We got the skies out. We got the thighs out. This is a home workout you can do in 10 minutes with a skipping rope and two kettlebells.
The protocol is simple. Sixty seconds of skipping, then sixty seconds of abs with a bell. Five rounds of that with no rest, and the clock reads ten minutes. The rope work happens on bare concrete in the garage. The ab work happens on the mat right in front of it, so the changeover is one step.
Do it once for a quick session, or go again as many times as you can. Be sure to save this one. The Short gets through all five rounds in a little over a minute, which is fine for seeing the moves and no good for remembering the cues. This page is the long explanation, with a clip of every move.
The Workout at a Glance
| Round | Rope (60s) | Abs (60s) | Bell |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basic Bounce | Kettlebell Leg Raise | Heavy |
| 2 | Boxer Skip | Kettlebell Dead Bug | Light |
| 3 | High Knees | Kettlebell Hollow Hold | Light |
| 4 | Feet In, Feet Out | Sit Up to Press | Light |
| 5 | All Out | Suitcase March | Heavy |
Sets: 5 rounds | Work: 60 seconds rope, 60 seconds abs | Rest: none
You need two bells, a heavy one and a light one. The heavy bell is the blue one in the clips. It anchors the leg raise and loads the suitcase march, the two moves where more weight helps you. The light bell is the black one. It goes overhead for the dead bug, the hollow hold and the sit up press. A minute of holding anything over your face gets heavy fast. If you are still buying, this is the cost-effective cast iron bell I would point you at.
On the rope, keep the jumps small and let the wrists do the turning. You only need to clear it by an inch or so. The rope rounds also get harder as you go. A plain bounce, then the boxer skip, then high knees, then the footwork round, then all out. Round five is the only one where speed is the goal.
Five skipping, five kettlebell. That is how I put it in the video and it is the whole structure. I skip on the bare concrete and keep the mat for the floor work, so every switch is drop the rope, step forward, lie down. The rope gets your heart rate up and the abs work while your legs get a minute off. Then you are back up skipping.
Round 1: Basic Bounce and Kettlebell Leg Raise
Starting it off with simple skipping. This is just up and down at a fair pace for sixty seconds. It is the warm up round, so it should feel easy. If round one already has you gasping, slow the rope down.
Then onto the mat for the kettlebell leg raise. Lie back and hold your heavy bell behind your head. It stabilizes you, so you can lift those legs straight up without the top half of you sliding around the mat.
Your low back stays glued to the floor the whole time. If it lifts off as the legs come down, stop the legs higher. That point is your range for today.
Round 2: Boxer Skip and Kettlebell Dead Bug
The next sixty seconds of skipping is the boxer skip. You shift from foot to foot as you skip along, keeping it at a reasonable pace. It looks easier than the bounce until you try to hold the rhythm for the whole minute.
Then grab your lighter bell for a kettlebell dead bug. Press it straight up and keep it stacked over your shoulder. Drive one leg out, bring it back, and alternate for sixty seconds. Same rule as the leg raise. Your low back stays flat.
Slow is the whole point. Watch the bell. If it starts drifting off the shoulder, you are going too fast.
Round 3: High Knees and Kettlebell Hollow Hold
Back to the skipping. Sixty seconds of high knees. Bring those knees up. This is the toughest rope round yet, and it lands right before the toughest hold.
Then into a hollow hold. Grab that lighter bell and hold it above your head. Keep your feet elevated about six inches off the floor and hold it there.
The bell is the easy part. Keeping the shoulders and feet off the floor is the work. This is probably the most difficult 60 seconds of the workout.
Round 4: Feet In, Feet Out and Sit Up to Press
Next up, sixty seconds of in and out skipping. Hop in, hop out, and keep the rope turning. This is going to tax your coordination and proprioception more than your lungs. Expect to catch the rope a few times the first time through. Just pick it back up and keep the minute going.
Then into sixty seconds of sit up to press, still with the light bell. It is the third move in a row with that bell over your face, so your shoulders will have opinions by now. Keep it tight to your chest on the way up, then punch it to the ceiling at the top. Keep it stable as you press.
Round 5: All Out and Suitcase March
The final round is sixty seconds of fast skipping. Hold a pace that you can keep without faltering. All out means the fastest pace you can hold for the full minute, not a sprint that dies at second twenty.
Then the heavy bell comes back out. It opened the workout behind your head on the leg raise, and it closes it at your side. Grab it in one hand and march on the spot for the suitcase march. Do one side for thirty seconds, then the other side for thirty seconds.
The bell wants to pull you sideways. Don’t let it. That is the ab work. The side of your trunk away from the bell is holding you upright for the whole thirty seconds, which is why this one gets the heavy bell. Bring the knees up as you march. In the clip they come up close to hip height.
As always, do it in short shorts. The bell hangs right beside your thigh for the whole march, and a short inseam keeps the fabric clear of the handle.
Soffe Original Ranger Panty (Silkies)
The original silkies. Featherweight nylon tricot, 2-inch inseam, brief liner, $18 to $30. My everyday pick for lifting, running, and the river.
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Ten minutes is one pass. For a quick home workout, one pass is enough. If you have more in the tank, go again as many times as you can. Two passes is twenty minutes.
No rope? Do the footwork without one. Same bounce, same boxer shift, same high knees, just with nothing turning. You lose the coordination part of the rope, but your legs and lungs still get the work.
Too much on the first try? Cut each block to thirty seconds and keep all five rounds. Or take a breather between rounds. The protocol says no rest, but the first time through, rest is fine.
Bare concrete is hard on your feet and shins over five minutes of skipping. Stay on the balls of your feet and keep the jumps small. A thin, flat shoe lets you feel the floor, and that helps you stay light instead of landing heavy.
WHITIN Men’s Cross-Trainer
If you want a garage session that leans on legs instead of abs, my kettlebell home workout uses the same garage with no jumping at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a 10 minute workout enough?
Do it once for a quick home workout, or go again as many times as you can. One pass with no rest is a real effort. I would not use it to replace strength training. It works as a finisher on a gym day, or as the whole session on a day when ten minutes is all you have.
What weight kettlebells do I need?
Two different ones. The heavy bell should be something you can carry in one hand for thirty seconds without leaning toward it. The light bell should be something you can hold overhead for a full minute. If your overhead holds fall apart before the minute is up, the light bell is too heavy.
Can I do this without a jump rope?
Yes. Do the same footwork with no rope. Bounce, boxer shift, high knees, feet in and out, then fast feet. You lose the timing challenge, but the conditioning stays.
Does this actually work the lower abs?
The leg raise and the hollow hold are the two that hit the lower abs hardest. Both drive from the legs, and both stop working the moment your low back peels off the floor. That is your check on every rep. Back flat, the lower abs are doing it. Back arched, your hip flexors took over.
Can I do this in an apartment?
Not this one. The kettlebell moves are quiet, but the skipping is five minutes of landing on the floor. Your downstairs neighbors will hear every round. A garage, a basement slab, or outside is the place for it.
Will a jump rope workout help with fat loss?
It helps. Skipping gets a lot of work done in a short window, which is why it is half of this workout. Skipping alone will not get you there, though. What you eat decides most of it.