If you want to make your workouts more efficient, hop to it. Though pro fighters have been jumping rope for decades, CrossFit’s introduction of the ‘double-under’ has given jumping rope some new attention in recent years. Here’s why it’s worth doing—and how to add it to your own routine.

Why Jumping Rope Works

“People are always looking for training methods that will give them the most bang for their buck, and jumping rope does just that,” says Wyatt Krueger, CF-L2, CrossFit coach and box owner.

Jumping rope engages almost every major muscle in the body—something few other forms of cardiovascular exercises can boast. “It’s a true full-body exercise with numerous ways to vary the difficulty,” says L.A.-based trainer Seth Broadstreet.

Your quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, and calves all light up to power every jump. Meanwhile, all of the muscles of your core provide stabilization, while your shoulders, arms, and wrists control the speed of the swing.

Because it gets so many muscles working at the same time, jumping rope puts a greater burden on your cardiovascular system. The result: You burn more calories per minute than you would, say, riding the stationary bike. According to Harvard Medical School, the average 155-pound person burns 372 calories in a half hour of jumping rope.

Related: How To Build Muscle And Shed Fat At The Same Time

Plus, with every jump and swing of the rope, you’re also working on balance, coordination, and body awareness, says Krueger.

Another perk of jumping rope: It’s versatile and scalable. “It can be as easy or difficult as you want to make it,” says Broadstreet. Once you’ve mastered the basic approaches, you can move onto double-unders, high knees, or even jump rope burpees.

How To Add Jumping Rope to Your Routine

Whether you haven’t jumped rope since elementary school or have already mastered the infamous double-under, there are a number of ways it can level up your workouts.

1. Use It As A Warm-Up

Whether you’re about to push through a few heavy rounds of squats or breeze through a quick circuit, jump roping is a good way to get started. Doing five to 10 minutes of light, easy jumping gets your blood pumping and warms up your muscles before the real work begins,

2. Replace Your Run

“Studies have shown that jumping rope can provide the exact same cardiovascular benefits as jogging in less than half the time,” says Broadstreet.

Not to mention, jumping rope is kinder to your joints. “You’re using your knees and hips to jump, but it’s far less damaging to the joints than running,” adds Broadstreet.

Rather than pound the pavement (or the treadmill) for 45 minutes, you can reap the full benefits of jumping rope in 15 to 20 minutes. If you’re just starting out, stick to a slower pace and alternate between sets of 10 to 50 repetitions and 10 to 15 seconds of rest.

If you’re already a cardio pro and want to continue developing your aerobic fitness and endurance, jump for 15 to 20 minutes, alternating between two- to five-minute intervals of jumping and 10 to 15 seconds of rest, suggests Krueger. As you progress, add to the length of your jumping intervals and total jumping time.

3. HIIT It Up

According to research recently published in Physiology, just four 30-second sprints elicit the same response in the body as 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio. And ‘sprinting’ doesn’t have to mean running down a track; jumping your heart out will do the trick, too.

For a HIIT-style jump rope workout, jump for 10, 20, or 30 seconds at a difficult speed, rest for 10 to 15 seconds, and repeat for 10 to 15 minutes suggests Krueger. Or, add 30 to 60 seconds of jumping rope in between exercises of a strength-training circuit.

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Short on time? That doesn’t mean you can’t squeeze in a fully satisfying full-body workout.

This six-move quickie—created by BodyTech Ultimate Athlete Matthias McKinnon—will torch all of your major muscle groups and help you build both strength and size. After tearing through two upper-body supersets, you’ll push through two lower-body exercises and call it a day. But don’t underestimate its simplicity! This workout may be short, but it’ll leave you rocked.

