#010: Double Under Development

Show Notes

Beginner

Test: Max Unbroken Double Unders (less than 75) 

Beginners Main Goal: Build Double Unders Proficiency

1) Follow a Progression
[View Full Progression Video on YouTube]

1. High, Slow Single Unders
2. Pogo Hops
3. Penguin Hops
4. Double Wrist Flicks
5. Double Under Attempts
6. Rope Accelerations (+speed)
7. Unbroken Reps (+volume)
8. Mixed Modal (+fatigue)
9. Compete (+arousal)

2) Follow Motor Learning Principles

1. Duration – Low to Moderate (e.g. 10:00-15:00)
2. Frequency – High (e.g. 3 times per week for 4-8 weeks)
3. Fatigue – Low (One attempt OTM or E90s)

Why can’t you do Double Unders?

1. Poor Rebound Ability: Can you do 100 consecutive Pogo Hops?
2. Poor Hand Speed and/or Coordination: Can you spin wiffle ball handles for 2:00?
3. You’re mentality sucks.

The Correct Mentality
• Child-like: Laugh at yourself when you mess up
• Conscious to Unconscious
• Thinking to Intuition
• Self 1 vs. Self 2

Tips I’ve Learned

• Shorten Your Rope
• Turn off the Music
• Choke Up on the Handle

Intermediate

Test: EMOM 10:00 of 50 Double Unders in >27 seconds
(to be considered intermediate, you will never miss the window)

2 Focal Points …to get you from intermediate to advanced

Focus on… 1) Breathing

Breath Ratios 2:1 or 4:1 (aka 2 or 4 double unders per breath)
• Developing ‘gears’ because typically double unders will show up in the middle of a workout. 
• As you get tired it is natural and wise to switch from 4:1 to 2:1. 
• The beginner CAN’T focus on breathing, but the intermediate athlete MUST focus on breathing if they want to move into the advanced category.

Focus on… 2) Speed

Spinning Faster | Why?
→ Jump stays lower
→ Heart Rate stays lower
→ You get through reps faster

If your calves are constantly getting sore from double unders, you would be tempted to focus more on your calves. But the origin of the problem is your rope speed. Work on spinning faster first, then add layers of volume or fatigue.

Advanced

Test: EMOM 10:00 of 50 Double Unders + 10 Burpees
(You aren’t advanced until you can complete the EMOM doing both movements in the same minute.)

For the advanced athlete…
Double Unders are aerobic (sustainable & repeatable)

Focal Points for the Advanced Athlete (Characteristics that change)
“How do I go from Advanced to Elite?” (Sanctionals to Games)

• Muscular Tension → Elastic Energy

• State Limiters

→ respiratory rate is too high in 1:2 Breath Ratio (sympathetic response)
→ An elite athlete will be able to sustain a 1:4 Breath-to-Rep Ratio longer in a workout, resulting in him or her staying parasympathetic longer.

• Confidence
→ Through Mixed Modal Transitions
→ Through Trips (no doubt, reactivity or hesitation restarting)

• Repeat-ability (intra-workout and across multiple workouts)

Pretend you tested Open Workout 18.3 (800 Double Unders) on Friday.

By Sunday you realized that your score wasn’t good enough.

On Monday (3 Days Later), you retested once again doing 800 Double Unders.

Soft Tissue Handles High Volume

Calves are soft tissue and they are meant to break down and repair because they are vascular, meaning they are delivered sugar, amino acids and oxygen on a minute-by-minute basis.  This circulation and vascularity also aids removal of metabolic wastes. It’s a good thing if your calves get sore from double unders provided that your knees and ankles didn’t take a beating. Unlike muscles, joints aren’t vascular (don’t have that blood flow) and therefore they aren’t meant to handle that abuse again and again. Breakdown your muscles and they will take days to recover. Breakdown your joints and they will take months to recover.”

Ben Wise