Esposa Fave: Skip Rope Workout

I fell in love with the skip rope earlier this year when I trained for my first full-contact karate tournament.  I was in the best shape of my life...which was great for the tournament and even better for our wedding which followed 3 months after.

Although I haven't been as aggressive with exercising since the wedding, I still want to maintain a healthy workout regime.  Skip rope is a great exercise since the equipment is simple and can burn a substantial amount of calories.  According to an article on CBS' MoneyWatch.com, you can burn up to 1,000 calories in an hour.  It's also awesome for improving coordination and is easily portable.  I'm definitely taking my trusty skip rope with me to our honeymoon in New Zealand to sneak in some exercise while away.  The last thing I want to repeat is our trip to Mexico where I gained a pound for every day we were there!

Here's a great skip rope workout routine I got from a Sensei a few years back:

Each of the following jumps are performed for 30 seconds at a moderate pace with a 15 second sprint.  15 seconds are allowed for rest before beginning the next exercise.  Sprints are performed with basic footwork

1. 3 minute warm-up skip
2. Choice - Athlete may choose any jump they wish
3.  Running Step Alternate - Alternate left, right, left, right
4. Rocker Step - Place one foot directly in front of other, switch at 15 second mark
5. Side to Side over a line (Skier) - With both feet together jump from side to side over a line
6. Front to Back over a line (Bell) - With both feet together jump front and back over a line
7. Jump the Box - Up, side, back ,side - To original position, direction may be alternated by choice
8. Crossovers - Begin with one foot crossed over the other and alternate them on each bass of the rope
9. Backwards Skipping - Reverse skipping - Jumping the rope in reverse, swing the rope backward
10. Double Unders - Two passes of the rope for each jump, if it can't be performed continuously, alternate singles and doubles
11. 3 minute endurance skip 

My skip rope of choice:
The current rope I'm using is the one with the green handles in the photo.  It's super fast.  I used to use the one with yellow handles, but the rope was always tangled and would trip me up.  I've also tried the ones at the gym, but found they were too heavy for me.