MMA Champ Daniel Morales on Jumping Rope and Finding Inspiration

Grab your jump rope and prepare to be seriously motivated.

Daniel Morales is a rising star in the MMA world. The Chicago-based fighter is a multi-time amateur champion in kickboxing, Muay Thai, and boxing, and he trains with a DynaPro jump rope. During his rough childhood, a single teacher turned Daniel’s life around with a simple feature in National Geographic magazine. We caught up with him to learn more about that day, his training routine, and where he finds inspiration.

DynaPro Direct: How did you get into fighting? What was your first big win and how did it feel?

Daniel Morales: I feel as though I've been fighting my entire life. Directing my energy towards a destructive path as a young kid led me to learn things the "hard way." However, when I was in the Juvenile Department of Corrections at the age of 17, I met a bible study teacher, Mr. Camp, who was a great mentor. I think we’re all artists in a way and I have always loved to draw and write. Especially while locked in a cell, I always expressed myself with a pencil and a piece of paper.

One day, I asked Mr. Camp to bring a National Geographic magazine so I could draw some pictures from it. I flipped through it and found an article on Mixed Martial Arts in Brazil and saw a picture that sparked an idea that changed my life.

From that moment, I knew what I wanted to do. While in juvenile detention, I told my parents this is what I wanted to do. They supported it as long as it kept me out of trouble.

Only three days after I was released, I received a call to compete in a mixed martial arts exhibition. I said "yes" immediately. From there, doors of opportunities began to open.

DD: Your story is inspirational. Do you have any inspirational quotes that keep your head in the game for fighting?

DM: Yes. These are some of my favorites:

"You are what you do, not what you say you'll do." -C.G. Jung

"Only the self-sufficient stand alone - most people follow the crowd and imitate." -Bruce Lee

"Water cuts through rock, not because of its power but because of its persistence."-James N. Watkins

"If you love life, don't waste time, for time is what life is made of."-Bruce Lee

DD: Aside from your mental game, your fitness game has to be on point too. You train with a DynaPro jump rope. How much time do you spend jumping rope each day?

DM: I jump rope at least 15 minutes a day. Most fighters use a jump rope. It's a great way to switch it up from long distance runs. Jumping rope works most of the muscles in your body – your arms, shoulders, core, and legs are all engaged when jumping rope. I highly recommend it.

DD: You said Muhammad Ali never picked up a weight during conditioning and only picked up a jump rope. Why did he do that?

DM: He practiced this way because he would never be able to bring weights into the ring with him. It helped him condition to his famous quote, "Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee."

DD: What upcoming fights do you have?

DM: Everyone always asks me, "When is your next fight?" (laughs). I respond, "Everyday."

I always get a confused look after that.

I think life gives us daily challenges to grow and push forward. If someone has it easy, they must be comfortable - they must not be growing. As human beings, we’re meant to grow in all levels of life - physical, mental and spiritual. When new challenges present themselves, I don't ask, "Why me?" I say, "Try me."

To actually answer your question, Glory World Series is returning to Chicago Friday, February 24th. It’s the greatest kickboxing organization in the world and the matchmaker always does a great job, so there are never any easy fights. You face the best of the best. You can catch it on UFC Fight Pass at 7pm CT.

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Source: https://www.dynaprodirect.com/daniel-morales-jump-rope-for-boxing-mma-training/

Healthy Benefits of Working Out with a Jump Rope

While most of the people join gyms in an effort to lose fat and get in shape. This isn’t always necessary. You can get an intense cardio workout within the comfort of your home. Wondering how??

By just using your jump rope! There are variety of ways to use a jump rope and results achieved through it won’t let you put it down.

• Jumping rope can be used as a great means to lose weight. You don’t have to cut off calories out of your diet. Jumping rope for 30 mins will help you lose weight in the healthiest manner possible and will also improve the quality of your life

• Super portable fitness gear. This piece of fitness equipment can go anywhere with you. You don't have to commit to expensive gym membership to get yourself fit

• Improves cardiovascular fitness: Incorporating this exercise equipment in your workout routine helps you build endurance and heart health
• Improves coordination: Using jump rope in your daily workout routine helps you to improve your powers of coordination
•  Versatile fitness tool for boxers: Boxing requires many skills that jump rope can provide. Boxers like, Floyd Mayweather prefer a PVC cable as opposed to a wire cable for the weight, speed, and control benefits
  
  

So, if you want to improve your flexibility and looking for best jump ropes on the market, you can always opt for DynaPro Direct pro grade jump ropes with long aluminium handles and adjustable PVC speed cable. Workouts with these jump ropes will not only boost your workout intensity, burn unwanted calories, increase the blood flow, strengthen the internal organs, build strength, improve breathing efficiency.

These jump ropes come with 100% lifetime replacement guarantee. Available in blue, green and pink variants at unbeatable prices. Pick the jump rope of your choice at 43% discount.

These jump ropes will allow you to perform a variety of exercises and designed to help you build speed, quickness, footwork, endurance and confidence. Jumping rope is a great way to enjoy cardiovascular exercises. It contributes to hormonal balance, Improves the muscle tone in the legs, Eliminates toxins through sweat and relieves tension and stress to a great extent.