Ready to sweat? Watch the video:

The 30-Minute Full-Body Builder

Here’s the full breakdown of the workout so you can save it for later:

Superset 1:
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press, 4x 5-8 reps
Incline Dumbbell Row, 4x 8-12 reps

Superset 2:
Tricep Dip, 4x failure
Alternating Bicep Curl, 4x 8-12reps

Leg Press, 4x 10 reps

Dumbbell Hamstring Curl, 4x 10 reps

PLUS: Fuel your workout with some of Matthias’ go-to BodyTech sports nutrition supplements, including 100% Pure Creatine, Rainbow Sherbet Flash Point Preworkout Concentrate, and Beta-Alanine.

Check out The Vitamin Shoppe on Facebook or Instagram for more workouts from Matthias.

If you’re dedicated to your fitness, a pre-workout supplement can help you feel energized and focused, and boost your training performance. However, with an endless number of options out there, it can be tough to tell which formula best fits your individual goals and lifestyle. After all, someone training to run ultramarathons needs different support than someone training to lift heavy weights.

If building strength and muscle are your top fitness priorities, this handy flow chart will help you find the right pre-workout for your next gym session. Before you get started, though, consider your options:

• Do you want to stay away from artificial sweeteners and/or colors? All-natural formulas use ingredients like stevia for sweetness and beets for color.
• Caffeine or no caffeine? If you do want the extra kick, are you looking for a smooth boost or fast-and-furious energy?
• Do you crave a good pump, or can you do without NO-boosting ingredients?
• How about creatine? Are you bulking or cutting?

Whatever your fitness priorities may be, this shoppable guide will lead you straight to your supplement soulmate. (For more info on each product, just hover over it and click on the price tag.)

Have a question about a common pre-workout ingredient? Our article What’s REALLY In Your Pre-Workout? walks you through some of the most common pre-workout ingredients in the game.

Diggin’ What’s Good? For more essential health facts, tips, and inspiration, join our Facebook communities, Eating Healthy and Staying Fit, today!

In recent years, fitness has become more about function and performance and less about physique than ever before. These days, nailing power cleans or showing off flawless deadlift form earns more gym cred than having a visible six-, eight-, or whatever-pack.

As functional fitness grows more and more popular, the sea of gym machines that isolate specific muscle groups have lost their once coveted place in people’s workouts and been replaced by a new generation of machines and equipment. But which deserve a spot in your next workout?

Gym Machines: A Love-Hate Relationship

Despite their recent fall from grace, there’s no black-and-white answer about whether traditional gym machines are good or bad.

According to New York-based coach Kelvin Gary, C.S.C.S., some of the machine hate is well-deserved: “We know that they don’t help you train in a way that functionally ties together muscle groups that work together in life and in sport.”

If you want a more complete workout that activates the core and stabilizer muscles, you’re better off with a squat. However, if your sole goal is to build bigger quads, then the leg extension machine will get the job done.

The other issue: Many gym-goers don’t use the machines properly. “Most machines today are made with good thought in regards to biomechanics,” says Long Island-based physical therapist and strength coach, Michael Camp Ph.D., P.T., D.P.T., C.S.C.S. It’s the user that makes machines unsafe, not the piece of equipment itself.

Experts do agree, though, that machines can be extremely helpful for beginners and those with injuries.

“Some people need to learn the mind-muscle connection of the movement first, which is easier to learn through a machine,” says Philadelphia-based personal trainer, Joe Pepe, C.P.T. For someone that’s never worked out in their life, using a chest press machine can help them learn to activate the right muscles before moving on to a bench press.

Plus, when you need to avoid using certain muscles and joints because of an injury—but want to maintain strength elsewhere—using machines to isolate certain muscle groups comes in handy.

Gym Equipment Worth Using

Old-school pushing, pulling, and pressing gym machines aside, there’s now a slew of out-of-the-box pieces of equipment popping up in gyms that can add lots of value to your fitness program. Here are five pieces of funky equipment you may have been too intimidated to try that trainers definitely want you to use.

1. VersaClimber

Though it may look like a towel rack, the VersaClimber is actually a great cardio conditioning tool that also puts your arms, legs, and core to work. (It’s like a never-ending climbing wall.) “It helps us work on crawling, a primitive pattern that we lose from sitting behind desks,” says Gary. The VersaClimber is like a stair stepper that gets your arms involved, too, so you’re essentially doing an upright bear crawl. Now how’s that for functional, eh?

