Work on your wrist movement

One of the difficult parts about adding the extra spin on a double under is perfecting the wrist movement. Gaskell explains that your wrists should be moving in a circular movement but some people find it easier to imagine this as an upward tick.

Jump right

It’s also crucial to think about how your body moves. “What’s really important when learning double unders is that your body stays as straight as possible – you don’t want your heels to lift backwards into a donkey kick and you also don’t want your toes to move forward into a pike position,” Gaskell continues, adding that many people fall into a bad habit of moving like this, so it’s important to be very strict with your technique when learning double unders.

Get the kit

It’s normal to trip over the rope or hit yourself with it when learning to do double unders – sometimes you’ll move the rope quickly but won’t make it underneath twice – so it’s a good idea to wear something that covers both your legs and your arms to stop the rope from hitting your bare skin.

Rest well

Like anything, perfecting your double unders will come with practice. But Gaskell warns against wearing yourself out with this movement: “Don’t overdo it. Practice for 10-15 seconds and then take a 20-30 seconds rest – repeat this for around four to five minutes,” Gaskell says, explaining that this is a high-impact, high-energy move so as soon as you feel tired, your technique will suffer. Gaskell recommends practising three times a week to see improvements.

“Double unders are high impact on the balls of your feet and your calves. Your achilles tendon and your feet take a massive strain on such a high ballistic movement,” she adds, recommending that you stretch and roll out your calves and feet before and after practising double unders.

Double unders: how to master the CrossFit movement as a complete beginner