Rolling Ropes to Express Motion
Video by Nick Hawkes
Coach Nick is known around the gym for his love to learn from various modalities and then test his newfound knowledge on all of us. One of the more recent things he’s been into is “Rolling the Ropes” which is using a rope or jump rope and moving it around in different patterns with your hands but without jumping.
It’s a great modification or substitution for athletes that shouldn’t or can’t jump safely or at all. Rather than focus on jumping the rope as conventionally taught, rolling the ropes has shown to rapidly improve physical capabilities, as well as jump rope skills, despite not focusing on jumping the rope.
Instead, the rope is used as a tool to enhance rhythm, awareness, connectivity and linkage. Unlike the traditional jump or double-under where the rope is always moving in the same plane, rolling the ropes allows you to express motion across planes and in various directions. It really is interesting to see the differences in your two sides, the direction you turn, etc. and the rapid improvements you see in only one session of practice.
Check out the video for more on this and how to get started. Once you know the basics, it’s easy to incorporate into your current routine by playing around with it in a warm-up or in between exercises in a strength workout. Try it out and let us know what you think.
Resource for Video:
David Weck – The Weck Method