2. Sled (a.k.a. Prowler)

Pushing or pulling a weighted sled across the turf is a great way to build total-body strength. Plus, it’s what Gary calls “self-limiting,” which means you can push yourself and go heavy without risk. Go too heavy on a squat and you can get stuck at the bottom of the movement with lots of pressure on your back; go too heavy on the sled and it simply won’t budge.

Check out five of our go-to moves:

Gary recommends adding a couple sets of exercises like marches and pulls to your strength workouts.

3. Landmine

It may not look like much, but according to Pepe, the landmine is the most underrated piece of gym equipment. All you have to do is secure the end of a barbell into the landmine fixture at the base of a power rack and you can do all sorts of total-body exercises in all planes of motion.

If you’re looking for a serious test of fitness, try landmine thrusters. “They create a huge metabolic demand, and are easier to perform—and more shoulder-friendly—than a barbell thruster,” he says. For core and total-body stability, try landmine anti-rotations. Or, to challenge your lower and upper body (and your coordination), pair split squats and rows.

4. Sandbag

Not only does lifting a big ol’ bag of sand build overall power and strength, but it also improves stability more than lifting a kettlebell, dumbbell, or barbell. “Fighting the awkwardness of the shifting sand builds synergistic muscle strength,” says Camp. Working out with sandbags fires up your stabilizer muscles and core in a major way.

On lower-body days, try front-rack squats or lunges; on upper-body days, try overhead presses or bent-over rows. As you progress, try sandbag cleans, chops, and swings.

5. Battle Ropes

We know, battle ropes are exhausting. But they’re well worth every heart-pumping moment, toning your arms, legs, and core, while boosting your cardio. “People think there’s just one or two exercises, get bored, and move on too quickly,” Gary says.

In addition to the standard moves like alternating waves or double-arm waves, Gary suggests trying circles, side-to-side waves, or even doing jumping jacks with the ropes. Try a few 30-second intervals with 30 to 60 seconds of rest in between.

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Walk into just about any weight room and you’ll see all sorts of lifting equipment and accessories, like gloves, wrist and knee sleeves, and, of course, the ever-glorified lifting belt.

Typically made out of leather or nylon, these wide belts make any lifter look pretty intense. But what exactly do they do, and who should really be using them? Here’s what top fitness experts had to say.

What Do Weightlifting Belts Do?

Designed to help gym-goers (men and women, alike) lift heavier and make gains, weight belts are wrapped around the core at the lower back to help take pressure off the spine as we lift. You see, the strain of lifting heavy can potentially lead to muscle or back injuries.

A belt novice might think that wearing a lifting belt works by physically supporting the back and core when they’re under tension (like during a barbell squat), but that’s not actually how it goes, explains Gabe Snow, C.P.T.,  strength and conditioning coach and trainer at Performix House in New York City. What’s really happening: The pressure of the belt around your core signals the muscles in your mid-section to exert force in response. “When this pressure is generated inside the abdominal wall, it takes a large amount of stress off the discs in the spine,” says Snow.

Generally, reducing pressure on the spine means reduced risk of injury and more efficient performance. Research backs this up, with one Japanese study finding that increasing pressure in the abdomen with a belt stabilizes the core and creates a safer environment for the spine during lifting. Other research shows that rocking a weightlifting belt during squats can increase muscle activity of the quadriceps and hamstrings, and promotes overall muscle growth long-term.

Related: Do This Warmup Before Lifting For Increased Performance

While some people might mistakenly think that lifting belts can also help shrink their waistline, this is a myth. “If anything, your core—especially your obliques—will grow because your abdominal muscles are constantly generating force,” says Snow.

When Should You Wear A Belt?

While belts can definitely help you advance your strength and power, that doesn’t mean you should wear them every time you lift.

