The bell jump develops ankle and hip strength. If you're new to jump roping, make the jumps small; longer jumps will increase the difficulty.
- Stand erect with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent and arms extended along your sides. Throughout the movement, your weight should be distributed evenly on the balls of both feet. Grip the jump-rope handles using a classic grip. Extend the apex of the jump-rope loop on the ground behind your feet.
- Rotate your wrists forward to swing the rope overhead. Your arms should remain in a semistatic downward position along the sides of your body, and your hands should rotate in small arcs. As the apex of the rope’s loop approaches the ground in front of your body and is six inches away from your toes, jump forward approximately two to six inches (farther is harder) from your starting point with both feet as the rope passes underneath. Land on the balls of both feet and bend your knees slightly to cushion the impact while continuing to rotate your wrists and swing the rope in an arc from back to front (see the two middle pictures to the left).
- As the apex of the rope’s loop approaches the ground in front of your body and is six inches away from your toes, jump backward approximately two to six inches (farther is harder), returning to your starting point as the rope passes underneath. Your upper body remains relatively static, not moving too much. Your feet do most of the traveling and lead the way.
Source Ulysses Press