Sounds interesting?

Grab your jump rope today and see the improvement in your fitness level yourself. 

Source: https://www.dynaprodirect.com/fitness-jump-ropes/

The Double Under: Jumping Rope for CrossFit

CrossFit is one of the fastest growing sports today. CrossFit started in 2000 and has been growing steadily ever since, with over 5000 affiliates worldwide. CrossFit is a series of basic fundamental moves that are performed at high intensity requiring speed, strength, agility and endurance. Exercises included in CrossFit involve gymnastics, weightlifting running, rowing and skipping rope.

Skipping rope in CrossFit is one of the most challenging ways to skip rope. It can also help a person improve their performance in many other CrossFit exercises.

The Double-Under

When skipping rope for CrossFit, competitors must perform a "double under," or DU. A double under occurs when the rope passes under feet twice in one jump. Double unders made their CrossFit debut in 2001 and saw their popularity increase at a competition in 2009.

Initially, many of the participants were unable to complete the exercise because they were unprepared for how difficult it was. Skipping rope may be difficult, but if a person wants to be successful in CrossFit, this is an exercise that must be mastered: double unders are one of 7 exercises that have been included in every CrossFit Games Open and is included in the 2016 CrossFit Open as well.

When performing DU’s in competition, a person must complete a certain number without making a mistake. If they trip or have to stop they are required to start from the beginning. The number of DU’s a person must complete in competition can vary. The gold standard for double unders in CrossFit is being able to perform them nonstop for 2 minutes. However, many Workouts of the Day (WOD) only require performing 25-50 DU’s at a time. The general consensus is if a person can perform that many in training, it will probably suffice in a competition.

Many of the various CrossFit exercises require speed, coordination, balance, and explosive power. Double unders improve each of these and can be applied to other WOD exercises. DU’s also help to develop midline stability, which is a key component in the majority of CrossFit exercises.

Double unders are especially useful for Olympic lifting, cleans and the push press. These movements require explosive hip movements, which is developed when performing DU’s.

Equipment: Choosing the Proper Rope

Ropes come in different sizes. Here are tips on choosing the proper sized rope:

1. Step on the center of the rope
2. Pull the rope up to your armpits
3. The edge of the rope should come up to your armpits
4. Ideally the rope should be six to ten inches above your head when skipping

In order to complete double unders successfully, a certain type of rope must be used. When choosing the perfect rope, here are some things to look for:

• Cable quality. Ropes usually have nylon or vinyl coatings. Nylon is the more popular of the two because it is durable and lasts longer.
• Comfort. The rope should have a good grip and turn quickly and smoothly.
• Lightweight. Double unders are a high intensity exercise that require the arms and wrists to move very quickly. To keep the upper body fresh, a lightweight rope is recommended.
• Durability. Being able to use the same rope both indoors and outdoors is a plus.
• Versatility. A rope may need to be adjusted slightly after a few workouts in order to obtain the optimum length. Purchasing a rope that may be resized is a wise investment.

A rope can also be chosen based on a person’s height:

Length of Rope	Height of Jumper
7 feet	4'8" and under
8 feet	4'9" to 5'0"
9 feet	5'1" to 5'8"
10 feet	5'9" to 6'2"

Mastering the Double Under

It takes time, practice and a lot of patience to master DU’s. Once a person has the proper rope, they can try the following tips:

Learn the basics.Being able to jump comfortably with singles is key. Practice jumping faster with single jumps to help improve timing, coordination and footwork. Aim for 100 jumps in 60 seconds or less.

Vary your speedPractice speeding up the rope and slowing it down without stopping. This teaches a person how to control the rope and their movements

Practice skipping and running in place.Skipping rope in this manner looks like a person is literally running in place. It will also help to increase footspeed:

• Start with basic jump
• Increase the speed
• Raise right leg high as if running, with left leg low
• Raise left leg high with right leg low

Try your first double under. Once a person can vary their speed and skip rope quickly, they can try their first double under:

• Take 5-10 single jumps
• Speed the rope considerably by whipping wrists forward
• Keeping legs straight, jump 2-3 inches higher than normal to ensure it goes under twice
• Perform single jumps for 3-5 repetitions
• Attempt another double under

Double unders require slightly different mechanics than single skips:

Use your wrists. The turning of the rope comes primarily from the wrists. Keep shoulder movements to a minimum.

Keep your hands low. Make sure your hands are below the ribcage and slightly in front of your torso. Raising the arms too high will raise the rope, causing it to catch on your feet.

Don’t kick your feet back. Jump straight up and straight down in the same spot to prevent tripping.

Work on timing. As the rope is coming down, be ready to jump quickly. Jumping too early will throw the timing off and cause a person to eventually trip.

Listen to the rhythm. Double unders have a distinct, repetitive sound: the rope hits the ground twice, then the feet hit the ground. The sound is constant and doesn’t change. Practice by listening for the beat.

Look forward. Keeping your head up and staring at one spot in front of you will help to keep the body in line. This will also help maintain focus and eliminate distractions.

