[Sportsandrec] Increasing jumproap and pull ups

[Thornbury, Kelly]

Think of jumping rope as being similar to a cardio workout. Try doing some "jumprope" intervals, where you jump for about 75-85% as long as you can in one try, then take the same amount of time as an "active recovery," (walk around or something so that you are still moving but not jumping). Then repeat this cycle...start out with maybe five intervals and work up to ten or more, then increase the time you jump. This allows your body to workout for a combined time longer than in one try, and should help to increase your overall jump time. 

For callisthenic exercises (push ups, sit ups, and pull ups), one of the most effective methods for increasing is to test for your maximum repetitions, then for your workouts divide your max in half and do three sets with no more than 1-2 minutes of rest between sets. This is an overload principle similar to the jumprope suggestion. Then add a couple repetitions every couple weeks and re-test yourself every six weeks or so. Other ways of increasing your pull ups are to focus weight training on back, shoulder, bicep, and forearm strength and muscular endurance, and to shed a few pounds of body weight (the less you have to lift with each repetition, the more repetitions you can perform).