Legs · Bodyweight
High Jump Rope
How to do the high jump rope, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Turn the rope with your wrists and jump higher than a normal skip, driving through the balls of your feet to clear extra height on each rep. Keep your torso tall and absorb each landing softly, holding a steady rhythm over the set.
- 1Feel your calves and quads explode on each high jump
- 2Drive through the balls of your feet and land softly
- 3Turn the rope with relaxed wrists and a steady tempo
Common mistakes
- Do not crash down on flat feet between jumps
- Avoid swinging your arms wide to gain height
- Do not tuck your knees so high that your form breaks down
Muscles worked
The high jump rope mainly works the calves and quads, with the forearms, glutes, and hamstrings assisting.
- CalvesPrimary
- QuadsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the high jump rope for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More calves & shins exercises
- How to do the ankle cars
- How to do the ankle circles
- How to do the ankle rocks
- How to do the resistance band ankle mobilization
- How to do the calf press
- How to do the calf raises with hold
Last reviewed June 2026.