Instead, reach for a belt when you’re doing power-lifting movements like squats, deadlifts, and power cleans in which you’re loading the spine with significant weight, suggests Alonzo Wilson, C.P.T., founder of Tone House in New York City. And even then, “only when the load is extremely heavy,” he says. “I recommend using the belt at weights you can lift for just five reps or less.” Reaching for a new personal best? A belt can help. Running through your usual three to four sets of 10 reps? Skip it.

Of course, before you can lift heavy enough to warrant using a belt, you have to have a solid foundation of strength and a firm grasp of proper movement patterns. “Form and technique must be mastered using light to moderate weight before ever attempting loads heavy enough that you have to wear a large leather belt to help ensure your safety,” says Snow. “Using a belt right out of the gate will just alter your form and keep you from learning where you may need to improve.”

Plus, since belts are somewhat restrictive, they shouldn’t be worn during any exercise other than heavy lifting. If you’re doing a high-intensity interval training workout and alternating between power cleans and burpees (which involve moving significantly different loads), for example, a belt will only get in the way. Just stick to a weight you feel comfortable lifting without a belt for the power cleans.

The Bottom Line

If you’re an experienced weightlifter working in the top of your range to focus on power or test your one-rep max, a lifting belt can help you perform and stay safe.

Diggin’ What’s Good? For more essential health facts, tips, and inspiration, join our Facebook communities, Eating Healthy and Staying Fit, today!

This article was written by Vera Tweed and originally published in Amazing Wellness magazine.

The most common chronic pain issue in the United States, back pain affects 60 to 80 percent of adults every day. Back pain often develops from repeated stresses on joints that support the spine. While many conditions can cause it, too much sitting, which leads to muscle imbalances and a weak core, is a common culprit.

A healthy, pain-free back requires proper mobility, stability, and strength.

How Sitting Can Hurt Your Back

Biomechanically, the human body is at its best when it’s moving.

Long periods of sitting shorten your hamstrings, flatten your normal spinal curvature, prevent you from extending your hip flexors (them and compromising their range of motion), and weaken your glute muscles. These muscle groups are attached to the lower back, and imbalances in them create misalignment in the spine—especially if your core muscles are weak and can’t keep the spine stable. “Some muscles become overactive, and the other sides of those joints become underactive,” says Prentiss Rhodes, a master instructor for the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Related: 6 Ways Bad Posture Impacts Your Body Long-Term

Rhodes recommends four types of exercises to strengthen and stretch your muscles to correct imbalances from sitting.

1. Hip Flexor Stretches

From a kneeling position, place your left knee on the floor directly under your left hip, and place the right foot in front, flat on the ground, directly over the right ankle and the right knee at a 90-degree angle. Using your glute muscles, gently push your left hip forward until you feel the stretch. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds and repeat on the other side.

2. Core Strengtheners

Yoga and Pilates classes are often designed to develop core and spine strength. If that’s not your thing, add planks to your daily routine. The plank is one of the best exercises you can do for your core because it builds isometric strength (a static muscle contraction) to help improve your posture.

Lie face down, with your legs extended and your elbows bent, directly under your shoulders. Contract your abs (this is the isometric contraction), then tuck your toes to lift your body off the ground.  You should be in a straight line from head to heels. Hold for 60 seconds or as long as you can. (Check out five of the most effective abs moves.)

3. Glute Strengtheners

Most people don’t think about their glutes beyond how they look in jeans. However, weak and inactive glute muscles contribute to back, hip, and knee pain. Strengthening this group of muscles can lessen pain. Incorporating an exercise called bridge or hip raise into your daily stretches will strengthen glute muscles, the back of the thighs (hamstrings), and the core.

Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, with feet about hip-width apart. Slowly lift your hips, tighten your core, and press your heels into the floor for stability. Make sure the glutes are doing the work by squeezing them. Avoid pushing your hips too high; instead, aim for a straight line from your knees to your shoulders and hold for 20 to 30 seconds.

As you build strength, try this glutes workout.

