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Cardio · Body Weight
Skipping
Skipping is an intermediate compound cardio exercise that works the cardiovascular system (cardio), with the glutes, hip flexors and shoulders assisting. It needs no equipment beyond your own body weight. A typical prescription is 1-3 rounds of 30-60 seconds, and it burns about 8.6 calories per minute.
- Target
- Cardiovascular System
- Body part
- Cardio
- Equipment
- Body Weight
- Category
- Cardio
- Mechanic
- Compound
- Force
- Push
- Sets × reps
- 1-3 × 30-60 sec
- Calories / min
- ≈ 8.6 kcal
Primary muscles
- Calves · Gastrocnemius, Soleus
- Quadriceps · Quadriceps Femoris
- Hamstrings · Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus, Semimembranosus
Secondary muscles
- Glutes · gluteus maximus, gluteus mideus
- Hip Flexors · Iliopsoas
- Shoulders · Deltoids
- Forearms · Brachioradialis
How to do Skipping
- Stand with your feet together and arms by your sides as if holding the handles of a skipping rope, one in each hand. Engage your core and maintain an upright posture.
- Swing your hands in a circular motion as if turning a skipping rope, and jump lightly off the floor, keeping your knees slightly bent and landing softly on your forefeet.
- Keep your jumps low and quick, simulating skipping with a rope. Repeat for the desired duration or number of repetitions.
Form tips
- Breathe steadily and rhythmically to maintain oxygen flow during the exercise.
- Focus on keeping your jumps low to the floor to minimize impact on your joints.
- Stay relaxed and avoid tensing your shoulders and arms.
Skipping alternatives
More cardiovascular system exercises
Skipping FAQ
What muscles does Skipping work?
Skipping mainly works the cardiovascular system in the cardio (Gastrocnemius, Soleus, Quadriceps Femoris and Biceps Femoris). The glutes, hip flexors, shoulders and forearms work as secondary muscles.
What equipment do you need for Skipping?
None. Skipping is a body weight exercise, so you can do it at home or anywhere with enough space.
How many sets and reps of Skipping should I do?
Start with 1-3 rounds of 30-60 seconds. Pick a load or variation where the last one or two reps are hard but your form stays clean.
Is Skipping good for beginners?
It's rated intermediate. Beginners can work up to it once they control simpler cardio exercises.
How many calories does Skipping burn?
About 8.6 calories per minute for a person of around 70 kg, based on a MET value of 7. Ten minutes of work is roughly 86 calories; heavier people burn more.
What is a good alternative to Skipping?
Other exercises for the cardiovascular system include Dumbell Burpee, Gym Elliptical Machine Fast Speed, Treadmill Walk and Assault Airbike Normal Speed.
For developers
Use Skipping in your app
Get this exercise and 1,900+ others from the WorkoutX API: 720p MP4 animations at 30 fps without the watermark, male and female models, muscles, instructions and form tips in 7 languages.
# One request returns the exercise and its 720p media links curl "https://api.workoutxapp.com/v2/exercises/ex_YWP75I" \ -H "X-WorkoutX-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" { "id": "ex_YWP75I", "name": "Skipping", "model": "male", "counterpartId": "ex_43RDG3", "target": "Cardiovascular System", "equipment": "Body Weight", "media": { "mp4": "https://…/ex_YWP75I/mp4-720.mp4?…", "poster": "https://…/ex_YWP75I/poster.jpg?…" } }