and bike, but do you jump rope?

Jump rope is the best cross training exercise available. Besides the obvious health benefits, it's challenging, fun, creative and will help you develop skills that will benefit any sport you do.

Go on, give it a try, you'll be whistling Dixie in no time!]]> http://www.jumprm.com/fitness/index.php?article=7 http://www.jumprm.com/fitness/index.php?article=7 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0400 I remember as a child wondering why you need the 1-2 and 3 gears on an automatic, isn't the point of having an automatic no shifting? Someone had once told me that to control downhill speed while driving in the mountains, just downshift to first or second gear and let the engine do the work, so that's what I do. The vehicle in front of me will no doubt seriously reduce the life span of his brakes if he spends much time at all in the mountains. Not to mention the fact that he was physically doing a lot more work than I was, even though I was pulling a trailer and he had an empty car.

Exercise is very similar to this, if you do things incorrectly there's a good chance you'll reduce the life span of your parts. Even if there's no correlation to how long a body part works, you're still putting in a lot more effort than you need to. As an example, I was working with a jump rope team a couple days ago and I was helping one of the jumpers work on her T.J. Triple Cross. She was having a difficult time coming out of it in the air and it kept catching on her foot. Anytime you're learning a multiple under skill, or you're consistently missing on one part, it's always best to walk through it on the ground to make sure you have the motions down in single bounce so that you know where everything needs to go when you take it into the air. So I had her show me the steps. 1) Side Swing. 2) Toad on same side of body as side swing. 3) Bring arms out and return to regular jumping position...Hold it! Step 3 had a slight problem that needed to be addressed.

What I noticed was a common error that many people have when doing a toad. When coming out of the toad, the leg that is on the ground and has been supporting the body weight is kicked backward as they rock onto their front foot. This doesn't seem like too much of an issue when you're doing a toad on the ground by itself, but it does present an issue if you ever try to do a combination of skills or when you're adding it to a multiple under. The reason it's an issue is that your body weight and posture are in a very tough stance to go to any other skill. In the case of the T.J. that foot kicking back on the landing is catching the rope as it's way behind her and the rope is catching it. A proper toad would have you jumping off the supporting foot and landing on both feet at the same time. This puts you in a position to continue jumping and when done in the air, it minimizes the opportunities for the rope to catch you. The other side to this is that when done properly, you're using less energy than the other way, it's not a lot, but if you are overworking on every jump, you'll wear out a lot faster.

Take time to learn how to do skills properly and everything about what you do will be better. You'll be much more efficient and you'll look better doing the skills. If you're just getting started in jump rope or you've been doing it a while the best thing you can do is take the time to look at how a skill is supposed to be done and evaluate yourself in light of that. The best way that I've found to do this is a mirror. Whenever I can I like to jump rope in front of one and it has nothing to do with the amazing figure that stands in front of me. I want to make sure things are correct. I look at everything, hand, shoulder, foot, leg, arm, etc. placement. I check it out from the front, the back the side. I want to make sure that it looks correct and if there's anything I can change I fix it.

The biggest wake up call I had to this was the 1996 National Competition. My team had an amazing year and swept the tournament, I had been the only competitor that year to medal in all 9 events. We were really happy with our results, but I remember watching the tournament on ESPN and all I could remember was how awful I looked when doing speed. My left shoulder was a good 3 inches lower than my right one and it looked terrible! I immediately got out my rope, stood in front of the mirror and jumped. I was amazed that I had never seen it before, but sure enough, that's what I looked like. Ever since then I have been extremely conscious of how I look when jumping. I force myself to level my shoulders and constantly check to make sure they're correct.

Form and posture are very important when doing skills in rope skipping. It's not enough to just be able to make a trick, you need to make it look good. The secret to this is LOTS of practice, but you need to start with knowing how to do the skills correctly. Practice makes permanent, if you do something incorrectly and practice it that way, you'll always do it wrong. Learn correct to start with and you'll be way ahead in the long run.]]> http://www.jumprm.com/fitness/index.php?article=6 http://www.jumprm.com/fitness/index.php?article=6 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The key that I found in working with a number of different people, and one that has been proven by countless others, is being consistent with your workout. Over Christmas I was helping my dad get into some weight training and one question he asked me was, which exercise should I do? I thought about it for a moment before answering, 'whatever ones you will actually do'. You see, it's not what exercises you can do, but what exercises you will do on a consistent basis. I've seen it in a number of people where they get into the gym, they're ready to learn everything they can about working out because they're going to lose weight. In almost every case you'd see the same person slacking off week after week because they never liked the exercises they were doing. It wasn't long before you didn't see them at the gym at all. The only way you'll ever change is by being consistent. So how do you do it? Aren't all forms of exercise awful? I don't think so, below are some tips that I've come up with for staying consistent.

