Tips to do double unders like a pro (II)

In the first part of this article on how to do double unders like a pro we have seen the basics of jumping rope : choosing the rope, adjusting it and maintaining good posture to avoid injuries. In this second part, we are going to explain to you what you have to do to master the DU and fly in the WOD. Spoiler: you will need a lot of practice. You already have your rope adjusted to your height and you have already jumped with it a little to understand the dynamics of this exercise. As we have already said before, jumping rope seems like a simple exercise but it requires agility and dexterity to coordinate jump and turn, whether for singles or doubles.

Step One: Master Simple Jumps

Before jumping around like crazy and whipping your legs, buttocks, breasts – and even face – it is necessary to master the basics: the simple jump . First, link simple jumps of 5 at a time without fail and increase the reps little by little. The idea is that you can perform 100 simple jumps without failing . In this process, you have to:

• Go at your pace
• Control breathing
• Feel the turns of the rope on your wrist
• Coordinate hand and jump
• Avoid being in tension

A tip: don't stop practicing simple jumps when you master double jumps or you will forget how to do them.

Second step: jump high

The difficulty in going from a single jump to a double jump is that many times you get used to making small bounces on the ground to go fast in the SU. The DU asks you to jump higher so that the jump rope passes under your feet twice in the same jump. Therefore, the first progression you have to do is jump high while rotating the rope more slowly. Give a good push off the ground and perform several sets of 10 repetitions to master this explosive jump. Be careful, your calves will be heavy at first, so don't forget to stretch after the session.

Third step: turn the rope twice in a high jump

You already control the high jump without getting too tired, now it's time to practice the wrist movement. The turn has to be fast and precise to give the cable the necessary speed and pass under your feet twice . Depending on how much camber you have, you will have to exert more or less force in that turn.

Our recommendation: choose a speed rope like the Bee or Anna from PicSil from the beginning to master this key phase of the turn as soon as possible.

• Stick your stretched arms to your body
• jump high
• When you are in the air, clap your sides twice quickly.

Another trick : you can count the rhythm of the turn in your head or out loud to agree on movement and jump.

This phase can be somewhat frustrating and painful at first since it will require many hours of practice for your brain to coordinate both movements. Patience.

Fourth step: combine single and double jumps

If you already have more or less mastered the doubles turn, now it's time to make the progression from SU to DU. You have to make the following combinations:

• 1-1
• 1-2
• 1-3
• etc

The idea is that as you manage to link five or six double jumps you can stop the progression combined with simple jumps.

Fifth step: link the double unders

Now it's time to jump, jump, jump without stopping. Now it's time to practice unbroken series of maximum repetitions of double jumps until you reach 50 , reps that are usually asked of you in a WOD RX. Here too, you will need to be patient to achieve your goal. Remember that you have to:

• Keep jumps high
• Coordinate the quick turn of the wrist with the jump
• Find a rhythm in the jumps to work on your resistance
• Without forgetting to breathe

• Body slightly inclined in hollow position
• Arms slightly bent forward and close to the body
• Relaxed shoulders
• Legs slightly bent to cushion the jump
• Bounce on the balls of your feet

And if you are one of those who tend to open your arms, shortening the rope in the jump, here's a trick : Use a rubber band to stick your arms to your body, leaving your forearms free to turn the rope. This way you will assimilate the correct position of your arms and stop whipping your shins.