It’s double under month at CFK, and that means more WOD’s with jump ropes, and more extra work geared towards double unders. Let this be the month that you either get your first double under, your first set of consecutive double unders, or your first big set (20+) of consecutive double unders.
When watching people struggle through double unders, I usually notice the same inefficiencies in the jump portion of the movement. So many people think that, because the rope has to travel around the body twice, that the jump speed also has to increase. Instead, increasing the jump speed is one of the sure fire ways to limit your double under capabilities. You don’t need to jump faster, but you do need to jump a bit higher. Watch the Buddy Lee video below on the Power Jump. This is the jump utilized during a double under.
Notice that the speed of the singles’ jump is virtual the same as the double unders’ Power Jump. The cue I like to use with members struggling to keep the Power Jump smooth and steady is to give me more hang time. That is, jump and hang in the air for a while. There’s no rush to come back down. Be patient. I know, I know, it seems super counter intuitive to take your time on the Power Jump, when the double under requires lots of speed. Remember though, the speed is in the wrists. It is during the hang time of the Power Jump that the wrists will be in overdrive to ensure that 2 full revolutions of the rope are made.
In this way it is very similar to the faults found in many novice Olympic Lifters. Be patient and stop jumping so early!
