Talking about a crossrope experience

Ha, another weird thing that I got into during 2020. Jumproping!

Believe me that I feel a lot sillier than what it looks like, but it's a fun way to move, takes little to no room, isn't as boring as running (with a nice set of sounds like this playlist on spotify) and keeps me healthy and fit.

In the search of a good rope (I started CrossFit in October 2019) I’ve tried a few different ones. Cheap, cheaper, average - all having their problems. Once they break, they stay that way, never staying supple and little to no feedback on the rope - important for a beginner. When does the rope hit the ground, when did it make you almost trip.

Then I found Crossrope. And wow, they are expensive! But, I fell for their marketing and a good deal gave me the ‘lean’ set for € 90 and a bit of change. They got me hooked!

Things I can share about them;

1. I didn't like the idea of jumping ropes in any way, and most adult people will look at you like you’re an idiot. Kids love it by the way. To me it now feels much like dancing - progress the first months is quick, and great! The app coming with Crossrope has improved a lot over time, their instructions and sets clear and challenging.

2. The subscription model isn’t great - it will give you a lot more exercises to work with, but if you jump once or twice a week, the unpaid model will do fine. The jump counter is a nice gimmick, but not that useful – I prefer to focus on the time spent exercising and my heart rate. Not a skip counter.

3. I do (did) a lot of crossfit next to this. Crossropes are no speedropes. Even the lightest rope (1/4 lbs / 120 grams) is heavy, double unders I can’t do with these (I can now!). It did help me to get enough ‘feeling’ for ropes that I can now do double unders (well, one.)

4. Crossropes leave marks on your legs and back. Period. Try to do criss-cross's and other things that look fancy. They hurt before the stick. They don’t show that in their ads. Hitting yourself with the 1/4 and 1/2 lbs ropes hurt. The 2 and 4 pound robes will kill you(r toes).

5. As with everything, practice makes perfect. It takes time to learn to jump, balance, increase or decrease speed, music pulled me through!

6. Only jumping is boring (and intense!) the fact that jumprope burns more cals per hour than running or swimming is probably true - but it's really boring! Crossrope keeps you challenged, changing movements and combining strength and endurance.

7. I love the tabata workouts, 20 seconds of movement + 10 seconds of rest remind me of crossfit.

I’ll keep on posting my experiences, changes and add a few photos here and there.

I'm not affiliated with crossrope - but an enthusiastic user. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below.

//todo: add a few photos