Double-Unders in Competition

Double-Unders are a popular jump rope movement used in CrossFit that involves rotating the jump rope twice for every jump. They can be challenging to learn for beginners because of the requirements of precision, coordination, and speed. Double-Unders are the only movement in the history of the Open to be programmed every year (13 times).

In this guide, we’ll break down common strength and technical limiters, give you actionable drills to improve timing and rhythm, and share sample programming to help you level up your double-unders for both training and competition.Much of what we’ve learned about improving jump rope technique comes from Molly Metz, owner of JumpNrope and world champion jump roper, whose expertise has helped countless athletes develop smooth, efficient, high-capacity double-unders.

It is recommended that an athlete uses their own customized rope to perform double-unders in a workout as the rope length, cable, and bearing can all impact performance. Over the years, as athletes competing in the sport have mastered this movement, new types of jump ropes have been developed and implemented into competitions to challenge jump rope skill and capacity. Some examples of this evolution are ropes with heavier cables, heavier handles, or no bearings at all.

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:

1. 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 intrinsic foot muscles 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.

2. 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. 

Double-unders involve a high volume of repetitive jumping with upwards of 200-300 reps per workout. Strong calf and tibialis muscles contribute to the overall coordinating and timing, allowing for a smooth and efficient execution. If you find an athlete having a hard time sustaining power and coordination after multiple reps of the movement, you may consider adding in focused strength work before or after their jump rope sessions. See an example strength program at the end. 

Technical Limiters

Here are the top three technical limitations many athletes face when mastering double-unders:

1. 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.
2. 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.
   1. 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. 
   2. 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.
3. 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.

Double-Under Technical Tips

(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 eyeline 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.

Programming & Progressions

Programming

Double-unders are one of the most commonly programmed movements in CrossFit. Whether an athlete is trying to acquire the skill for the first time or looking to improve their capacity in the movement, here are some essential considerations when programming them into training: 

(1) Skill Level: Take into consideration the skill level of who you’re working with. Beginners may need more time to develop coordination, timing, and bounding capacity. Ensure you are providing progressions or even regressions and modifications when needed.

(2) Proper Warm Up: A warm-up that addresses the specific muscles and joints involved in jump roping like easy cardio, dynamic low-level bounding movements, and drills targeting the calves, ankles, and wrists can drastically improve perceived readiness. 

(3) Technique Work: There are a lot of basic and complex drills that will target specific aspects of jumping rope. The variability of drills can improve skill acquisition. If an athlete can do single-unders and speed steps seamlessly, then transferring back to a more complex skill such as double-unders will feel easier. Identifying the largest technical priorities can help identify “low hanging fruit”, but chances are most athletes can benefit from technique work. 

Example Training Sessions: 

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

Bridge / Capacity sample session

A. 1-1-2 Ladder Drill 1→10

Follow this pattern with the goal of going all the way to 10 unbroken double-unders. You are always doing two singles, but adding one double under between. If you get to 10 unbroken that is the set. Your score is the highest unbroken set of double-unders you hit in the pattern. You must always start back under. 

B. Echo or Assault Bike 30 seconds @ moderate aerobic effort

5 Tng Power Cleans (95/65#)

20-30 double-unders 

Rest to recovery

X 4-5 sets

*the goal is to ride at a pace you can transition immediately to the barbell and then the rope with the goal of going unbroken

Sport Specific sample session

CrossFit Open 11.1/14.1

10 min AMRAP

30 Double-unders

15 Power Snatches (75/35)

Additional Tools and Drills

Below you will find some drills and tools that you can use to upgrade your double-unders 

Speed Ball Rotations –  Hands at a 45 degree angle, relax the last three fingers, and push thumbs up and down. Focus on arm and elbow position aiming to keep the ball path parallel to each other

Speed Steps – Speed step drills can help improve the cadence and upper body form that you would use in a double-under. These can be more challenging than double-unders, so be patient when you’re integrating them into your training.  

TTT Programs

Sign up link: https://trainingthinktank.com/training-program/ttt-compete/