With double unders in Open Workout 20.2, we thought it would be fun to give you 20 tips to maximize performance.
Unfortunately we ran out of ideas at tip #7 and filled the rest of the list with a bunch of stupid jokes.
Unfortunately we ran out of ideas at tip #7 and filled the rest of the list with a bunch of stupid jokes.
Enjoy!
1. Double knot your shoes.
This may seem kinda dumb, but I think we’ve all missed a few dubs in a row before realizing that an errant shoelace is catching our rope just enough to make you question your ability to do another double under...ever again...as long as you live.
2. Put your rope down with care.
This workout is all about transitions, so while you may be tempted to slam your rope down and trip across the room with it wrapped around your foot...don’t.
In a few short seconds you’ll be back at the rope and it will look like a failed macramé project. Untangling it will add precious seconds to each round which will add up to a big difference over the course of 20 minutes.
This may seem kinda dumb, but I think we’ve all missed a few dubs in a row before realizing that an errant shoelace is catching our rope just enough to make you question your ability to do another double under...ever again...as long as you live.
2. Put your rope down with care.
This workout is all about transitions, so while you may be tempted to slam your rope down and trip across the room with it wrapped around your foot...don’t.
In a few short seconds you’ll be back at the rope and it will look like a failed macramé project. Untangling it will add precious seconds to each round which will add up to a big difference over the course of 20 minutes.
3. Stay away from the speakers.
This one may be a little tricky, but if possible, find a place where you can hear the sound of your rope. Loud music can overshadow a vital piece of rope feedback (the sound) and cause you to miss more often.
Maybe ask your trainer to ride the line between awkward silence and eardrum shattering hearing loss a little more on the awkward silence side.
4. Use a reverse hook grip for your toes to bar if possible (thumb over forefinger and middle finger).
This won't work if you've got small hands, but if you can make it happen, it will save you some forearm and hand fatigue that can affect the accuracy of your dubs.
5. Stay calm.
You’ve got all the time in the world to ramp things up in this workout. Focus on breathing, relaxing, and doing your double unders accurately.
If you go into this thing like you’re killing snakes, you’re going to be wasting energy on failed reps, and the anxiety will make you miss even more. Just be smooth, and consistent. Forgive yourself and move on from missed reps.
6. Set up in a logical way.
Keep all your stuff nice and tight so you don’t take any long leisurely walks. It’s ok to rest when you need to rest, just make sure you're resting on purpose, and not because you didn’t think through your set-up before the workout.
7. Draw or tape a line on the gym floor.
Sometimes people drift all over the place during double unders, or slowly move their station as the workout progresses. This can lead to your rope slapping the pull-up rig, an innocent bystander, or the token gym-dog.
8. Avoid that guy who sweats a lot and insists on giving everyone high fives and warm, juicy back slaps, 'cause...ewww.
9. Find a moment between songs to practice your best barbaric yawp.
10. Make sure you have your usual right-hand-handle in your right hand, and that you’re jumping on your favorite mat so you can stare at that one spot you always look at.
11. Take a moment to appreciate how often you’ll use the toes to bar movement in everyday life.
12. Wear black leggings...for obvious reasons...'cause...well, you know...black goes with everything!
13. Do something horrible before the workout so you deserve it when you whip yourself.
14. Twenty minutes can feel long. Pass the time by imagining ways to inflict bodily harm on Dave Castro for creating such an awful workout.
15. Grab a Fit Aid and create a drinking game where everyone drinks when someone makes an inappropriate joke including the word "thruster."
16. Ponder how 70 pounds of dumbbells can feel like 120 pounds of barbell.
17. Ignore your bloody-nubs-for-hands long enough to secure 173,522nd place in the standings.
18. Find a spot next to a window with great lighting so you don't have to repeat the workout for Instagram purposes.
19. Share this meme on social media after the workout because it's not cliché at all, and it's still totally relevant and hilarious because we haven't seen it every day for the past 5 years...
This one may be a little tricky, but if possible, find a place where you can hear the sound of your rope. Loud music can overshadow a vital piece of rope feedback (the sound) and cause you to miss more often.
Maybe ask your trainer to ride the line between awkward silence and eardrum shattering hearing loss a little more on the awkward silence side.
4. Use a reverse hook grip for your toes to bar if possible (thumb over forefinger and middle finger).
This won't work if you've got small hands, but if you can make it happen, it will save you some forearm and hand fatigue that can affect the accuracy of your dubs.
5. Stay calm.
You’ve got all the time in the world to ramp things up in this workout. Focus on breathing, relaxing, and doing your double unders accurately.
If you go into this thing like you’re killing snakes, you’re going to be wasting energy on failed reps, and the anxiety will make you miss even more. Just be smooth, and consistent. Forgive yourself and move on from missed reps.
6. Set up in a logical way.
Keep all your stuff nice and tight so you don’t take any long leisurely walks. It’s ok to rest when you need to rest, just make sure you're resting on purpose, and not because you didn’t think through your set-up before the workout.
7. Draw or tape a line on the gym floor.
Sometimes people drift all over the place during double unders, or slowly move their station as the workout progresses. This can lead to your rope slapping the pull-up rig, an innocent bystander, or the token gym-dog.
8. Avoid that guy who sweats a lot and insists on giving everyone high fives and warm, juicy back slaps, 'cause...ewww.
9. Find a moment between songs to practice your best barbaric yawp.
10. Make sure you have your usual right-hand-handle in your right hand, and that you’re jumping on your favorite mat so you can stare at that one spot you always look at.
11. Take a moment to appreciate how often you’ll use the toes to bar movement in everyday life.
12. Wear black leggings...for obvious reasons...'cause...well, you know...black goes with everything!
13. Do something horrible before the workout so you deserve it when you whip yourself.
14. Twenty minutes can feel long. Pass the time by imagining ways to inflict bodily harm on Dave Castro for creating such an awful workout.
15. Grab a Fit Aid and create a drinking game where everyone drinks when someone makes an inappropriate joke including the word "thruster."
16. Ponder how 70 pounds of dumbbells can feel like 120 pounds of barbell.
17. Ignore your bloody-nubs-for-hands long enough to secure 173,522nd place in the standings.
18. Find a spot next to a window with great lighting so you don't have to repeat the workout for Instagram purposes.
19. Share this meme on social media after the workout because it's not cliché at all, and it's still totally relevant and hilarious because we haven't seen it every day for the past 5 years...
...Gosh, there's always so much pressure on the last entry on any list. Maybe we should just try to sell something here instead of trying to be funny. Oh wait, maybe if we tried to sell something AND tried to be funny..ok...here goes...
20. Deeply regret the fact that you did not add magical Double Under Wonder Dust to your jump rope order...
20. Deeply regret the fact that you did not add magical Double Under Wonder Dust to your jump rope order...
Good luck!