[Health Tip] Jump Rope To Lose Stubborn Body Fat?...

Most People Have Never Attempted a Jump Rope Workout.

When was the last time you jumped rope? For most people the answer would be
back in Elementary School or possibly Junior High. It's actually too bad,
because it is a very efficient form of exercise. Most people could easily walk
for 15 minutes, but I would bet less than 1 percent of adults could jump rope
for 15 minutes straight. Very few people, besides boxers, have ever seriously
used the jump rope to achieve top condition.

What Muscle Groups are Worked in a Jump Rope
Workout?

Jumping rope will seriously work every muscle in the body. I'm convinced
that it will expose your weak links. After your first jump rope workout,
you will be sore in many different parts of your body. Honestly, I think my
entire body was sore after my first jump rope workout. I was especially sore in
my calf muscles as well as my abs. As a side note I will say that jumping
rope will help you in your quest to get super-ripped abs. Your core really gets
worked hard since you have to use your abs to stabilize your entire body to help
you propel your body through the air.

How Jumping Rope Helps Your Body Release Fat Burning
Hormones.

HGH is a natural hormone that your body releases to burn body fat. You have
probably seen many ads for pills that will help increase your natural levels of
HGH. This was really popular about 5 years ago, but you don't hear too much
about HGH anymore. A high level of HGH in your body is the quickest route to
burning body fat! Unfortunately, low intensity cardio won't help your body
release HGH. The best way to increase HGH is performing high intensity
cardio for 30-60 seconds or so, followed by a minute or two of walking or low
intensity cardio. This is called High Intensity Interval Training.

What Type of Jump Rope To Purchase?

I recommend getting a "speed rope"...these run around $15 at most
sporting good stores. They are plastic ropes without the beads. You also don't
want to buy the weighted ropes. Get a jump rope that is adjustable. You are
going to want to adjust the rope to an optimum level to jump quickly without
hitting your head. If it is too long, you won't be able to jump at a fast rate.

How To Adjust Your Jump Rope to the Correct Height:

Set your jump rope on the ground
Stand on the midpoint of the rope (an equal distance between the handles)
Grab the handles and pull them up to your chest while standing on the rope
If the top of the handles reach above your collar bone the rope is too long
If the top of the handles reach your upper abs or lower, the rope is too short
I like to adjust the rope so the handles hit about 6 inches below my collar bone
If in doubt, go a bit too long and shorten the rope a bit as you get more experienced
Your First Two Weeks of the Program, Learn the Skill of Jumping
Rope

Most beginners "double bounce" in between rotations. This actually
allows them to rest their core a bit as well as their calf muscles in
between rotations and means that they have a low level of core fitness. You will
want to jump cleanly in between each rotation and keep the abs and core tight.

Your arms should barely move when you jump rope. The rotation of the rope
should come from wrist movement. If you want to increase the speed of the
rotations, simply increase the tightness of the circles that your wrist is
making (this will make more sense when you start jumping rope). The goal of your
first two weeks of jumping rope is to eventually work up to a point where you
can jump rope for 5 minutes solid without having to stop and start again. This
means that if you have to stop because the rope hits your feet, you have to
start again from zero. You also want to be able to jump rope alternating feet,
so it looks like you are running while jumping rope.

A Great 15 Minute Jump Rope Workout that You Can Customize to Your
Liking

Stand in front of a clock or timer of some sort
Jump Rope for 3 minutes to warm up
Rest for 30 seconds
Jump rope as quickly as possible for 60 seconds
Rest for 30 seconds
Jump Rope as quickly as possible for 60 seconds
Rest for 30 seconds
Repeat this alternating pattern for 15-20 minutes
Note: For the 60 second sprint, you can do it in running fashion, you can
learn how to rotate the rope twice for every one jump, etc. As you get more
advanced, you will be able to make the 60 second sprint extremely intense.
Also, if you want to take advantage of the fast heart rate and burn even more
body fat, hit a treadmill or exercise bike for 20-30 minutes after your jump
rope workout. Oh yeah...you might need a towel...you should be sweating like
crazy!

Hit this Jump Rope Workout Hard and you will begin to see
definition over your entire body!