Breaking Through the Double-Under Wall

Double-unders: the deceptively simple movement that can make even elite athletes look like they’ve never seen a jump rope before. If you’ve been stuck at singles, tripping after a few reps, or just straight-up dreading every workout that starts with “grab a rope,” you’re not alone. But a breakthrough is possible—and we’re here to help you get there.

Here’s what actually moves the needle:

Slow Down to Speed Up
The biggest mistake we see? Rushing. Most athletes try to muscle through with frantic arms and stiff legs. Instead, try to relax and focus on rhythm. 

Stop Counting, Start Feeling
Chasing a number can create anxiety and poor form. Instead, aim for sets that feel fluid. Five clean, effortless doubles are better than 10 violent, ugly ones. 

Practice Outside the Workout
You don’t get better at piano by only playing concerts. Spend 5–10 minutes, a few times a week, practicing in a low-pressure environment. Treat it like skill work, not punishment. Using double-under practice as your daily warm-up is an easy way to put in the time.

Use a True Speed Rope and Stick with it
Stop switching ropes like you're speed dating. Find a true speed rope you love, get the length dialed in, and commit to it. (Pro tip: an RPM Session rope is built for precision and speed, and is perfectly suitable for beginners and pros alike)

Form is Important, but Don’t Rush it
In an ideal world, your hands should stay low just in front of your hips, elbows in. You want minimal ground contact time and a relaxed upper body. However, in the beginning, it can often hurt your progress to force yourself into perfect form. Do the best you can, but allowing yourself to find a position that’s comfortable and sizing the rope for that can often lead to better early success. There’s always time to dial in your technique later.

Here’s a basic step-by-step guide to get you on your way to being a double-under master

1. Single-single-double: Perform two slow, relaxed, big-jump single-unders. On the third rotation, keep your jump the same, but accelerate your hands so the rope spins twice. It may take you several tries, but this is a great way to get your first double-under. Remain on this step until you can consistently get one successful double-under in this way.

2. Single-single-double-singles: Perform step one, except this time try to return to doing singles after your successful double-under without stopping. 

3. Single-single-double-singles-double-singles: Perform step two, but now sneak in another double after you return to doing a couple singles. The number of singles doesn’t really matter, but two to three is our suggestion. Doing more can often psych you out. 

4. Single-single-double-double: Go back to performing step one, except now your goal is to link two double-unders together. One key here is to make both doubles look exactly the same… same jump height, same body position, same hand position, same hand speed. 

5. Single-single-double-double-double… to infinity! Once you can consistently link more than one double-under together, you are on your way to becoming a double-under master. It just takes, time, patience, and PRACTICE! 

Remember, progress comes in plateaus and pops. Stick with it. Some days will be better than others. That’s totally normal. Every trip is just one step closer to your breakthrough set. And when you get there—when the rope hums beneath your feet and your body moves without thought—it’s worth every frustrating rep and whip mark you suffered through to get there.

See you in the air.

—RPM Training Co.