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Rocky Marciano did it. Muhammad Ali did it. And many, many other old-time boxers(and old time wrestlers for that matter) did it too.

But maybe the most unique and unusual group to use this exercise — that you never heard of — were the Roman legions.

How do you train hundreds upon hundreds of men to be in tip-top physical shape to go into battle?

Good question.

History reveals these men twisted thin green grapevines together and used them as jump ropes.

Picture this… an aerial camera shot looking down on northern Rome and off in the distance are hundreds of men spinning twisted vines. The only noise you hear are twirling rope vines and thumping feet hitting the dirt.

Now why would these men use jump ropes to prepare for hand-to-hand or sword-to-sword combat?

Well, the jump rope is a fierce strength and wind-building mechanism. Back in ancient Roman times, running long distance was unheard of… and sliding metal weights on long bars for lifting didn’t exist. So this unique exercise trained these fierce warriors to be in the best shape possible.

And today, many modern-day athletes have the Roman armies to thank for their little invention… because many top athletes use rope skipping to whip them into shape quickly.

Have you ever seen a boxer preparing for a fight where he might have to drop 20 lbs to reach his fighting weight? Chances are great you’ll see a video clip of him spinning the rope. This will make him light on his feet, reduce his weight, and build endurance better than any treadmill or exercise bike.

Many other high-level athletes like pro football and basketball players use this exercise to get fit thequickest way possible. And be at the topof their game. The reason is that hopping is one of the best plyometric exercises you can do to build lung, leg and upper body strength and power.

How You Can Get Started
So you may be wondering, what’s a good inexpensive jump rope for adults? Well, one idea is to grab the rope hanging in your mudroom or on your cellar stair case hook. You know the beaded one that has been in the family ever since you were a little kid. That’s the cheapest one of all.

However, that short rope that worked when you were little might not fit your height nowadays. If so, no problem. You can find a good quality rope at the local sporting goods store ranging from $15 to $30 depending on certain features. Some ropes are just that, ropes with handles. Others are hard plastic ropes with ball bearings in the handles, called ‘speed ropes.’ Still other ropes have small metal rods (or weights) inside the handles to tone your arms and shoulders while you skip. I prefer the speed ropes because of the easy spinning action that allows you to jump as fast as you can twirl the rope.

Okay, now that we have covered what kind of rope you need to get started, let’s talk about how much time is required for a good sweat-building exercise. For someone just starting out, who’s not physically fit, I’d suggest just a few minutes a day before or after some brisk walking. If you walk every day, only skip rope 3 times a week (3-5 minutes per session). That’s right, only 3-5 minutes! You’ll discover that it only takes a few minutes to hear yourself huffing and puffing and to feel the fat burners kicking in. Gradually add more time as you experience less and less fatigue from practice.

For advanced exercise enthusiasts, consider skipping for 15-20 minutes. Add more time as the hopping and spinning becomes effortless. You can also mix circuit drills into your jump rope routine. Do this by incorporating body weight exercises in between sets of 100 skips. When you string 10 sets of 100 skips with body weight, push-ups, squats, and abdominal exercises — you have one phenomenal fat-melting workout.

Now let’s go have some fun and skip away that unwanted belly fat and cellulite.

[Ed. Note: Vince Palko is the author of Linebacker Fitness and creator ofThe Super Body Blitz and Triple Your Endurance.Vince has been enshrined in both his college, Bowling Green StateUniversity's and his high school's Hall of Fame for his performanceon the football field. Vince has a FREE fitness newsletter you can sign up for at www.VincePalko.com.]