Last week I talked about how skipping is one of the best exercises for weight loss. Today I want to have a little chat about the different types of skipping ropes that are on the market and help you decide which one to buy. Your rope will make all the difference to your skipping experience.

Is the classic leather boxing rope the best?

The most popular form of skipping rope is the heavy leather rope that was popularized by boxing. For over a hundred years boxers have been using a leather jump rope to improve their cardiovascular ability, muscle fitness and endurance. When people saw how fit boxers were they wanted to copy their training regime and as such the leather rope was adopted into gyms and weight loss centers around the world.

But is it really the best choice?

I have been skipping for close to ten years now and in that time I have had over fifteen skipping ropes. Some of them were good. Some of them were terrible. And after all these years I can honestly say that the leather skipping rope is NOT the best choice for your skipping needs.

Plastic speed ropes: the better skipping choice

So what should you choose instead of the traditional boxing leather rope? A plastic speed rope. These new inventions are a much better option if you want to make your skipping sessions intense, furious and extremely good for calorie burning.

The weighted versions of these ropes are particularly good. They allow you to turn the rope a lot faster than normal and as such you get a more intense cardio workout as well as really pushing your muscle strength to the next level. The main problem with the leather ropes is that you simply cannot turn it very fast. The plastic weighted ropes completely overcome this problem.

The other major advantage of the plastic speed ropes is the ball bearing handles that allow you to turn the rope at high speed without any tension. The rope is not “fixed” to the handles as in a traditional skipping rope but instead rotates 360 degrees inside the handle. This is a fantastic feature that every serious skipper must look for.

Conclusion

If you are in the market for a new skipping rope I would bypass the leather rope altogether. Go for a modern weighted plastic skipping rope and watch how much better your skipping sessions will be. I am certain that you will find them a lot more challenging, entertaining and productive.

photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

If you are like me you are always trying to find new ways to burn fat. A few years ago I read a book by Bruce Lee where he mentioned that skipping rope was about three times more effective at calorie burning than running. Since then I have become an avid rope jumper and am pleased to announce that he was right.

Why is skipping a faster way to burn fat?

If you have ever spent some time skipping you will know how hard it can be. As mentioned, skipping is one of the best ways to burn fat and lose weight. Here are a few reasons why that is so:

1. It is a full body workout
Any exercise that works multiple parts of your body at once is going to burn fat faster. Skipping is one of them. When you jump rope you are using your shoulders, biceps and forearms to turn the rope, your abs to stay upright and your calf muscles, thighs and glutes to do the jumping. The more muscles you bring into the equation the better.

2. It is intense
If you spend a bit of money and get a speed rope you can get quite an intense workout. Skipping is fantastic because you can use your arms and your legs at the same time unlike most other forms of cardio. The faster you want to go the more calories you are going to burn. You can even up the ante to the point where you do double jumps instead of the regular single skips. This is a super hardcore workout.

3. Your metabolism stays elevated
If you want to lose weight fast you need to pick exercises that keep your heart rate up long after the session has finished. Skipping is one of those exercises. Your muscles get worked at the same time as your lungs and as such you will continue to burn calories long after you have put the rope down.

4. It is diverse
A lot of women think that skipping is boring because you just jump on the spot. Well, anyone who thinks that obviously does not know how to skip very well! Skipping has so many different variations – each of which works a different body part. You can sprint on the spot and work your legs, do knees up and work your abs, double unders to work your shoulders… the list goes on. This diversity is extremely important for staying at it.

Tips for better skipping

If you want to get the most out of your skipping sessions you need to learn how to do it properly. The goal is to look like a professional boxer, not a school-kid doing one step at a time jump rope. Watch this video to see how it should be done.

See how intense and varied the workout can be? To get the most out of your skipping session you should copy this boxers technique.

