Jump Into Fitness: The Ultimate Jump Rope Workout (Includes Jump Rope, DVD, Workout Book, Stretch Card)

I've been doing Yoga, Pilates and Lifting weights for many years so I've got a pretty good fitness foundation. That being said, I have never been big into doing a lot of "cardio" type stuff aside from using it as a warmup for my other fitness activities, in particular weight training. Anyway, last week I happened to be at one of my children's elementary school at a fitness day w/ kids and parents. One of the fitness stations was jumping rope. I hadn't done it in a long time but figured how hard could it be. Well, I was humbled considerably as I clumsily pounded the floor and flailed my arms. It was not only harder than I thought to actually do a bunch of successive jumps, but I was huffing and puffing! That was a huge eye opener for me! From that moment I realized that jumping rope was something I wanted (and needed) to incorporate into my fitness regime because I liked the fact that it was obviously not only effective from a fitness perspective, but it also presented a challenge which would keep it very interesting compared to a stationary bike or walking on a treadmill. I happened to find this set by Ed Jackowski which includes a jumprope, DVD and book. The DVD is incredible because he breaks down all the basic techniques of jumping rope including common mistakes. He does this in a context where he is teaching students who are new to jumping rope and pointing out how to correct their mistakes. I found this a very helpful way to learn and it helped me with my own technique right away. I am still a long way from perfecting what he talks about but I find when I review the DVD it makes me much more effective at putting all the pieces together. Along with the DVD is a book that pretty much reinforces what is on the DVD. It's an excellent reference to use in addition to the DVD. The jump rope that comes with the DVD is a really nice speed type jump rope with excellent foam cushioned handles that make it easy to grip without having to use too much pressure. As I mentioned above, I still have a long way to go with my jump rope technique but it's been an excellent daily addition to my Pilates/Yoga practice (both of which I do daily) and my twice weekly weight training workouts. Highly recommended!