Practice daily. The only way to master double unders is to practice daily.

Double Under Routines

Here are a few great CrossFit routines that feature double unders¹

Note: the weights listed are the maximum weight a person should use for that particular exercise. Less weight can be used for those unable to perform exercise with the weight lifted. Consult with a physician before performing any of these exercise.

Routine #1

• 10 thrusters w/ 135 lbs max
• 50 double unders

• 8 thrusters w/ 135 lbs max
• 40 double unders

• 6 thrusters w/ 135 lbs max
• 30 double unders

• 4 thrusters w/ 135 lbs max
• 20 double unders

• 2 thrusters w/135 lbs max
• 10 double unders

Routine #2

• 50 double unders
• 21 kettlebell swings at 55 lbs. max
• 12 pull-ups

Routine #3

• 10 front squats w/155 max
• 50 double unders

• 8 front squats w/155 max
• 40 double unders

• 6 front squats w/155 max
• 30 double unders

• 4 front squats w/155 max
• 20 double unders

• 2 front squats
• 10 double unders

Routine #4

• 21 Box Jumps (or step ups)
• 50 Double Unders
• 15 Box Jumps
• 15 Push Press

Routine #5

• 50 Double Unders
• 9 Box Jumps
• 9 Push Press
• 50 Double Unders

These workouts can be quite challenging, but for some, the double unders are used to recover between exercises.

Double Unders for Recovery

CrossFit can push a person to their physical and mental limits. Being able to recover between exercises is key, and many competitors have been able to "rest" while doing double unders.

Here are tips on how to rest and recover while performing DU’s:

1. Jump higher. Jumping higher allows a person to slow down their double unders. The higher a person jumps, the less energy they will expend overall.
2. Breathe. As a person’s conditioning improves, the body will become more efficient and use less energy when performing exercises like double unders. Deep breathing while performing double unders can help a person relax and get a little "rest" before the next exercise begins.

CrossFit is the ultimate challenge for many fitness enthusiasts. Mastering the jump rope and double unders in particular will help a person improve in all areas of CrossFit and get in excellent shape at the same time.

Check out DynaPro Direct’s range of professional grade fitness equipment to endure every part of your performance, then success is within your reach.

Source: https://www.dynaprodirect.com/blogs/articles/the-double-under-jumping-rope-for-crossfit

The Top Health Benefits of Skipping Rope

Pressed For Time? Try Skipping Rope

For many people, getting (and staying) in shape is harder than ever. Thanks to busy schedules and hectic lifestyles, many people don't have the time (or energy) to take care of their bodies as they should. When diets high in sugar and processed foods are added to the equation it's a recipe for disaster.

Living a healthy lifestyle may be difficult, but it's not impossible: skipping rope may be just what a person needs.

The Benefits of Skipping Rope

Skipping rope is popular with kids, but it is especially beneficial for adults:

Burns calories fast. Minute for minute, skipping rope ranks near the top of the list for exercises that burn calories, making it an effective way to lose weight. It is estimated that a 200 pound person can burn up to 1000 calories in an hour, which is equivalent to 166 calories in 10 minutes, or running eight minute miles. ¹

Convenience. Skipping rope can be done anywhere: at the office, in a hotel room, at home, etc. This allows even the busiest of people to get a quick workout wherever they are.

Full body workout. Skipping rope works the entire body: not only do the thighs, calves and hamstrings get a great workout, but the chest, shoulders, back and core reap benefits as well.

Increased coordination and concentration. Skipping rope takes timing and concentration, and both of these skills can be applied to other aspects of a person's life.

Increased bone density. A study in the American Journal of Health Promotion studied the effects of skipping rope on sixty premenopausal women ages 25 to 50 for four months against those who were sedentary. At the end of the study, bone mineral density increased for the rope skippers by an average of .5%, while women who did not jump lost an average of 1.3% bone density.²

Skipping Rope Routines

A person can skip rope exclusively, or it can be done as part of a workout. Here are two sample jump rope workouts:

Workout #1

1. Jump rope 90 seconds Inchworms 1 minute
   
   
   
   
2. Jump rope 90 seconds Mountain Climbers 20 seconds
   
   
   
   
3. Jump rope 90 seconds Leg Raises (30 seconds)
   
   
   
   
4. Jump rope 90 seconds Walking lunges 10 (curls optional)
   
   
   
   
5. Jump rope 90 seconds Quadraplex (45 seconds each side)
   
   
   
   

Rest 2-5 minutes. Repeat

Workout #2

Stand in front of a clock or timer

• Jump Rope for 3 minutes to warm up
• Rest for 30 seconds

• Jump rope as quickly as possible for 60 seconds
• Rest for 30 seconds

• Jump Rope as quickly as possible for 60 seconds
• Rest for 30 seconds

Repeat this alternating pattern for 15-20 minutes

Skipping rope is a great exercise for all fitness levels and can be done practically anywhere. If a person is pressed for time or is simply looking to spice up their current fitness routine, skipping rope may be the answer.

Source: https://www.dynaprodirect.com/blogs/articles/119146435-the-top-health-benefits-of-skipping-rope