I started out with a leather jump rope that included weighted handles.
Although I was super careful about how I hung the rope up between uses, it became horribly tangled and kinked.
After breaking and fraying a number of leather ropes, I decided to make a bigger investment into a better rope. I chose a system that provides one pair of handles which attach to a series of weighted rope. The set includes a quarter-pound, half-pound, one-pound and two-pound rope and each one provides a unique style of workout. One of the many benefits of the jump rope system is that it came with a free app. I downloaded it onto my phone. The app provides a selection of guided workouts that change every week. I can pick from beginner, intermediate and advanced exertion levels and the sessions last from 10 minutes to 60 minutes. Some of the programs are strictly jumping and incorporate the various weights of ropes. Other ones include exercises such as push-ups, crunches, lunges and burpees. Each session starts with a warmup and includes brief rest periods between the exercises. They focus on endurance or strength or HIT. I like that the app keeps a record of my workout history. I can check how many calories I’ve burned in one workout, over the past week, month or all-time. I even get badges for consecutive workouts. I like following the app because it keeps me from being lazy. It typically pushes me to work harder and longer. It’s motivational and keeps the workout from getting stale. Since putting the app on my phone, I’ve improved my skills and stamina. Due to impact on my joints, I only let myself jump rope a maximum of four times per week.