Skipping - The Pound for Pound Champion of Fight Conditioning

Everyone knows that top boxers skip (jump rope) – we’ve all seen the videos of Mayweather moving so fast that the rope, his hands and feet are all a blur. But why should boxers jump rope?

Skipping is one of the best value conditioning methods around. There is no item of equipment that gives more bang-for-your-buck than a good speed skipping rope. If you’re skipping your jump rope sessions (sorry!), then you’re missing one of the best exercises for fighters. 

The benefits of jumping rope for boxers and fighters:

• Improved endurance
• improved footwork
• increased stamina
• improved breathing efficiency
• improved rhythm and coordination

Footwork

If you’re one of those boxers who pounds the pavement for miles, then the only leg conditioning you’re getting is when running or working in the ring. That’s OK, but it doesn’t improve the coordination of your lower boy.

Skipping makes you more conscious and aware of your feet. The more advanced your skipping drills – the more conscious and coordinated you must be. This type of training will make a huge difference to your footwork in the ring.

Stamina

Skipping is easily one of the best exercises for developing the stamina required for fighting. Firstly, it can mimic so many other excerises. You can job, sprint, jump high, jump low, squat, lunge, twist, turn. By varying the intensity, speed, rhythm and foot patterns,the combinations are endless.

Secondly, and most importantly, skipping develops efficiency. Skipping forces you to repeat the same motions over and over again, with good rhythm – this builds coordination, muscle memory and technique.

Boxers who dedicate time to skipping ahead of weights and running will have better footwork, timing, control, bounce and agility. AND they’ll be able to do all of this consistently and will tire less quickly then their opponent.

Rhythm

Skipping is great for fighters because it mimics the rhythm of fighting better than anything else. The constant motion and awareness (of the rope) matches that of fighting – you constantly have to be aware (of your opponent). Fighters who jump rope are better at maintaining a constant rhythm, both physically and mentally.

Learning to Skip for Boxing

We laid out everything you need to know in our three-part series, starting here. This series covers basic skipping skills, advanced tricks, choosing a rope, how to add skipping to your training and example workouts.

Conclusion

Aside from attack and defense, obviously, skipping should be the right at the top of the list of things to learn on your first day at a boxing gym. Skipping builds awareness, coordination, stamina, efficiency, rhythm and consistency. It’s easy to tell which boxers do and don’t bother to skip. When it comes to building athleticism, skipping is top of the division

There’s no excuse, it’s easy, fun, great value and, pound-for-pound, it’s the champion.

BEAST  YOUR GOALS.

FREE eBook!

The Beast Gear Guide to Skipping / Jump Rope Conditioning.

We’ve put together the ultimate skipping guide so you can get the best from this champion of conditioning! AND there’s a voucher code for 10% off the Beast Rope – the fastest, smoothest speed rope around.

Take the eBook anywhere: on your phone, kindle or tablet and start blasting out more double unders – just pop your email address in the box and we’ll send you the book!