When most people think of CrossFit, they can be intimidated by the crazy gymnastics movements like ring muscle-ups and handstand push-ups, or by the heavy barbells. 

Then you experience a workout with double-unders for the first time. 

Seems simple enough to master, right? WRONG. Nothing can beat the frustration of trying to master the double-under and whipping yourself (ouch), all while racking up no reps. 

We’ve been there before, that’s why we’ve pulled together 5 of our most helpful tips for you to master the dubs. 

1. RELAX YOUR SHOULDERS. This is a VERY common mistake when learning the double under. When we are trying to move the rope as quickly as possible, using your shoulders to whip that rope just makes sense. But what happens when you tense your shoulders and raise them up towards your ears? The rope shortens. Therefore causing you to jump higher to make up for the shortened rope. When you are hitting your dubs, think about relaxing your shoulders away from your ears. This will also save you from your shoulders feeling like they’re on fire. 

2. You can’t outjump the rope. When you try to jump as fast as you can to match the rapid speed of the rope, you start to lose your synchronization of your upper and lower body and therefore start to hit your feet. Think about a rhythmic, smooth jump throughout your sets that mirrors your jump during single-unders. 

3. Your wrists should be doing the work, not your entire arm. You’ve probably heard the coaching cue “flick the wrists”, and there is a reason for that. When jumping rope and using the entire arm, it’s very hard to generate the speed needed for the rope to go around two times in one jump. However, flicking your wrists twice in one jump is obtainable for long periods of time during larger sets. Using your entire arm also (once again) shortens the rope. A helpful cue: think about your arms being tied to your body at the elbows. If you keep your elbows tight to your body, it’s a lot harder to use your entire arm versus just your wrist.

4. Think about what your feet are doing. If you feel your feet pulling out in front of you (what I like to call “the dolphin”) or popping out behind you (“the donkey”), you increase the chances that the rope will catch on your feet either as it’s coming in front of you, or as it’s coming behind you. Keeping the legs straight helps you avoid the extra opportunities to catch the rope on your feet. 

5. Release the death grip on the rope. If you are gripping your rope handle with a motorcycle grip, you might be able to get away with a few double-unders, but you will never master large sets. Gripping the rope too tight can start to engage the entire arm (see tip #3) and cause you to light up your shoulders (see tip #1). Grip your rope handles with a relaxed grip towards the end of the handle furthest from the rope. Keeping the grip lower on the handle doesn’t allow you to grip as tightly, therefore forcing you to release the death grip. 

Ready for the final secret? This is the ONLY way to master the double-under… PRACTICE. Practice them when you are fresh, when you are tired, in the middle of workouts, at your house, or anywhere you can bring a rope. Practice really does make perfect with these higher skill movements. So get to practicing!