In the first part of this article on how to do double unders like a pro, we covered the basics of jumping rope Rope: choosing the Rope, adjusting it, and maintaining a good posture to avoid injuries. In this second part, we will explain what you need to do to master D.U.s and fly in WODs. Spoiler: you will need a lot of practice. You already have your Rope adjusted to your height and have jumped a little with it to understand the dynamics of this exercise. As we mentioned earlier, jumping rope Rope seems like a simple exercise but requires agility and skill to coordinate jump and turn, whether for singles or doubles.
First step: master single jumps
Before bouncing around like crazy and whipping your legs, glutes, arms – and even face – you need to master the basics: the single jump. First, link single jumps five at a time without failing and gradually increase the reps. The idea is to reach 100 single jumps without failing. In this process, you should:
- Go at your own pace
- Control your breathing
- Feel the turns of the Rope on your wrist
- Coordinate hand and jump
- Avoid being tense
Gradually, you can add speed to your single jumps to reach the next level: going fast in a scaled WOD.
One tip: don't stop practicing single jumps once you master doubles, or you'll forget how to do them.
Second step: jump high
The difficulty in moving from a single to a double jump is that you often get used to making small bounces on the ground to go fast in S.U.s. D.U.s require you to jump higher so that the Rope passes twice under your feet in the same jump. Therefore, the first progression you need to make is to jump high while turning the Rope more slowly. Give a good push off the ground and perform several sets of 10 repetitions to assimilate this explosive jump. Be careful, your calves will get sore at first, so don't forget to stretch after the session.
Third step: turn the Rope twice in one high jump
Now that you control the high jump without getting too tired, it's time to practice the wrist movement. The turn must be quick and precise to give the cable the necessary speed to pass twice under your feet. Depending on the Rope you have, you will need to apply more or less force in that turn.
To coordinate turn + high jump, you can first practice without the Rope:
- Keep your arms stretched close to your body
- Jump high
- While in the air, clap your hands twice quickly at your sides
This is the rhythm you need to assimilate for double jumps. You can first practice a few times without the Rope, and then with it.
Another trick: you can count the rhythm of the turn in your head or out loud to synchronize 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 a good grasp of the double turn, now it's time to perform the progression from S.U. to D.U. You need to perform 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 leave the combined progression with the jumps. simple.
Fifth step: link the double unders
Now it's time to jump, jump, jump without stopping. It's time to practice unbroken series of maximum repetitions of double unders until reaching 50, reps that are often required in a WOD RX. Here too, you will need to arm yourself with patience to achieve your goal. Remember that you have to:
- Keep the jumps high
- Coordinate the quick wrist turn with the jump
- Find a rhythm in the jumps to work on your endurance
- Don't forget to breathe
And don't forget to maintain a good posture to optimize your strength and avoid injuries:
- Body slightly inclined in a hollow position
- Arms slightly bent forward and close to the body
- Relaxed shoulders
- Legs slightly bent to cushion the jump
- Rebound on the balls of your feet
And if you tend to open your arms, shortening the Rope in the jump, here's a trick: Use a band to keep your arms close to your body, leaving your forearms free to turn the Rope. This way, you'll assimilate the correct position of your arms and stop whipping yourself on the shins.
With these tips to do double unders like a pro you will surely master the Double Unders in all your Box classes and even in your upcoming crossfit competitions. And you, what do you do to improve your double unders? Give us your recommendations in the comments section below. ;)
