Why Do Boxers Jump Rope?

Rx Smart Gear is the trusted jump rope and official jump rope partner of USA Boxing, helping their athletes stay in shape and win titles, but many people wonder, “Why do boxers jump rope?”,and the answer is simple: Jumping rope is a great exercise to build speed, quickness, footwork, endurance, and confidence! To participate in the sport of boxing, you need to be in tip top condition. You must be agile, concise, quick and confident on your feet and well conditioned.

Jumping rope helps to develop all of these skills. Some may say that the benefits of jumping rope are endless, but we wanted to learn more for ourselves, so we sat down with boxer and fellow RXSG Athlete, Melody Popravak, to learn more about the benefits of jumping rope within her sport. Boxers use jumping rope to build endurance, improve footwork as well as increase quickness, explosiveness, and coordination.

RXSG: Why do boxers jump rope?

MP: When you are first starting in boxing, jumping rope helps to practice timing, build foot strength and cardio endurance.

RXSG: How is jump rope unique to the sport of boxing?

MP: There are movements that are unique to the sport of boxing such as the “boxers skip”. This is where you transfer your weight from one foot to the other, going back and forth, which helps with coordination and single leg strength. You would definitely want to practice your timing with that on the jump rope!”

RXSG: What cable weight is best for boxing?

MP: I use the “Ultra” cable for my warm-up. It is not very heavy, but not the lightest. The lightest makes it tougher to do new moves, while the heaviest can be maybe too bulky for a warm-up! This cable is a good "in between"!

RXSG: Is there a benefit to a weighted rope for boxing:

MP: As you gain experience in boxing- weighted ropes are superb for conditioning and keeping your stance under "unfavorable" circumstances.

There are many benefits of jumping rope in the sport of boxing.

Can jump rope increase stamina?

Yup! Boxers use jumping rope to build endurance, improve footwork as well as increase quickness, explosiveness, and coordination, which are all crucial when it comes to a match. In summary, not only is a jump rope one of the most affordable pieces of equipment, it’s also one of the most efficient.

We will leave you with Melody’s favorite way to warm up for her boxing days,

“10 seconds of higher intensity movement (maybe double unders or just move faster) then switch to something slower, then back. Think about throwing "punches in bunches" then gathering yourself....always keep it relevant to your fight!”