DOUBLE UNDERS HELP (whipping into shape)

There are a lot of tough movements in the sport of Crossfit, but for many the toughest is double unders. Try whipping a rope under your legs twice when you jump and not fail.  Be patient.  It will come and in terms of cardio workouts, double unders are one of the best. The exercise keeps your heart rate at a constant high level, and has a low impact on your body. Again, be patient. Double unders are freakin' tough and not everyone can just walk into a box and pull out a tonne of reps unbroken. Start with single unders, then try to get a few double unders as you go.

Here’s a few tips on how to improve your double unders:

First things first - use those wrists to generate speed, not your arms. Spinning the rope with your arms is extremely inefficient and actually creates an inconsistent rotation. Remember to tuck your elbows in and use your wrists.

Keep your legs straight. Beginners often tend to bend their knees when they jump thinking it will make more room for the rope to pass through twice, myself included. All does is waste more of your energy and increase the chance of the rope catching your legs. So remember to keep your body straight, your chest up, and legs vertical!

Think ninja not viking and stay on the balls of your feet.  I know that everything else we do in CrossFit is almost always about being on your heels and driving through your heels, but you have to stay on the balls of your feet to be good at jump roping. So be a warrior when you tear through a lift but think stealthy and lithe ninja when skipping.

Work on your singles first then move on to doubles. I'm not talking double skipping through fields of flowers, all "tra la la" like. I'm talking fast rotational jump roping. Ideally, you should barely be coming off the ground when you jump during skipping. You don't need to be leaping over the rope. After all, quality jump ropes are very thin.  Keep your jump height and the rope rotation consistent.

You got the singles under your belt start working on the double under. The trick is to jump just like when you single but a bit higher. Not a lot higher, no need to jackknife over the itty-bitty rope, just go straight up, a bit higher. If you are lifting your knees higher rather than actually jumping higher, you may get okay at double unders, but they won't be efficient. You'll tire quicker, and you likely won't be able to string them together for very long. I'm still working on it. My max is still only 26. Practice jumping higher during your singles training. Oh and slow down the jump...higher not faster.



I've seen this done but have yet to try it myself.  I just keep whipping myself with the rope in failed efforts. Supposedly you can work on the rhythm of the rotation and the height of your jump by holding the jump rope handles in one hand. Practice the higher bounding and rotate the rope two times around per jump. Once you get the timing down, try it with two hands.




Don't think of a double under as a single definitive movement. I often see people jump high, rotate the rope two times around, and then land flat footed without jumping again. (Yup, this was my specialty when I first started doing double unders.) Doing double unders one at at time will make a workout with double unders in it a long and miserable experience.

Give 'em a try.  Eventually you'll get it and by practicing you'll be getting a great workout at the same time. This video will give you a visual on these tips.