Skipping Your Way To Ripped Abs

Skipping is an excellent way to burn fat and can be done almost anywhere. It will improve your cardio fitness, flexibility and co-ordination. It is great for the legs, buttocks and most importantly, it tones your abs to make them look more well-defined.

It is important to make sure your rope is the correct length for your height. To check for the length, stand on the middle of the rope and pull the handles upwards until the rope is taut. The handles should come to the middle of the chest. Should they come above chest level; the rope will need to be shortened. Make sure your trainers provide adequate cushioning for the balls of your foot.

Even if you haven't skipped for a long time, spend 5 minutes doing a warm-up before you get started. After your warm-up, you can start by jumping on the spot on the balls of your feet. Begin by practicing your timing, then try this exercise:

Try holding both handles of the rope in one hand and rotate both handles in a circular movement to your side. When the rope hits the ground, jump! Progress to jumping over the rope once you are confident your timing is correct.

Skipping is surprisingly strenuous, so start slowly. Practice by skipping for 20-30 seconds, marching on the spot for 30 seconds and repeating. As your fitness improves you can increase the length of time you skip for. Make sure you master the basic jumps before moving on to more complicated ones.

Always remember to give your lower-leg muscles a really thorough stretch after skipping.

Lastly, you should aim to skip for at least 20 minutes. And don't be put off by teething problems. It is normal to take a while to just get 10 or 20 skips in a row. If you find yourself becoming hopelessly out of breathe, march it through for a few minutes and then try again.

As long as you don't give up, you will definitely be able to achieve ripped abs in no time. Good luck!