Like everyone else, my New Year's resolution was to exercise more. After moving to a new city, I abandoned my fitness routine, and it didn't help that the gym chain I belonged to was now a 30-minute drive away in Los Angeles traffic.
So I started researching exercises I could do from home. Jumping rope is fun and a excellent cardiovascular exercise for the whole body that can also improve agility and coordination. So when I heard the $199 Crossrope AMP Jump Rope Set would quantify the experience and help me incorporate strength training into my routine with your weighted ropes, I was intrigued.
After testing the game for a month, I can confirm that few jump ropes are as well made as Crossrope's, and its workouts and community offer a lot of value for jumping enthusiasts. However, at $199, plus a $12 monthly subscription, it's only for those committed to jumping constantly, not for casual users.
He cross rope The system, which has been around since 2013, consists of interchangeable handles, ropes, and ropeless jumping accessories in a variety of weights, from three ounces to five pounds. He amplifier set that I tested comes with a set of Bluetooth-connected handles and quarter-pound, half-pound, and one-pound strings.
The ropes and handles are constructed of sturdy materials and connect with steel clasps. They feel built to last, but unlike most jump ropes, each rope has a fixed length – they can't be adjusted. They come in six different lengths, but I stumbled several times despite using the Crossrope size recommended for my height. While I began to stumble less as I improved as a jumper, when I asked the Crossrope community for help, several members acknowledged that they had had the same problem.
The AMP handles are what take this from an expensive modular jump rope system to an expensive modular system. elegant Jump rope system. The Bluetooth-enabled handles connect to iOS and Android devices, allowing you to track jumps, streaks, power, speed, and calories burned from the companion app. If you connect it with your Apple Watch, you can also import your heart rate data. It's hard to judge how accurate these stats were, but Crossrope correctly counted my jumps for the most part, and the other numbers didn't seem exaggerated.
But that information comes at a price: $11.99 a month. That's right: in addition to shelling out $199 for the game (or $99 for handles If you already have Crossrope ropes, you'll also have to pay a monthly fee to get the value of smart handles. Even the jump counter has a paywall. That fact was, and remains, jarring for me and is the set's biggest drawback.
That said, you're not just paying for metrics. Along with a helpful facebook community of nearly 100,000 people, Crossrope includes an app with over 2,500 workouts created by its personal trainers and on-demand classes taught by popular instructors in the jumping world. Jumping rope is obviously the goal, but personalized workouts also include other exercises like squats and dumbbell lifting. There are also longer programs focused on specific fitness goals, from burning fat in, say, six weeks to improving endurance. If you don't like any of the options, you can also create your own workout, which was helpful when I needed a slower pace.
I appreciated how well thought out the workouts are, with a stopwatch included for each set and rest sessions. Crossrope's own programs even include Spotify playlists curated by beats per minute tailored to different rope weights and speeds. Unlike, say, Apple Fitness Plus or Fitbit Premium workouts, Crossrope also shows a (strange) 3D avatar of the trainer performing the same exercise in real time, which helps with form. And unlike Apple and Fitbit's programs, you can even message Crossrope trainers with questions for a more personalized experience.
But we have to address the elephant in the room: the Crossrope AMP costs two hundred dollars, plus $12 a month. It exists in a niche market with little direct competition, but it also exists in a world with plenty of cheaper jump ropes. To take an almost random example, the amazon.com/Te-Rich-Weighted-Fitness-Skipping-Counter/dp/B08G8D6Z8H?tag=theverge02-20″>Te-Rich Smart Weighted Jump Rope I found on amazon that it costs $17 and has a built-in LCD screen with timer and jump counter, while the YaoYao The app also tracks skips and time and only costs $0.99 per month (or $10 for a one-time unlock). Both also estimate calories burned, and YaoYao also allows you to set the duration of workouts and rest sessions and compete with others via a leaderboard.
While YaoYao often overestimated my jumps, the Te-Rich Smart Weighted Jump Rope's stats were consistent with Crossrope's and sometimes even counted my jumps more accurately. The flimsy 9.8 foot PVC rope tangles easily, but that's forgivable at this price, especially since the rope is adjustable. Te-Rich lacks personalized workouts, on-demand video classes, and community, but you can find similar ones online. In fact, some On-demand class instructors offer their own YouTube channels.. Further, You can always use the free or paid versions of the Crossrope app without the AMP drivers if you want the workouts and don't mind losing the jump counter, custom goals, benchmarks, and leaderboards.
The most effective training is the one you are going to follow. If a smart jump rope with guided workouts and an encouraging community makes it easy for you to exercise consistently, Crossrope is worth it. It's overpriced, but it's also smaller and cheaper than other home gym equipment I considered, like treadmills. Crossrope's 60-day return policy also means you can get your money back if you decide you won't use it enough to justify the expense.
I enjoyed my time with Crossrope. It helped me put some of the fun back into fitness. But I don't think skipping will replace jogging and walking as my primary cardio exercise, although it's a fun accessory, so I won't be purchasing the Crossrope AMP once I return the review unit. The Te-Rich didn't come with a ton of exercise programs or a facebook group or tracking my heart rate, but it still gave me a rough idea of jumps and calories burned and it didn't cost $200.
