As a guy whose sister loved jumping rope, I’ve always watched in amazement, but honestly, I never got it. Then I turned thirty, found out my metabolism wasn’t what it was and looked for the best ways of burning calories without running nowhere on a treadmill. Surprisingly I found out 15 minutes of jumping rope could effectively burn 300 calories.
But what if you’ve never jumped rope before? Here’s where Crossrope comes in.
Dubbed the world’s first “Smart Jump Rope App” the Crossrope is the jump rope you should’ve purchased before going to Target and spending $20 on that flimsy rope. Not all jump ropes are created equal; there’s actually a science to it. Your ideal Crossrope is selected according to your height in order to maximize your workout. Once you’ve entered your height and weight, the ideal Crossrope length for you is revealed. I went with the “Get Lean” set because I’m going through the “I want to lose weight but don’t know how” phase and Crossrope makes the solution insanely simple — if you stick with it.
You receive two handles for connecting to either of two ropes; one is a white 1/2-pound Infinity Rope and the other is a green 1/4-pound Infinity Rope. It’s stated that the white rope is more of an introductory heavy rope for new jumpers who have not a clue where to begin, and all levels of HIIT training. The Green Infinity Rope is ideal for speed and endurance. Since I’m not quite there yet, I’ve been sticking to the heavier white rope.
To my wife’s delight, I was absolutely terrible at jumping rope. The first day I tried the Crossrope, I broke every “rule” of jump roping, including starting arms above my head with a wide underhanded grip. This resulted in my whipping my legs with the cable every other time. And the times between that, I tend to do what the Crossrope Facebook community considered the “double jump” where you attempt to jump instinctively before the rope comes over your body, which doesn’t give enough lead for the rope to go under your feet. It took me a while, but I finally got down a cadence that worked for me, which included keeping my hands at hip height while properly holding my knees slightly bent so I can be sure to come about an inch or two off the ground giving the rope time to rotate. It’s still an uphill battle to get it right, but it’s fun and I really enjoy it.
When you first start the app, you’re introduced to a menu with various workouts. Most are about 15-20 minutes in length, but since I have the GET LEAN set, I’ve begun the “Get Lean Challenge.” Day one, I did a 15-minute workout which blended HIIT workouts to keep the blood flowing in circuits I’ve seen from apps like Freeletics like Bodyweight Squats joined by different “jumps” with the rope in 30-second increments. I have Asthma, so it’s a bit rough to complete fast jump ropes on top of burpee-like exercises so I give myself ample time to breathe since my heart rate is already spiking, but I will say this is much more entertaining than that 30 minutes on the elliptical (even if I had to give up watching tv to focus on the mirror while jumping).
I haven’t seen any visible improvements yet, but I’ve got a nice little cadence going with my jumps; aside from Basketball, jumping rope is actually putting a bit more “fun in my fitness.” And who knows? Maybe one day soon I’ll work myself up to the green 1/4-pound infinity rope.
For more information or to purchase a Crossrope set, head to their website. Prices start at $98 for a set of two weighted jump ropes and one set of handles.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review unit
What I Like: Weighted jump-rope which adds to the overall body workout; App is easy to use
What Needs Improvement: Longer break times between workouts