Double Under Limiters and How to Improve Them
*Many of these tips and coaching points came from Molly Metz at JumpNRope! If you’re interested on getting help with your jump rope skills of ALL kinds, look out for any of their seminars!
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Double unders are the most frequently programmed movement in CrossFit Open history and the only one to make an appearance in every open since its inception. The double under involves rotating the jump rope twice for every jump, can be challenging to learn for the first time due to the high level of precision, coordination, and speed it requires.
Whether you are in the beginning stages of double under mastery, or looking to take your proficiency to the next level, we’ll cover some of the most common limiters we see and then give you tools to crush your double unders in the open.
Rope Sizing
This is an easy one to glance over, but it is highly recommended that the rope is always customized to the athlete. Rope length, handle material, cable weight, and bearings can all impact performance and feel for the movement. Two easy ways to find the right rope length for you are:
Step on the rope with two feet and the handles should come up to the armpits
Perform singles unders and examine the distance between the head and the rope. We like to see about 10 inches between the top of the head and the rope.
Strength Limiters
To be able to develop double under capacity and efficiency, athletes need to have the necessary strength to support the volume of reps required. The muscles of the foot and lower leg can often be overlooked as being major contributors to both improving capacity in the movement as well as preventing injury.
Here are two key strength areas to prioritize in your double under training:
Intrinsic Foot Strength: The foot muscles play a crucial role in stabilizing your foot and ankle during repetitive bounding movements. Jumping rope involves absorbing forces that are transmitted through your feet and legs. The strength of the foot and surrounding muscles contribute to shock absorption capacity through the feet which can help reduce the impact on joints. In workouts with high volume jump rope, some athletes will complain of foot fatigue or even cramping in the feet. Strong feet help transfer the force from the ground into the body which can not only improve capacity, but also reduce risk of lower leg overuse injuries.
Lower Leg Strength: The primary muscles involved in the jumping phase of double unders are the calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus). These muscles contract forcefully to push off the ground, generating the power and height needed to let the rope pass under your body. Strong calf muscles contribute to ankle stability in the takeoff and landing phases of the jump. The calves are responsible for absorbing the impact in the landing phase which is especially important for preventing excessive stress on the joints. The tibialis anterior muscle plays a key role in dorsiflexion (lifting the foot towards the shin) as well as controlling the descent of the foot during landing.
Example Strength Training Session:
A. Towel toe curls; 20 reps pulling towel towards you x 2-3 sets; rest 90 seconds
B. Intrinsic Foot Musculature Drills; 5 reps big toe elevation, 5 reps little toe elevation, 5 reps spread toes, 5 reps squeeze toes x 2-3 sets, rest as needed bw sides
C1. Tibialis Raise; 15-25 reps x 2-3 sets, rest 30 seconds
C2. FHL Calf Raise; 15-25 reps x 2-3 sets, rest 30 seconds
C3. Knee Over Toe Calf Raise; 15-25 reps x 2-3 sets, rest 30 seconds -
Technical Limiters
If you’ve sized your rope correctly, prepped your lower legs for jumping volume, and still find yourself tripping up your rope in workouts, here are the top three technical limitations many athletes face when mastering double unders:
Timing and Rhythm: One of the most common challenges is developing the unique timing for each individual– many athletes struggle with the coordination of the jump rope rotation and their bounding style. For beginners who have no prior exposure to jumping rope, it’s often recommended to start with finding a consistent pace by practicing simpler variations like single unders first, and then gradually increasing speed. You might even find that some athletes need a bigger and sometimes necessary regression like pogo jumps or penguin hops. As athletes move onto attempting double unders, timing the revolution of when the rope is spinning relative to the jump can make or break the rep. Understanding how to control both aspects of the jump and the spin of the rope is crucial to executing double unders fresh AND under fatigue.
Hand and Wrist Position: Proper hand and wrist positioning are crucial for controlling the rope throughout the movement. Two common faults are hands being too far out to the side, and gripping too tightly.
Hands out to the side: this hand and arm position will create fatigue in the arms much faster than with the hands closer to the bodyline. It will also cause the rope to get more compressed to the head/toes, thus resulting in a higher likelihood of tripping/clipping.
Gripping the handles: over gripping can lead to fatigue, making it difficult to turn the rope fast. Maintaining a relaxed grip on the handles will allow the wrists to do most of the work. Hands should be slightly in front of the hips, with the rotation coming from the wrist rather than the entire arm.
Jump Height and Body Position: Inefficient or inconsistent jumping technique can impede double-unders in multiple ways. Two common faults are piking the hips (i.e. partial L-sit) and bending the knees and pulling the heels up excessively (i.e. donkey kicking). These inefficiencies create a lot of extra movement, use more energy than is required, and may lead to missed reps. An ideal body position will have a quick and compact jump: The knees, hips, and ankles will bend and extend slightly, but the athlete should be reaching triple extension at the top of their jump without excessive motion.
Technique Tips
Here are the three technical tips that you can practice today to help improve each of these common limiters:
1. Set your box: Keep the hands within a 6”x 6” box just outside of your hips. One of the most common faults we see is athletes flaring their arms out too wide or moving them rapidly front and back. This causes inconsistent spin and timing with the rope.
2. See the rope before you jump: Most athletes jump with the rope well behind them. Instead, be patient and wait for the rope to come into the eye line before initiating the jump sequence. This will reduce the total amount of work and secures the same timing for each rep.
3. Size Matters: Meaning, the length of the rope! Many athletes use a rope that is far too long for their height. This can cause a slower spin, forcing the hands to widen and creating inconsistencies in the timing of the jump. Rule of thumb: while standing on the rope, the handles come between the chest line and armpits.
Example Skill Training Session:
If you need more practice on the basis of jump rope timing and coordination, below is a skill based sample session from our TTT Compete Skill program.
A. Double Under Timing Drill; 5 minutes
This is skill work for 5 minutes. It doesn’t have to be continuous jumping. Practice and pay close attention to ensure that your hands are moving down as your body is going up. The appropriate timing is critical.
B. 360 Degree Single Under; 2 reps x 4 sets, rest as needed
2 full turns in both directions. Once you go in a full 360 degree circle, change directions. Start in the opposite direction per set
D. Speed Steps, Single Unders, Speed Steps Box Drill; 30.20.30 reps x 3 sets, rest as needed
30 speed steps (counting just one foot at a time) directly into 20 single-unders directly into 30 speed steps. This will challenge your ability to control the rope while changing your footwork patterns.
E. EMOM x 10 minutes; 15 second AMRAP of speed steps
Count alternate foot per set on speed steps
F. 4 Footwork Patterns; 3 minute AMRAP
Accumulating as many reps as possible. Rest when needed, focus on soft footwork, breathing and rotation of the wrists
Time to Implement:
Size your jump rope correctly
Train your lower leg strength a few times a week to improve your bounding capacity or mitigate injuries
Identify your technical flaws and integrate skill work into your training
Refer to the TTT Compete skill path, if necessary
Take your double unders to the next level!
