Punk Rope was founded by Tim Haft as a means for people of all athletic abilities, ages, and walks of life to get together in the pursuit of fitness and fun. Classes are a mash up of different jump rope drills, calisthenics and plyometrics, group drills and relay races, which means it never gets boring. Each Punk Rope session has a theme and associated soundtrack, and each drill lasts the length of a song.

The particular class I dropped in on took place on the roof of the 14th street Y (JCC) in Manhattan, which was a great setting for the Joe Strummer tribute class! However, this location was an exception, as classes usually take place in gyms, park and recreation centers, health clubs or schools. Tim and his assistant, Shana, were dressed in Clash-themed attire, which made for a fun atmosphere before the class even began.

We started off with a warm-up and some stretching before we really got into the jump rope section of the class. As a jump rope novice, I appreciated that Tim and Shana made sure to tell everyone how they could modify each drill to make class do-able for people of all fitness levels. We alternated jump-roping drills with exercises like sumo squats, push-ups, group drills and relays, which was a welcome change from my normal routine of treadmill and weights. We finished up class with some core work and stretching, and needless to say, I was dripping by the end of class (the 80 plus degree weather on the roof did not help!)

For a great, fun workout, I highly recommend adding a Punk Rope class to your fitness regimen. Punk Rope classes are going on all around the country - for more information on where to find a class, visit www.punkrope.com. Happy jumping!

What’s Punk Rope®? Created in 2004 by ACE-certified personal trainer and USATF coach Tim Haft, Punk Rope is a playful cross between recess and boot camp, which combines creative calisthenics, group conditioning drills, games, relay races, core and upper body training, and rope jumping. Punk Rope classes and playlists are frequently themed and celebrate everything from super heroes to the Super Bowl to St. Patrick’s Day to Sweden.

Photo Credit: Class images by Cheryl Lau, The mat drag and partner hop credited to Tony Gale. The Jamaican bobsled photo is credited to Tim Haft.