CrossFit Athletic Group

We see the Running Jump Rope variation come up often in warm-ups - which is usually a dead giveaway for running in the workout - and we even see them in workouts too. The motion of this jump rope variation is obviously a simulation of running and a good sub when the weather doesn't allow us to be outside, but in my opinion the running jump rope is actually the best running drill we can master and I think it's important to understand why. It comes with the only action we need to be thinking about while we run: pulling.

Pulling means, in the figure-4 runner's pose, our bottom foot comes up before our top foot comes down. Stepping is the opposite - top foot comes down first - and leads to overstriding and slowing down our momentum. Watch this video from Mrs. Kroll this morning.

This is what pulling looks like. In the slow-motion segment, you can see her top foot stayng suspended in the air for a brief moment while her bottom foot is pulling up. The cool thing is, this is actually the only way to complete a rep of running jump rope. If you step down too early/lag on the pull the rope will get caught on your feet; this is a drill that gives you immediate feedback as to whether or not you are doing the movement correctly. Every time you do a successful running jump rope rep, you are practicing making your funning faster and less painful. For the track athletes like Josh, Emmanuel, Crawford, and crew, doing this drill as fast as possible will prove to be a great skill-transfer for your events.