1. Find something you like. I don't care who you talk to, everyone has exercises they hate doing. Unfortunately most people only learn a couple different types of exercises they can do and they get stuck doing ones they hate. It won't take long for you to tire out and stop doing them. The nice thing about an exercise program is that there are so many different types available now. You should include both weight exercises and aerobic to get the maximum benefit from a workout. But don't let those words scare you, aerobic exercise is any type that keeps your heart rate elevated for a period of 20+ minutes. You can run, bike, dance, step, swim, etc. and get an amazing aerobic workout. My personal favorite would be jump rope of course, but I love to unicycle (mountain and distance) and play racquetball. If you ask around, I'm sure you can find a class that piques your interest and won't bore you to death. Weight exercises are typically done with free weights or machines, but did you know that you can also find resistance bands to do a lot of the same exercises? Ask a trainer about some different weight techniques and you'll be surprised at all the options that are available. The big key with this is to pick something that you enjoy.
2. Jam to the Music. Studies have shown that music can help keep you interested in a workout far longer than if you try to do it quiet. Pick up an iPod or a Zune and load some of your favorite tunes and workout to it. I personally prefer audio books (I know I'm weird), but I find that if I'm listening to something interesting I forget about how long I'm spending doing stuff. Find what works for you and get to it!
3. Schedule it. If your excuse for not working out has been that you don't have the time or that you don't feel like it, guess what, nobody does. Most things in life that are worth doing require you to make a commitment to doing them. I tell students in my assembly programs that most of the time you won't feel like practicing, but you have to make the choice to do it anyway. Get a calendar, choose what days you're going to workout and stick to it! Some people are very militaristic in how they schedule their workout sessions, if that's what you do, go for it, I personally am better at being flexible with my schedule. I'll pick which day I'm going to workout, but I don't give myself a specific time as situations come up that will make me alter my plans. Sometimes I do it in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon, rarely do I go at night, but if it's my day, I gotta go. Make a schedule and keep to it! If you need visual reminders get a mega-sized calendar and write what days of the week you're going, set up reminders on your computer or phone, tell your spouse to remind you (this one works great most of the time), find what works for you, but make sure you remember.
4. Team Up. Working out is always easier with a friend. If you make a commitment to work out with someone you're more likely to be there. Maybe you don't know someone who wants to go, one thing I used to do was go to the gym, start talking to people and it's not hard to find a workout partner. Maybe you'll take a friend, your spouse, your dog (if you hate the idea of a gym or want to start small, walking is a great exercise and your dog will love it too), find someone and go it together. The gym I used to work at had a group of us that would be in there at 5:30 every morning, it was always the same group and we actually turned into a sort of small family. People would check up on you if you missed, we'd go out to eat breakfast once a month, it was a great group. Team up and you'll find keeping to your exercise plan a lot easier.
5. Chocolate is King. At least that's what my wife tells me. I'm personally a fan of smoothies and cereal, but hey, whatever floats your boat. If you stick to your plan, reward yourself. Anyone who has worked with kids (I don't have my own, but they tell me it's the same) will tell you that positive reinforcement works a lot better than punishment. If you view your workout as some sort of punishment, it's hard to keep at it. You'll find any reason you can to give up and quit. A great way to stick to it is to reward yourself on a regular basis. Maybe you'll have a special dessert, maybe you can go out to a movie, maybe your spouse will agree to do all your chores. Come up with some sort of reward system for sticking to your exercise plan and don't forget to use it! I spend a lot of time flying and I find it interesting how many unused frequent flier miles there are. I love free trips and all this business travel eventually gives me some sort of reward, your workout needs the same thing. You should have a lot of small rewards that you get and maybe make a big one for every 3 months, 6 months or year that you stick to your plan. Positive reinforcement can go a long way to helping you reach your fitness goals.