4. Hip Openers

There are many moves to open hips, but here’s one you can do at your desk: While sitting, cross your right leg, with the right ankle on your left knee. Keep your right leg parallel to the floor, or as close as you can. Gently push down on your right thigh and hold until you feel a good stretch. Repeat on the other side.

Bonus: Cardio

“Back-friendly cardio exercises not only help back pain patients stay more functional when discomfort does strike, but can help keep pain flare-ups at bay,” says Kaixuan Liu, M.D., Ph.D., founder and president of the Atlantic Spine Center in West Orange, NJ. Walking, swimming, or using an elliptical trainer or stationary bike are all good options.

Cardio promotes healing by increasing the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the spine,
reduces joint stiffness, increases production of endorphins—feel-good chemicals—and helps control weight, which reduces stress on the spine.

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To ever have a chance of seeing your six-pack, you need to keep a healthy diet and do the right kind of training. What ‘the right training’ actually looks like, however, goes against pretty much everything we’ve ever been told about working our abs. Here’s exactly how—and how often—you should work out in order to make that six-pack pop.

Your Abs vs. Your Core

When you think of the coveted six-pack, you probably picture a group of muscles called the rectus abdominus, which cover the front of your mid-section. However, these six-pack muscles are just one piece of your core. The collection of all of the muscles that surround your trunk, your core also includes the internal and external obliques (which run along your sides), the erector spinea (which covers the length of the back), the transverse abdominus (beneath the obliques), and the quadratus lumborum (beneath the erector spinea in the low back). So, before we go any further, let’s get one thing straight: Though the words ‘core’ and ‘abs’ are used interchangeably all the time, they’re not the same thing.

Abs Workouts vs. Core Workouts

If you really want a ripped middle, you’ve got to train more than just your abs! Not only should you be training all five core muscles together, but you should be doing so in all three planes of motion (forward-and-backward, side-to-side, and rotational), says Brooklyn-based coach Keita Minakawa C.S.C.S., FRCms. And that means doing a variety of exercises—not just a crazy-long plank or a hundred crunches. “Human beings move through three-dimensional space and our muscles need to be able to support the movement,” he adds. Here’s what a proper 360-degree core workout might look like:

• bear walks (forward-and-backward plane)
• side planks (side-to-side plane)
• wood-chops (rotational plane)

When you train all your core muscles in all planes of motion, not only do you develop a more functionally-fit body, but a more visible six-pack, too. The more muscles you train, the more calories you burn and the more muscle mass you can build.

Training For A Six-Pack

Before you even think about doing full-on core workouts, make sure your overall training program focuses on big, compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses. These full-body moves fire up all of your major muscle groups, including your core, and should be considered your core strength foundation.

Related: How Many Times A Week Should You Strength Train?

In addition to these foundational moves, Minakawa recommends also doing two or three core-specific exercises three days per week. (Do them before hitting the barbell for your big lifts.)

Like with any other muscle group, give your core muscles at least 24 hours of rest in between workouts that include these core-specific moves, adds Dallas-based trainer and dietitian Tim McComsey C.P.T., R.D.

Also like any other muscle group, you can’t expect your core to grow stronger (or bigger) without following the principle of progressive overload. To continually challenge your muscles, rotate in new core exercises, increase the resistance, and/or churn out more reps as you’re able.

To make your training more effective, watch out for what Minakawa calls ‘abdominal hollowing,’ when you suck your stomach inward while exercising. Not only does this take the emphasis off your core muscles, but it can put undue pressure where you don’t want it, like on your spine. Instead, imagine you’re about to be punched in the stomach and brace your core. “Abdominal bracing engages all of the core muscles at once,” he says.

The Cardio Factor

Of course, showing off visible abs requires whittling down your body fat percentage. In addition to strength and core-specific training, you’ll need to commit to regular cardio to drop body fat and reveal that six-pack, says McComsey. Start out with three or four days of 40 to 60 minutes of steady-state cardio at about 65 percent of your maximum ability. From there, add in 10 to 15 minutes of high-intensity interval training two to three times per week. “If your body fat levels are stuck, HIIT will really turn the burn up a notch,” he says.

