Can jump rope build muscle?

Jump rope cannot build muscle. But it can tone muscle by helping you reduce the fat around muscle which shows off the muscle you do have.

Jump rope is a cardiovascular exercise, akin to running or cycling. Unlike resistance training, cardiovascular training does not lead to hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is the mechanism through which muscle fibres increase in size.

You’ll find that jump rope athletes with noticeably muscular physiques will always have some resistance training programmed into their training schedule.