As you can see there are a number of things you can use to help you be consistent with your workout. Maybe you have some more that you would like to share, fill out the comment form below and let me know what you do to keep to your workout. Exercise is fun, but every person defines fun a little different, make sure you take time to figure out what way is best for you. If you need ideas and no one around you seems to know, invest in a couple sessions with a certified personal trainer, a good one can help you find just the right thing.

If you've never seen a pair of these shoes before (and you would remember them if you had) here's how they're built: First, you have your standard tennis shoe, I don't know if they were built for comfort, style or function, but they did have a shoe. Second, the shoe was positioned off the ground by a few (possibly 6 or more) inches through a small connector piece that attached to a platform that was on the floor. The platform was about the size of the front of a normal shoe and was positioned underneath the ball of the foot. Basically what this causes you to do is walk in such a way that you're always on the ball of your foot, your heel can't touch the ground even if you wanted it to because of how far off the ground it is. To get the feel for what this does, try walking around your house for a few minutes without ever letting your heels touch the ground. You'll notice pretty quick that your calves are being used much more than normal since a burn has started to develop. Supposedly if you played basketball in them, magic would happen and you'd become a monster that could terrorize the floor like never before.

When you move away from the advertiser wording, here's what is actually going on: Because you're constantly walking around on the balls of your foot, you are putting increased strain and effort on the calf muscles as well as the Achilles Tendon. Any time you add stress to muscles/tendons they are going to react, and in this case, you develop these muscles to help you jump higher, run faster, etc. The whole idea these shoes were built on is this: Strength vs. Power.

I know some of you may be thinking that these are the same thing, but I don't think so. If I wanted to build more strength or muscle mass in my calves, I would probably load up some weight on a machine, do some standing calf raises, then switch to a seated calf raise and repeat. Power is developed in a very different manner. One definition of power is that it is energy, force or momentum, think of it as maximizing the strength that you already have. I'm not going to dwell on strength training because of the amount of information you can easily find on the topic, but I do want to touch on the basics of power training. So how do you develop your power? Plyometric training.

Plyometric training was designed with this idea of strength vs. power in mind. Developed by Yuri Verkhoshansky in the Soviet Union, it was originally called the shock method and was used successfully by Soviet sprinters as early as the 60's. Its popularity in the U.S. started in the early 70's and has been used by top athletes throughout the world ever since. In fact, whether you realize it or not, every coach/trainer in the world is probably using some form or type of plyometric exercise. Unlike weight training for strength, most plyometrics use your body weight as the only form of resistance, but the exercises will give you some amazing results. For an in depth study of this type of workout and the technical aspects of how it works, there are a number of books and websites devoted to it that are well worth reading, but I want to give you some quick starter exercises for those that just want to get going. They start with some low intensity plyometrics to some higher intensity ones.

1. Squat Jumps. An all time favorite of basketball coaches around the world. Squat down to the ground and bring your arms to your side. Raise your arms above your head and jump as high as you can. Return to the squat position as you land and repeat. Try to minimize the amount of time it takes between the squat and jump positions.
2. Jump to Box. Stand facing a sturdy box (start with one that's only about 6 inches or so off the ground, then work up to taller ones). Squat down slightly and jump onto the box with both feet. Step off the box one foot at a time, then repeat.
3. Split Squat Jumps. Start with your legs together then bring one leg back about 2 feet or so. You should now be standing in a split stance. Squat down by bringing your back knee toward the ground and lowering your hips. When your front leg is parallel to the ground, explode upward as high as you can. While you're in mid-air, switch feet so that you land back in a squat with the opposite foot in front. Repeat.
4. Lateral Hurdle Jumps. Pick an object that is a few inches wide and that you can jump over comfortably with both feet. The goal is to jump side to side over the object without kicking it. Make sure you keep both feet together and go until you can't do any more.
5. Single Leg Bounds. FYI: These can be very strenuous on your legs. Pick one foot to start with. Jump as high as you can off chosen foot in a forward direction. Bring that leg up underneath you and then down to land on the same foot. Repeat. Once you have traveled a certain distance, turn around and do the same thing with the other foot.
6. Multiple Unders. Jump rope has some great built in plyometric exercises. One of the goals in true plyometrics is to minimize the amount of time you spend on the ground, in fact, you should try to spend less than 0.2 seconds if possible. Multiple unders are any skill where the rope passes under you more than one time per jump. Start out with doubles and try to work up to triples or even quads. One thing I love about using jump rope for plyometrics is that the exercises are a lot more fun to do. As you're doing multiples you can do different tricks, add crosses, under the legs, turns, etc. The only thing to remember is that you need to do as many as possible, jumping as high as you can every jump to get the benefit.

