Why Do Boxers Jump Rope?

Preparing to get in the ring for a boxing match is a serious endeavor. You are going up against an opponent who is trying to hurt you, and you are trying to do the same to him. To compete in this sport, you need to be in tip-top condition. Jumping rope is a key exercise for building speed, quickness, footwork, endurance and confidence.

A boxer with a jump rope in a locker room. (Image: Thinkstock Images/Stockbyte/Getty Images)

Improve Your Footwork

Jumping rope helps fighters develop their footwork for ring movement. The key to throwing a heavy punch is having a solid base underneath your torso. Moving your feet in the proper manner allows you to throw crisp and clean punches that cause damage, and helps you avoid punches. Jumping rope at a fast pace gives you confidence that you can move your feet quickly in the ring.

Timing Is Everything

As you jump rope in the gym, you become an expert at turning your wrists, hopping over the rope and doing it again and again. As you become more accomplished, add speed to the exercise by turning the rope faster. This is key as it increases your ability to time movements and throw punches while you are balanced. If you throw punches while your feet are not placed correctly, they lack force and power. Throwing punches with expert timing allows you to hit your opponent with force. Timing is more important than lifting weights when it comes to power punching.

Condition Yourself for Success

Boxers often run in the morning prior to a session in the gym to build endurance. Once at the gym, jumping rope is one of the first exercises. Like running, jumping rope builds your stamina and endurance. This conditioning helps in the late stages of rounds and the later rounds in the fight. If you lack stamina, your lungs will burn and you'll just try to survive the round and get back to the stool in your corner to recover.

Respect the Sport's Traditions

Professional fighters use the jump rope to help them prepare for important bouts. Fighters such as Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Robinson became expert rope jumpers as they trained. Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest heavyweight fighters of all time, was perhaps the best rope-jumping big man in ring history. In his prime, Ali displayed incredible speed in the ring. He would jump rope for 20 minutes at a time, constantly striving to get his footwork to a level where he knew he could out-maneuver any opponent in the ring.