• Keep your shoulders and arms relaxed
• Lean back slightly
• Point your toes
• Only jump a small amount such that the rope just passes under your foot
• Breath deeply
• Vary your jumping style – one foot, both feet, left foot, right foot
• Don’t get frustrated!

Conclusion

Skipping truly is one of the best ways you can burn fat and lose weight. Try to make it a regular part of your workout program. You will find that your whole body benefits from this amazingly intense form of exercise.

photo credit: patrick kiteley

Life is busy. Work, family, cooking dinner. It doesn’t leave us with a lot of time to workout. So when we finally make it to the gym we need to make sure we are getting the most out of our workout sessions. In this post I am going to show you 11 ways to get more from your time at the gym.

11 tactics to get more from your gym session

These tips are designed to help make your gym workouts more efficient, effective and result producing. If you have anything else to add please head over to the forum and leave your tips. You never know, your knowledge might really help someone.

1. Have a coffee before hand
Studies have shown that coffee helps you workout. It keeps you more focused and alert and it can even help you perform better physically. This is particularly true if you are doing a weight loss workout as caffeine speeds up your heart rate and metabolism.

photo credit: Joanne Probyn

2. Warm up correctly
A lot of women fail to warm up correctly. If you are doing a weights session that involves a lot of upper body work you need to make sure you warm up that part of your body. Running on a treadmill is no good! If you are going to be doing upper body weights perhaps start with some rowing.

3. Keep hydrated
When you workout your body loses fluids. This can end your workout prematurely because it starts to make you feel sick and tired. Keeping hydrated is extremely important if you want to make sure you are getting the most from your time at the gym. Keep a water bottle with you or make sure you constantly visit the fountain.

4. Workout the big muscle groups
There are two types of weight lifting exercise – isolated and compound. Isolated exercises only work one muscle at a time and as such do not have a lot of full body benefits. Compound exercises, on the other hand, workout lots of muscles at once. This is a much better option for saving time, burning calories and getting a full body workout in a short space of time.

5. Use heavy weights
Whoever it was that first said that light weights tone your muscles was a fool. Light weights don’t do much at all to be honest. If you want to tone up and lose weight then you need to use heavy weights. Don’t worry, you won’t get bulky. All you will do is burn calories faster and make a lot more progress.

6. Workout with a partner
Sometimes we can be a little bit lazy when we workout by ourselves. We wander around looking at the televisions or taking big breaks in between sessions. However, if you workout with a partner a lot of that is cut out. Similarly, you will be more likely to work hard when your partner is pushing you to do better. Try it out.

7. Have a fixed routine
A few years ago I used to go to the gym and spend half of my time walking around wondering what to do next. This is a big waste of time. Plan your sessions before you go by creating a fixed routine. Stick to that routine and you will find that your sessions become a heck of a lot more productive.

8. Take some music
There is nothing like a good loud song to get you working out harder. I always seem to run a lot further when I have a good hip hop song in my ear. Try and put together a workout playlist and crank it on whenever you do your cardio sessions. The added emotion will really get you moving.

photo credit: dongga BS

9. Have a set goal
One thing I noticed recently was that I worked a lot harder at the gym when I had a set goal. In previous years I would just go the gym out of some sense of needing to stay fit and slim but recently I decided that I wanted to lose 5 kilograms after spending too much time in the local cafe on an overseas trip. Once I had this set goal I did what I needed to do to achieve it and stayed on track. Find out what you want to achieve, write it down and go for it!

10. Cut your sessions to 45 minutes
Your gym sessions should not go for longer than 45 minutes. Any long than this and your body starts to produce a chemical that can actually hamper your progress. But that is not the only reason. If you cut your session times down you will be forced to fit more in and work harder. This is a fantastic way to work out – intensely.

11. Squat
The squat is the best wight lifting exercise there is. A good session of heavy weighted squats will burn more calories than any other exercise. But what is really cool about the squat is the fact that your body will continue to burn calories after you have finished the workout. If you really want to super charge your gym session you need to start squatting on a regular basis.

