Jump Rope 101 – Weighted vs Speed | Reviews, Features, and Benefits

The main benefits and FAQ’s of jump roping:

  • Benefit #1 – Great for full body cardio output which helps burn more calories.
  • Benefit #2 – Jump ropes improved coordination and neuromuscular efficiency.
  • Benefit #3 – Can be done anywhere and mixed in with any workout.
  • FAQ #1 – Is jump roping good for you? Yes it’s great for you! Jump roping is a great addition to any workout and by itself is a very effective type of cardiovascular exercise. It is very low impact if done correctly and with great technique. You can also develop great coordination and muscular endurance.
  • FAQ #1 – Can jump ropes help with weight loss? Even though weight loss is more about nutrition, jumping ropes makes weight loss more effective. You must burn more calories then you consume in order to burn fat and lose scale weight. If you train for 30 minutes per day eat your BMR Calories. Those are the calories you burn naturally doing every day activities not including exercise. Try not to exceed a daily caloric deficit of 500 per day for long term weight loss and avoid rebounds and starvation mode.
  • FAQ #2 – Is jump roping better than running? I wouldn’t say better. I’d say different. Both are fantastic for cardiovascular health. If you take boxers as an example they incorporate both jumping rope and running. They usually jump rope before their training as an active rest. This helps their entire body especially shoulders and arms ready for striking. My recommendation is to use jump roping as a pre-warm up and running as a post cardio session.
  • FAQ #3 – Do weighted jump ropes build muscle? This depends on how heavy and the intensity. If the rope is heavy enough and your intensity is high you’ll definitely build great musculature. Building muscle requires heavy loads which you get from using a weighted rope or battle jump rope.
  • FAQ #4 – What does jump rope do to your body? There are several outcomes that you can expect from jump rope. If you use a smart or speed rope expect to burn a lot of calories which can help you lose weight if that’s the goal. If you use weihted handles with a light rope you can work on power which can result in muscle growth. If you use a weighted all around rope such as a Battle Jump Rope you can more efficiently target muscle growth and high muscular endurance.
  • FAQ #5 – Is it OK to jump rope everyday? If you jump rope for 35-60 minutes using a smart or speed rope you can do that everyday since it’s low impact and easy to recover from. If you train with heavy ropes performing higher intensity exercises such as double and triple unders and long bouts of heavy rope jumping you should take a breaks. The heavier and harder your train the more days off you need in order for the muscles to repair and replenish.
  • FAQ #6 – Is 10 minutes of jump enough? 10 minutes of jump roping is enough or a dynamic warm up. It is not enough if you have specific goals such as strength training, power building, or significant performance based weight loss.

Here’s a quick summary for you.

  • Ropeless jump ropes are great for beginners.
  • Speed, heavy, and battle jump ropes are great for intermediate and advanced workoutholics.

Keep reading for a full breakdown and specific jump rope recommendations for different levels and goals!

Which type should you start with? What are the differences?

Before you buy a jump rope consider a couple things:

  • Are you just starting out?
  • Are you looking just to add jump ropes as Low Intensity Stead State Cardio?
  • Do you want to add jump ropes for high intensity, increase in power, and strength?
  • Do you want to build muscle and muscular endurance?

Speed Ropes vs Weighted Jump Ropes:


Speed ropes are typically designed with a very light handle and a light wire. This makes them very efficient for high cardiovascular output and great for multi revolution jumps. Multi revolution jumps are at the most common level single, double, and triple unders. All this means is that in one jump you’d execute one, two, or three revolutions respectively.

Weighted jump ropes can have the weight concentrated at either the handles or throughout in the case of heavy wired or battle jump ropes. Having the extra weight focused on the handles will help you build muscular endurance at higher loads while still being able to execute double and triple unders. However, having the weight distributed through the rope makes double unders much more difficult and typically the total weight is much higher. Heavy wires are easier to manipulate as the grip is usually still easy to hold on to but with Battle Jump Ropes the grip is about 25 mm, the standard thickness of a battle rope, and creates a similar but oh so different stimulus.

In conclusion, when it comes to performance, speed ropes are great for building endurance equivalent to running long distance. With that said, double and triple unders can build strength and power since they can mimic sprinting. Heavy jump ropes are great for building muscular strength. You can also build more muscle mass with heavy ropes.

For those advanced athletes, power is much different than strength. If you want to build power perform double and triple unders with speed ropes. Build strength with heavy ropes.

Based on considerations, here are my top recommendations:

Just starting out:

If you are just starting out consider getting wireless jump ropes so that you can focus on getting the coordination of your arms, jump, and body mechanics down. This will allow you to get used to jumping smoothly without the rope tangling and tripping and still get a great workout. I’d work with a ropeless jump rope for at least 2-3 months. The jump rope I recommend below allows you to add the rope once you feel ready.

Low intensity stead state cardio (LISS):

Consider LISS the equivalent of going for a long run. LISS is great for burning a lot of calories and is less taxing on the body. LISS training allows you to execute a weight loss program efficiently because you can do long workouts and still recover fast. Unlike high intensity interval training and/or heavy lifting you can do LISS workouts everyday. If you’re goal is to improve heart health, just stay in decent shape, and maintain or lose weight definitely go with the lighter speed rope.

High intensity interval training (HIIT):

HIIT training is designed to improve power, strength, and muscle size. It is most efficient to increase power. If you want to build muscle skip to the next section. In the world of jump ropes HIIT exercises include double and even triple unders. When you become efficient at double unders to the point where you can do up to 100 in a row I’d suggest adding weights to the handle or getting a heavy wire.

To build muscle and muscular endurance:

Building muscle and muscular endurance requires heavier loads and 70-80% fatigue relatively quick. I’d say within 50 jumps. This 70-80% fatigue forces to take longer breaks. One way to get around not having to rest too much and burning more calories is to perform circuit training. All this means is to perform another exercise of lower intensity while your arms and body take a rest. Many times however you’ll find that you need to take the break.

For HIIT training, building muscle, and muscular endurance I recommend going with either the 2:1 speed weight rope or the battle jump rope. They both provide a different type of stimulus due to the different grip strengths, weight, material, and the execution of the jump. Add weights at only the handles still allows you to perform jumps such as double and triple unders. In my professional opinion, if you are a serious athlete and want the most gains for performance, mixing up equipment is the best. As an example, I use both, kettlebells once a week for a workout and dumbbells the other days and sometimes I mix them both up. Even though you can do similar exercises there are differences which challenge your body in a different way.

Where to buy jump rope?

Buy your jump rope right here and start working out now!

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