Jump Rope: Muscles Worked and How to Do It
TL;DR
Jump rope is a cardio movement built on repeated small jumps, and your calves and quadriceps take on most of the work as they launch and absorb each hop. Your hamstrings help control your landing and set up the next jump, turning a simple rope swing into a real lower body workout.
- Primary muscle:
- Quadriceps
- Secondary muscles:
- Calves, Hamstrings
Muscles worked
Your calves work the hardest in jump rope, since every hop starts and ends at your ankles as you push off the floor and absorb the landing, over and over. Your quadriceps straighten your knees on each takeoff and help cushion the landing so the impact doesn't jar your joints.
Your hamstrings work with your quads to control your knee position as you land and immediately spring into the next jump, keeping your rhythm steady over a long set.
Log Jump Rope in PR Streak
PR Streak's library has 873 exercises, each with photos and step-by-step instructions like this one. Log this move and see what you lifted last time right next to every set, with every PR caught automatically and a chart for every exercise.
How to do it
- Hold an end of the rope in each hand. Position the rope behind you on the ground. Raise your arms up and turn the rope over your head bringing it down in front of you. When it reaches the ground, jump over it. Find a good turning pace that can be maintained. Different speeds and techniques can be used to introduce variation.
- Rope jumping is exciting, challenges your coordination, and requires a lot of energy. A 150 lb person will burn about 350 calories jumping rope for 30 minutes, compared to over 450 calories running.
Form tips
- Jump just high enough to clear the rope, an inch or two off the floor, not a big hop.
- Land softly on the balls of your feet and let your ankles absorb the impact.
- Keep your elbows close to your sides and turn the rope with your wrists, not your whole arms.
- Start with shorter rounds and build up your time as your calves adapt to the repetition.
Exercise details
| Equipment | Other |
|---|---|
| Level | Intermediate |
Used by lifters following PPL, 5x5, upper/lower, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is jump rope a good leg workout?
It's more of a cardio and conditioning tool than a muscle building one, but your calves, quadriceps, and hamstrings all work continuously through every round. It's an efficient way to add lower body conditioning to a training session.
How long should a jump rope session last?
Try the interval timer to set work and rest rounds, starting with something manageable like 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off, and build up your total rounds as your calves and conditioning improve.
More quadriceps exercises
Exercise instructions and photos come from the free-exercise-db library, public domain, the same library used inside the PR Streak app.