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Whatever your fitness goals are, you’ve got to want them bad to turn them into reality. Every workout, every meal, every rep either drives you towards excellence or gets in your way.

Ultimate BodyTech Athlete contest winner Matthias McKinnon pursues every gain ferociously, forever committed to going harder and growing stronger and faster. Watch him train and feel the motivation course through your veins.

Matthias trusts BodyTech to power every last rep, fuel his recovery, and keep him on the fast-track to victory. Follow @matthiasmckinnon on Instagram for daily motivation.

Switching up your workouts is both physically and mentally beneficial. One caveat, though: You don’t want to skimp on strength training. Not only does strength training help us build muscle, but it also revs our metabolism and protects us from injury so we can live freely and be agile for as long as possible.

“Strength training is beneficial in so many ways beyond aesthetics,” says Dan Giordano, D.P.T., C.S.C.S., co-founder of Bespoke Treatments. “It can boost dopamine and endorphin production, improve cardiovascular health, and slow bone loss.”

This makes strength training even more important as we age. “As we get older, the loss of bone and muscle makes necessary daily activities increasingly tricky,” says Charlee Atkins, C.S.C.S., founder of Le Sweat. And it happens earlier than you think: Around age 30, we all start losing muscle mass, eventually making simple tasks more difficult.

So, yeah, no matter how many candles are on your birthday cake or where you’re at in your health and fitness journey, you’ll do well to rely more heavily on weights—especially if you’re dealing with any of the following four issues.

1. You’re In Pain

Throughout our everyday lives, our body undergoes various types of stress, whether from work, playing with kids and pets, or participating in recreational sports. Often, these stressors leave us in pain. Whether you have joint pain or are constantly plagued by aches, building strength can help you overcome it and move pain-free. “The stronger we are, the more resilient our body is to these stressors and activities,” says Zach Murray, C.S.C.S. “Strength training can improve many factors that may lead to both acute and chronic pain, including poor and repetitive movement patterns, muscle imbalances, and even running efficiency.”

2. You’re Not Seeing The Results You Want

If you never miss an early morning spin class or after-dinner run, you deserve a high-five for living an active lifestyle. But if you’re sticking to a healthy diet and exercising regularly, and you’re still not seeing the physique results you’re after (especially if you want a defined, lean look), it’s a red flag. “If your current workout isn’t giving you the results you want, specifically concerning muscle definition, it’s time to strength train more, or lift heavier weights,” says Atkins.

If you’re doing only cardio or bodyweight moves, or lifting the same old weight as always, your muscles don’t get the stimulus they need to keep adapting and growing. If you want to truly change your physique, you have to continue overloading your muscles with more weight.

3. You’re Feeling Down

While it not may not be a silver bullet for mood disorders, resistance training is associated with a significant reduction in depressive symptoms, according to a paper published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. “Resistance training has repeatedly been proven to be an effective intervention for decreasing symptoms of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and addiction,” says Murray. “Not only do the physiological by-products of strength training—such as increased release of endorphins—help to improve mood, but the very act of getting stronger and achieving physical goals not previously possible can improve confidence and self-image.”

Related: Can Your Diet Make You Depressed?

4. Your Metabolism Is Sloth-Like

Feel like no matter what you do, your sluggish metabolism is holding you back from reaching your weight-loss or fitness goal? Research shows that a regular weightlifting routine can help. You see, for a number of hours after a typical strength-training session, your body continues to use more energy than usual in order to recover. (The process is called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC, but you’ve probably heard it referred to as the ‘after-burn’ effect.)

Related: How Much Do Genetics Factor Into The Speed Of Your Metabolism?

One research study showed that after strength training for 100 minutes, women’s metabolic rates stayed elevated (by about 4.2 percent) for the next 16 hours, resulting in an average of 60 extra calories burned. Sixty extra calories burned multiple times every week can certainly add up over time, increasing the average total number of calories you torch and upping your metabolism.

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