Get a rope, practice and you'll be amazed at what you can do. If you haven't already done so, sign up for the Rope Masters videoKast for ideas on multiple under tricks you can do. I'm a firm believer that exercise should be fun. I've found that with a little practice, even something as strenuous as plyometrics can be enjoyable. Strength vs. Power, develop both to maximize your potential.

First off, this study followed 14 untrained men for 3 months. This group had 2-3 weekly rounds of soccer practice, of the duration of approximately 1 hour. Their percentage of fat went down, the total mass of muscle went up, their blood pressure fell and their fitness ratings improved significantly. Everything we tested improved, says Peter Krustrup.

The study also followed a group of joggers who trained 2-3 times per week, but their efforts showed smaller effects than that of the soccer players...After 12 weeks, the soccer players had lost 3.5 kilos of fat and gained more than 2 kilos of extra muscle mass, whereas the joggers had lost 2 kilos of fat and showed no change in total muscle mass...The sports scientist believes that it is the shifts between walking, running and sprinting that causes the soccer players to experience better health improvements

The study goes on with a number of other observations including the fact that the soccer players didn't report the boredom that the joggers experienced. Alright, now that we've got some of the facts in the open, let's digest just what this is saying. I think it's great that they followed untrained men who only exercised 2-3 times weekly and didn't stick with superb athletes practicing everyday under strenuous supervision. Thus the results are more realistic for the majority of us. To veer off from the soccer study, let's look at how this would relate to jump rope. The consensus between the scientists was that it was the shift in activity that made the participants experience the greater health improvements. The thing that makes jump rope such a great exercise is that there are so many different things you can do with it beyond just jumping in place.

I don't think I would be too far off the mark to say that you can experience the same benefits as soccer if you will design a jump rope workout that properly incorporates the same principle. Design your workout to constantly add change to what you're doing. I'll break down a quick idea of what a workout could look like in a moment, but imagine the health benefits you could experience and the great part is, you can do it at home alone! I love soccer and think it's a lot of fun, but the tough part has always been getting a group that can consistently play together and avoiding injury while doing so.

Before you get into a detailed workout, the first thing you need to take time to do is learn some skills! The idea of change in jump rope requires you to be able to do a variety of tricks that will challenge your body in different ways. I don't mean you have to be able to do the most difficult skills in the world, but you do need to have a decent repertoire that you can pull from to make this work. I would suggest learning a variety of footwork skills to start with as they will offer the most variety with the easiest learning curve. Once you've got a few of those, go on to learn some crossing skills, a double under and a couple double under skills. One thing they mentioned is that it was the change from jogging to walking that helped, so it's a good idea to learn some non-jumping skills like the arm wrap, the side swing, the step-through and the marching step. These skills will allow your heart rate to go down and give you a breather in between the more strenuous parts of your workout. I'm a big fan of rope release skills so you might want to spend some time to learn the basic rope toss and maybe the mamba, as that one is always fun to do in a workout and will have you working on your hand-eye-coordination. If you need some help learning how to do any of these skills (or others) make sure you're signed up for the Rope Masters videoKast which is a free resource to learn how to jump rope and you can also pick up the Rope Masters Single Rope Skills DVD as it breaks down 76 different skills that you can use in your workout.

Now that you've got some skills together it's time to put together that fat-burning, muscle enhancing workout that you've always dreamed of. First, get some rocking music! This is one other great thing about a jump rope workout vs. Soccer, you can listen to music while you're doing it. I'm a huge fan of trance and highly recommend picking up a dance mix at about 130-140 bpm. If you don't know where to start, check out 'A State of Trance' by Armin Van Buuren, it usually has a good selection of music and comes out every week. Once you've got your music selected, crank it and use the following guideline to build your own uber-workout.

