A fighter’s workout routine can be as unique and demanding as it needs to be, but one workout that never goes out of style is jumping rope.
If you are familiar with combat sports like boxing and you follow fighters during their training programs, you have likely seen them jump rope a few times, but do MMA fighters jump rope as well?
Do MMA Fighters Jump Rope?
MMA fighters do jump rope. Many experts believe that jumping rope is one of the essential workouts for fighters across all combat sports because it helps fighter’s with their hand-eye coordination, stamina, speed, and mental focus amongst other reasons.
So, how is that a workout that people learn to do in their grade school physical education classes is so vital to an MMA fighters training program? In this article, you will learn about why MMA fighters jump rope to how often they do it, and everything in-between.
Why Do MMA Fighters Jump Rope?
Jump rope is a do-it-all kind of workout that allows fighters to work on several parts of their game at the same time. Aside from the cardio aspect, jumping rope provides fighters with great benefits and skills that they can incorporate into their fights. Boxers are also known for jumping rope during their training routines.
- Agility
- Foot work
- Cardio
- Hand-eye coordination
- Mental Toughness
The reasons listed above are some of the main benefits fighters can get out of jumping rope. Many people struggle to jump rope because they do not possess the coordination to do it for long periods of time.
Fighters need to maximize their coordination skills in the octagon and jumping rope allows them to do so.
Fighters will often jump rope for long periods of time so that they can work on their cardio and stamina while also incorporating aspects of mental toughness as the workout becomes more difficult.
When jumping rope for long periods of time, your body must work as a unit. A fighter’s footwork and hand-eye coordination greatly benefits from this.
Many would say that rope workouts are a necessity for fighters that want to get better because it is one of those workouts that bring everything together for a fighter.
Simply put, fighters jump rope because they want to improve their skills. Jumping rope is a great workout for athletes of any sport, not just those in combat sports.
How Often Should You Jump Rope?
The amount of times a fighter jumps rope is entirely dependent on their training program. However, most trainers recommend that fighters jump rope at least 3 to 4 times a week as either a warm up or a cool down exercise before or after their workout. Beginners should jump rope 1 to 2 times a week for 5-10 minutes.
Every fighter trains differently and some training days may be more focused on certain skills and abilities than others, but jumping rope can always be incorporated into the daily workout routine.
The more a fighter jumps rope, the better their stamina will be and it is important for a fighter to get loose and get their blood flowing before a big workout.
Although jumping rope workouts out several parts of your body at once, it is not a workout that takes too much of a toll on your body, thus making it a workout that can be repeated multiple times in a week.
Fighter’s that are new to jump rope tend to ease their way into the activity, only doing it a few times a week before ramping up going forward.
Is Jumping Rope Better than Running?
Jumping rope is better than running depending on what your fitness or training goals are. Jumping rope at a moderate pace for 10 minutes is equivalent to running an 8-minute mile, so if you are looking to cut weight, jumping rope can work for you. Jumping rope also incorporates more upper body.
One of the things that makes jumping rope better than running is the impact that it has on your knees. Running on hard surfaces like concrete can have a negative impact on your knees because of the constant force they take when hitting the ground.
When jumping rope, both knees take the impact, making it less stressful on your lower body.
If you are looking to burn more calories, jumping rope may be your best bet as well because it incorporates more parts of your body.
Of course, whether one is better than the other is dependent on the type of training you are doing. Fighters tend to incorporate running and jumping to their routines because they offer different benefits.
One of the most important things a fighter needs to focus on is making weight and one of the best ways to do that is by burning calories.
Jumping rope for 30-minutes will help you burn about 400-500 calories, meanwhile running for 30-minutes will only burn off about 300 calories. So whether it is for cutting weight or training, jump rope is the way to go.
Best Jump Ropes for Fighters?
The best jump ropes for MMA fighters in 2021 are the FITFORT Jump Rope and the DEGOL Jump Rope. There are several other jump ropes that are highly recommended for fighters, but these two are the highest ranked jump ropes this year.
- DEGOL Jump Rope
- Multifun Jump Rope
- Redify Jump Rope for MMA Crossfit Training
- Vinsguir Adjustable Jump Rope for Women Men, Lightweight Tangle Free Skipping Rope
The kind of jump rope a fighter uses should depend on their training goals. Lighter jump ropes help fighters with speed workouts, while heavier jump ropes can help make the workout more strenuous and weight oriented.
The jump ropes listed above all serve unique purposes and fighters can look to incorporate several of them into their routine.
If you are trying to jump rope at a faster speed and with more intensity, then a lighter jump rope will make that easier. Alternatively, a heavier jump rope could be used instead if you want to increase the weight load placed on your shoulders, biceps, and triceps.
Best Jump Rope Workouts for Fighters
Aside from traditional jump rope, double-unders and side-to-side jump rope routines are also excellent jump rope workouts that fighters should consider. The most important thing is for fighters to feel comfortable with their jump rope routine and gain experience before trying advanced rope workouts.
Double-unders are typically for more experienced jump ropers, but once you have it under control, you will see major benefits for your calves and lower body while also ramping up the cardio involved.
With this exercise, you will need to have the jump rope pass under you twice for every jump you make, making it quite difficult to master.
Contrary to double-unders, the technique is easier to learn, but still has several benefits. This rope workout is great as a warmup.
The technique is mostly the same, but the only difference is you will be jumping side to side rather than straight up and down. This technique is great for improving footwork and agility.
Conclusion
Jump roping is an essential workout for MMA fighters. Maintaining good cardiovascular health is crucial for high-energy sports like MMA. Rope exercises help fighters build their stamina, mental toughness, increase their cardio, and help them with their coordination and footwork.
Rope jumping is great as a warmup, cool down, or as a replacement for running to improve your agility and endurance. All fighters should make sure to do more rope jumping!
Interested in MMA? Check Out My Recommendations
| Looking For Gear To Use When You Train? |
|---|
| If you are interested in training MMA, here is some of the gear I recommend: Best Mouth Guard Best MMA Gloves Best Groin Protection Best Rashguard |
| Want To Learn To Fight, But Don’t Want To Go In Person? |
| CoachTube has online training videos for Wrestling, Boxing, MMA and more. And best part is you can do it all from your home allowing you to go at your own pace. Check them out here. |
| Interested In Training Other MMA Fighters? |
| Click here to check out the MMA Conditioning Association and see what you need to become an MMA conditioning coach and begin training fighters. |
