by Corinna Craddock

Created on: May 28, 2009   Last Updated: May 29, 2009

Why do big men with muscles jump rope? Is skipping rope the way professional boxers get into shape? What do men, who fight for sport, know about jumping rope that the rest of us don't know?

Whether you are familiar with this childhood past-time by the name jumping rope or the children you grew up with called it skipping rope, working out with a jump-rope must have some real benefit in order to explain why it is part and parcel of every boxer's routine. After all, little boys who trip and get tangled may declare jumping rope to be silly girl's play. There may be no risk in assuming, that little boys who don't think it's cool to jump rope... are not the son's of fighters.

No, if their fathers were boxers, they would be above such girl-y stereotypes. Boxers raise boys who associate the jump-rope with strength, power and victory and definitely, discipline. What is it about the body of a fighter, as he's practicing that tightly-controlled, two-handed twirling, that seems to just scream the word discipline?

Is discipline in fact, something that is required for boxers to master this school yard skill? Or is skipping rope something one never forgets, like remembering how to ride a bike? (It seems the body of an adult has long out grown rope play, not to mention the body of a strong boxer!) Or is this old-school workout technique really nothing more than mere child's play?

Why do Boxers Jump Rope?

Boxers workout to prepare their body for the changing levels of energy, demanded in each round. Each round demands that the fighter give an extreme amount of energy with many fast movements, followed by a period of reduced activity and slower moving. A jump-rope can be used to reproduce the energy demands of the ring.

The rope can be skipped for rounds of three minutes. Boxers can alternate between rounds of skipping double time and rounds of slower jumping or jogging in place. Some boxers use the jump-rope to jump the 3 minute rounds at each speed, then rest for 20 or 30 seconds. Jumping rope this way, gives fighters the endurance needed to keep up a fast pace, for the entire round.

In addition to giving boxers the endurance to keep their pace up during a fight, jumping rope helps boxers move their feet as quickly as possible, in the shortest distance possible. This trains their feet to respond quickly without unnecessary movement or steps that are too big or clumsy, because fighting in the ring is like a precise dance and boxers must know their steps without

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