If you have any other suggestions please drop by our forum and let us know!

photo credit: J.C. Rojas

Let’s face it. Cardio can be boring. Hours and hours on the treadmill or exercise bike just hoping that the weight will drop off. And in the end we never reach our weight loss goals because the exercise was just too monotonous.

In this post I am going to show you 5 exciting ways to spice up your cardio life. When you find new and stimulating things to do to lose the weight you will be much more likely to succeed.

5 exciting ways to spice up your cardio life

Here are a few different forms of exercise that I have dabbled in over the years. All of them are massive calorie burners. All of them will do more for your waistline than any treadmill or walking group. Be brave and give them a try. Whatever you do, don’t let nerves hold you back from experimenting with these amazing disciplines.

1. Capoeira
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that is as fun as it is explosive. The movements are made up of high kicks, jumps, flips and cartwheels. It is one of the best forms of exercise out there as it uses your entire body in every single movement.

photo credit: JoelZimmer

Another great thing about Capoeira is the fact that it is all done to the melody and beat of some infectious traditional African/Brazilian music. This really gets your heart racing and makes the whole experience a lot more fun. If you are after a new and intense form of cardiovascular workout then this is the class for you.

2. Indoor soccer
A few years ago I joined an indoor soccer team. At first I thought it was going to be a little bit boring but I was dead wrong. Indoor soccer is now the best part of my week. Five friends and I head down to the local club on a Thursday night and play one 30 minute long game. And it is intense. Indoor soccer has you twisting, turning and sprinting back and forth like a mad woman! It truly is one of the best ways to burn some calories whilst having a lot of fun.

3. Day long hikes
If you are a bit of a natural woman then chances are you will love getting outdoors in the open and going for a walk. It doesn’t matter where you live – America, Australia, Europe or Africa – all around the world there are beautiful places to go hiking.

photo credit: cheukiecfu

Why not get a few friends together, make some healthy snacks and organize a day long hike in the hills? You will get lots of fresh air and sun and burn some calories whilst recharging your batteries and getting back to the simple things in life. There is nothing like a walk in the fresh air to get you feeling healthy and alive.

Another great thing about hiking is that it does wonders for your calf muscles, thighs and butt. Walking up hills whilst carrying a heavy backpack will leave you sore for days! It is one of the best ways to shape and tone your lower body.

4. Muay Thai kickboxing
When it comes to getting toned, losing weight and shaping up there is no exercise better than kickboxing. This is a true full body workout that will get your heart rate up and your lungs burning. What better way to spice up your cardio life?

photo credit: livegym-showtime

Kickboxing originated in Thailand and has now evolved into many different styles and forms. There are the more traditional schools that focus on technique and power and then there are the more modern schools that focus on getting a good cardio workout. Both are good. Both will get you fit and teach you how to defend yourself.

When you go to a kickboxing class expect lots of punching, kicking, kneeing and jumping. Expect to have a lot of fun. I highly encourage all women to put your shyness and nerves aside and try this one out. It will change your exercise life forever. And don’t worry – you don’t have to fight anyone if you don’t want to!

5. Samba lessons
The final idea that I want to throw out there today is one I tried a few months ago expecting to have a nice relaxing workout. Instead what I got was an intense cardio workout that had my whole lower body struggling to keep up.

Samaba is a great workout because it requires a lot of fast paced movements with some really excellent music in the background. It is one of those rare forms of exercise where you forget about the hard work you are doing because you are so focused on having fun. After an hour or two of this style of dance you will have burned a heck of a lot of calories and had more fun than you’re ever had at the gym.

Conclusion

If you want to lose weight and stay healthy you need to do cardio. But sometimes running is not enough. Sometimes you need something a little more challenging or a little bit different. If you keep your cardio life exciting and spicy you will be more likely to actually stick to your routine. Take a look around your local community and see what you can come up with. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised.