What is a Double Under, and how can you benefit from this exercise?
Please find the answers from Robby Blanchard on this guest blog post, as he shares some great tips for dominating your double unders.
Check out the article below.
Rick Kaselj, MS
Hey Everyone!
If you were to ask me what the most underrated exercise movement is for getting in great shape, burning fat, and building your cardio… I would say that, without a doubt, it is jump roping.
When you have a movement that burns 19 calories a minute and 10 minutes of it is the same as 30 minutes of jumping rope… we have a winner.
And when it comes to the best jump rope movement, nothing beats the double under.
The Double Under is a jump rope movement where the rope passes through two times during each jump. It’s a cool movement, but more importantly, it’s a fat-burning movement!
That’s why as the Owner of a CrossFit Box here in Massachusetts, we perform double unders frequently in our workouts.
However, many members struggled through some workouts because they hadn’t taken the time to learn and practice their double unders.
Double Unders are not difficult to learn, but you have to put the time into learning them.
As the creator of the Dominate Your Double Unders Program, I wanted to help as many people as possible learn how to do double unders because it’s an awesome fat-burning exercise and is a great way to tone and strengthen your body.
Here are 3 tips to help you get closer to dominating your double unders in your next workout.
1. Have The Right Setup:
To be successful in double unders, you need to be set up correctly with your jump rope.
The feet should be underneath your hips.
Stand tall with your arms slightly bent at your side.
Look straight ahead but still be able to see your hands with your peripheral vision.
Also, think about keeping your arms tight as if your triceps were stuck to your sides.
2. Time Your Jump:
When you are jumping, you must keep your feet underneath you the entire time. You don’t want to donkey kick (kicking your legs back) or pike (kicking your legs forward). Both of these will make it hard to rebound off of the ground. Keeping your feet underneath you allows you to stay light on your feet and rebound faster.
Also, think about lengthening your jump as if you were trying to touch your head to the ceiling. Remember, that rope is less than a centimeter thick, so if you jump 6″ in the air, that’s more than enough room for it to pass through twice!
3. It’s All About The Wrists:
The wrists should do most of the work when getting that rope around. It’s important to keep your arms tight and use your wrists, as that is the most efficient way to do multiple double unders in a row. Remember, as long as your wrists move faster than your jump. You’ll be in a good position to get a double under. Even if you have to slow your jump a bit, that’s okay, just as long as your wrist speed is high and in sync.
Bonus Tip: The Rope:
There are hundreds of choices when it comes to a good speed rope. In terms of brand, it’s a personal preference. However, you must size your rope correctly. Ensure those handles are no higher than your armpits (leave it a little longer if you start). Also, the handles are like the shaft on the golf club; the most important part. If you can find handles that spin smoothly without resistance, this will help give you an advantage.
The Double Under is an awesome movement that is extremely cool to learn. If you follow these tips, you will be well on your way to dominating your double under, and you will have another great fat-burning tool to add some variety to your jump rope and daily workouts.
Keep Rockin!
Robby
Robby Blanchard, MBA, BS, CPT, is the Owner of CrossFit Reach and the Creator of Dominate Your Double Unders, a program designed to help you learn how to double under in 21 days or less. Robby has over nine years of experience in Strength of Conditioning. He is a CrossFit Level 1 trainer, CrossFit Olympic Lifting and CrossFit Strongman Certified, and a USAW Level 1 Coach. He uses his experience to help improve the health and fitness of everyone following his programs.
Check out the Bodyweight Blender program here for your equipment-free workout to lose weight and tone your body!
