The art of skipping has been used by boxers for centuries. When you think of the very best pro boxers to ever live, they all have had very well-documented and famous jump rope workouts. The best example of this would be Mike Tyson's very striking and unique yet entertaining skipping workout that incorporated a lot of outlandish movement and of course, the exuberate jump rope trick of Floyd Mayweather.
With so many world champion boxers using skipping as a form of workout, it must have some amazing benefits for boxing, right? Well, it does. Skipping ropes are a hugely important piece of boxing training equipment that is used so commonly due to the amazing benefits that it can offer fighters.
In this article, we will take a look at why boxers skip, the benefits that it gives them and detail how to skip like a boxer.
Why Do Boxers Skip?
In every boxing film and in every boxing promotional video that you see, skipping will typically be a focal point. This is because you would be hard-pressed to find a single boxer that does not incorporate some kind of jump rope training into their day-to-day regimes.
Well, boxers skip for a number of different reasons. But as a whole, it is because skipping offers a huge amount of benefits to boxers both physically and mentally. Therefore, incorporating it into your training regime can have a huge amount of benefits on your performance both in training and in the ring.
Here are the main reasons why boxers skip:
1 - Improves Boxing Footwork
If you pay close attention to a boxer's skipping you will notice that their movement differs slightly from how anyone else would typically skip. This is because, during their skipping workouts, they are focussing specifically on their footwork and therefore are imitating as close to the footwork as they would use in the ring as possible by shifting their weight from one foot to another. This form of skipping is ironically called the ‘boxers skip’.
Footwork is one of the most important skills in boxing. It helps fighters to be able to manoeuvre around the ring more efficiently whilst both avoiding and throwing shots. Having good footwork also gives you far more tools as a fighter and allows you to follow different game plans such as fighting at range of fighting inside the pocket. Fighters must use their footwork to get themselves into these positions.
Therefore boxers are constantly honing in on their footwork and ironing out any imperfections that they may have in order to perform better in the ring. As boxers become more and more comfortable jumping rope they also learn to be lighter and quicker on their feet which in turn will help them to improve their movement inside the ring.
2 - Improves Conditioning
Another major benefit of skipping to boxers is its ability to help improve the cardiovascular endurance and therefore overall conditioning of a fighter. This is because skipping is actually an incredibly effective cardio workout that will get both your heart rate and breathing rate up.
Science has also proven that skipping is an even more effective form of cardio workout than running. Skipping is said to burn around 30% more calories than running and 10 minutes of skipping is equivalent to a 30-minute run. It is a very efficient way for boxers to condition themselves and has a much lesser impact on the joints, muscles, and overall health of a fighter.
Its effectiveness at burning calories can also come in very handy for weight loss when fighters are looking to make weight or get to their intended weight for fight night.
When skipping, boxers will typically emulate the format of a real fight by doing a set number of three-minute rounds with a minute rest in between. This is phenomenally effective as a fighter can begin to emulate how they will feel and move within the ring. It also allows them to condition themselves to be more effective and efficient even in the later moments of rounds.
3 - Improves Coordination
Coordination and more specifically hand-eye coordination is one of the most important skills in boxing. The main aim of boxing is to hit and not be hit and in order to do this you must be able to constantly keep your eyes on your opponent while also delivering calculated punches and immense split-second reactions.
To be the best in boxing, having immense coordination is integral. The more coordinated you are the more effectively you will be able to manoeuvre around the ring while throwing and avoiding constant punches and attacks. Improved coordination will allow a fighter to move more freely, confidently, and quickly around the ring and therefore improve their overall boxing ability.
Skipping is a form of cyclic activity which means that you perform the activity at a very steady and regular cadence. This makes the activity very rhythmic and allows a fighter to be more in tune with their feet, legs, and arms through the rhythm of the rope. Consistent skipping will help anyone to improve their coordination quickly, not just as a fighter.
4 - Builds Mental Strength
Mental toughness in boxing is extremely important, fighters have to be able to keep their cool and their mind focused even when a fight may not be going their way. Mental toughness can often be what separates good boxers from world-class boxers due to the immense amount of stress and pressure fighters are under in the ring.
Skipping is actually a phenomenal exercise for helping a fighter to build mental toughness. Skipping is an incredibly difficult and at times frustrating exercise that requires a lot of patience and toughness to perfect. Due to this, in order for a fighter to perfect the craft of skipping, hours upon hours of practice are needed, this helps to build the mental resistance, strength, and patience of a fighter.
The experience of skipping over a number of years will teach your mind to stay focused and strong even while other body parts such as legs and arms are performing other movements. This allows fighters to be able to move around the ring, avoid punches, and throw calculated punches all at once while keeping their mind focused on the game plan.
How To Skip Like A Boxer?
If you are a beginner looking to skip like a boxer then you may find it initially very difficult. Before looking to master the jump rope, you must first learn the basics. You can find many jump rope tutorials online that can help you to get a better intro to skipping and learn the basics before moving on to the next level.
If you are looking to start learning boxing jump rope then we are going to assume that you have some experience with jumping rope and are looking to advance those skills. It is important to note that boxers will generally skip every day and it takes a lot of hours to be able to skip like a boxer.
To be able to skip like a boxer, you need to learn the most common moves that boxers use while skipping. These are:
The Boxers Skip - The boxer's skip, also known as the boxer step, is where the fighter shifts the weight from one foot to the other with each step whilst remaining on the balls of your feet. This is a perfect warm up that allows a fighter to emulate how they would typically move around within the ring.
Double Unders - Double unders are where with each jump, the rope passes under your feet twice. These are without a doubt one of the most popular skipping skills used by boxers, however, they are very difficult and take an immense amount of practice and skill. To make double unders slightly easier, speed ropes are the best style of skipping rope. This is because they allow the rope to move far quicker and therefore give you more of a chance of the rope passing under your feet twice.
Cross Over - Cross-overs, also known as crossrope or criss-cross, are where you stay up straight with a firm core but cross over your hands while performing the jump. These are another popular skipping technique for boxers and they also look extremely impressive. These are some of the most simple techniques yet one of the most impressive looking.
High Knees - High knees are simply adding alternated high knees into your jumps. This is one of the best jump rope techniques for boxers and is such a simple technique. This is because this style of jump rope is extremely effective for improving both the coordination and footwork of a fighter.
Quality Boxing Skipping Ropes At The UK's Largest Boxing Equipment Supplier
Here at Geezers Boxing, we have a huge range of the highest quality boxing skipping ropes perfect for helping you take your skipping skills to the next level. We have a range of traditional skipping ropes, speed ropes and also weighted ropes to help you maximise your skipping training.
We also stock a huge range of other high-quality boxing equipment from the sports leading brands such as Adidas Boxing, Nike Boxing, Cleto Reyes, Venum, and many more. So whether you are simply looking for a skipping rope or are looking for boxing gloves, boxing boots, punching bags or any other fight equipment, we have you covered.
