If you are familiar with CrossFit then you know that you can expect to see multiple movements during one work out. The typical design of a CrossFit work out will attempt to push the athlete to their lactate threshold while bouncing them between gross motor recruitment patterns to fine motor recruitment patterns and everything in between. It is crucial to have a rope that can accommodate those changing dynamics. Our sizing methodology and teaching philosophy were both designed to address those exact needs. How do we know if we got it right? Well, the top three female finishers in this year’s CrossFit Games all used Rx Jump Ropes and followed our sizing recommendation.
So, what’s the big secret you may ask? Well, it’s a four-part answer but here it is.
- Get a rope that’s sized to your body and weight properly for your coordination level (heavier is better for learning).
- Learn proper bounding mechanics so that you can efficiently and consistently rise and fall in the same spot.
- Learn proper rotational mechanics so that you can move the rope around your body effectively with the least amount of fatigue inducing habits.
- Learn the proper timing and tempo between your body’s motion and the rope’s motion so they have the greatest opportunity to miss one another at the intersect point, which is at the ground.
We follow 2 basic principles with regard to jump rope length; 1 is static rope length. That’s the actual length of a rope not in motion. 2 is effective rope length. That’s the rope in motion where the athlete’s mechanics can influence the length of the rope. The goal is to find the right blend of the two to best suit the individual athlete.
So, let’s begin with the static rope length and talk about how the jump rope should fit an athlete’s body. It’s very simple and systematic. It starts with the anchor point, which is the hand placement. We like to see the hands positioned at midline axis and right at the frontal plain. Placing a PVC pipe across the midline is a great visual que. The hands can slide in or out along this axis depending on the shoulder’s external rotation flexibility but the hands should never venture far from this anchor point….