1. Warm-up. Start with some light marching with the rope at your side and then work into the basic single bounce. Switch back and forth between this and side swings to get you set for the rest of the workout.
2. Footwork. Start with some basic footwork skills like the Skier, Bell, Side-Straddle, Forward-Straddle, etc. This will finish off your warm-up and also give you a change in motion from the previous, mainly stationary skills.
3. Core Workout. This is where all the fun (and health) happens. The key is to constantly change what you're doing. Every 15-30 seconds change what you're doing. Do some crosses then footwork, then jog in place, then jump sideways for about 10 feet then back, do a couple double unders, jump as fast as you can, march in place, etc. Remember, change up what you're doing! Push yourself to where you're breathing hard then take a break and do some non-jumping skills. You don't need to kill yourself to make this work for you, have fun with it and just mix it up.
4. Cool Down. After the core of your workout it's very important to take time to cool down. Too many people stop without giving their bodies time to cool off and suffer for it the next couple days. Do some light jumping and marching. Take about 5 minutes to give your body enough time to cool down completely. Once you're done make sure you also stretch out your calves and legs as you've just given them one good workout.

That's about it. You'll find that your workouts will be more fun and productive if you consistently change what you're doing. I thought this study was fascinating and hope that it has opened your eyes to the awesome benefits that variations in exercise can do for you.

1. The Rope
   Sounds simple enough, but you'd be amazed at how many people jump with ropes that are garbage. The right rope doesn't need to be expensive. There are great ropes available for as little as $2-$3. The main thing to look for is whether the rope turns freely inside the handle. If it gets caught up easily it will make jumping very difficult. Don't go for the ball bearing 'super rope', they're junk and not worth it. Try to avoid cloth ropes as well since they're usually too lightweight and don't rotate well. The best ropes are made of either straight plastic (commonly called a speed rope) or plastic beads. The other thing to check is the length. When you stand on the middle of the rope with both feet, the handles should reach to just under your arm pits. Jumping with a rope that is too short will trip you up faster than anything.
2. Bounce
   The most common mistakes people make when trying to jump rope are usually rooted in bad jumping form. If you're jumping properly, you should be on the balls of your feet (if you stand on your tip toes the 2-4 inch area still on the ground is the ball of the foot) and your knees should be slightly bent. While jumping, your heels should never touch the ground. Jumping flat footed is really bad on your knees and should be avoided, plus it wears you out fast. Don't lock your knees and remember to relax, jumping should become a very fluid motion in time.
3. Start Simple
   Everyone wants to jump in and impress their peers the first time out, but if you skimp on the fundamentals, you'll always look like an amateur. The most important skill to master is the single bounce. Every skill in rope skipping is built off of this, so when you fly through it without properly learning it, everything you do will look wrong. To properly execute the single bounce, you should only be jumping about 1/4 - 1/2 an inch off the ground (your rope is only so thick) and you should be landing softly on the balls of your feet. Your elbows should be near your side and the rope should be turned by your wrists, not your arms. A common thing for beginners to do is take really big jumps, kicking their heels up to their backside, their arms are making huge circles and they look rather ridiculous. It's ok to start like this, but take the time to lower your jump and bring your arms down before you try any other skills. It can't be stressed enough, learn this before you try anything else. It may take a while, but it's worth it in the end.
4. Contact Zone
   What type of surface are you jumping on? Sometimes you'll be missing constantly and it's not your fault, it's the contact zone. Carpet will make your rope bounce, there's no way around it, you have to jump higher than normal if you are on carpet. Each surface type has it's own characteristics and you should be aware of them before you get out there and strut your stuff. If you have a choice in surfaces, a suspended wood floor is the best for your joints, plus it can give you some extra bounce in case you want to hit a multiple under and get up really high. Since most of us live in the real world and don't have a choice in premium surfaces, your next best bet is to find a flat surface that has some give to it. Try to avoid concrete if possible since it will wear you out faster, it's not good for your knees and it will eat your rope up. Try a few jumps out on whatever your surface is and pay attention to how the rope bounces and slides across the floor. Once you've tried out a few different places, you'll start to notice similarities and the adjustments you'll need to make for each location.
5. Practice Makes Permanent
   Focus on the mechanics of each skill so that you're doing them properly from the get-go. Some skills may feel unnatural at first, but if you practice them properly, your body will input that into muscle memory and it will become second nature in no time. The longer you practice something with bad form, the longer it will take to unlearn that motion. Lots of jump rope skills will take time to master, take it slow and focus on the mechanics. If you don't know how to do something, watch/ask someone who does or pick up a video. There are a load of resources available online with plenty of teaching that's either free or very low cost. (make sure you're signed up for the videoKast).