Battle ropes are definitely no passing fad. They’ve been around in gyms and fitness facilities since the mid-noughties and interest has increased steadily to the point where virtually all gyms have a set of these workout beasts. And there’s a great reason for such widespread adoption. Throwing these thick and heavy ropes about does more than just look impressive – it’s a ruthlessly effective workout.
Along with boosted strength and fat loss, battle ropes offer an intense cardio workout. They’re well-suited to Tabata training and also develop muscular endurance. What’s not to love?
It’s also an easy-to-obtain piece of kit which is simple to set up outside and also takes up minimal storage space. We’d recommend having ropes of different lengths in order to suit your experience and space available.
What Are The Benefits of Battle Ropes?
Improves Cardio And Strength
While battle ropes may look like fun to utilise, you might be asking yourself what the benefits behind them are. The main benefit of the battle ropes is that it boosts levels of significant elements of the body such as cardio, power, endurance as well as strength.
Doesn’t Require A Lot Of Time
Don’t believe us? Try using a battle rope workout routine for five straight minutes. Your lungs will be scorching, your forearms will feel utterly exhausted and the sweat will be pouring down your face.
Sure, lots of cardiovascular workouts can boast that type of benefit. You could sprint, perform jumping jacks, box jumps as well as a lot of other high-intensity exercises. However, those take a heavy toll on your body, especially your knee in addition to your ankle joints.
Low-Impact On The Joints
The fact that you are able to push yourself at a high-intensity level while the battle ropes are considered to be low-impact exercises is fantastic. This minimises the individuals’ chances of getting injured while still allowing them to push themselves close to their maximum capacity.
Essential Battle Rope Exercises
You are able to use battle ropes at the start of your session as part of a warm-up or activation phase. In addition, you can use them in the middle of your workout in order to build intensity with waves, slams and whips. Or you can utilise them at the end of a workout as a finisher for time or reps.
Ropes are fantastic for time-based workout routines. You work at an increased intensity as opposed to what you do than with, say, dumbbells. Thus you get your heart rate up as well to burn more calories
Biceps Wave
Keeping the rest of the body still, wave the battle ropes as quickly as possible, concentrating on high reps as well as high amplitude. It’ll get your muscles ready for what’s to come. Remain in a quarter squat position, with your back up straight, and make sure that you keep your elbow movement to a minimum. Ensuring that you keep your elbows in will stop your shoulders from burning out and keep the movement in your biceps.
Lateral Whip
With a very minor bend in the elbows, bring the battle ropes up as if you were doing a lateral raise, making sure that you keep your thumbs pointing a bit forwards. Then whip them downwards. Carry on doing to do your raises at speed.
This is a marvellous way to target the rear delts and back muscles, which are muscles that are linked to creating better posture. Quite common errors include too much leg movement in and out of the squat and allowing the torso slouch. Keep your chest up and remain in a quarter squat position.
Outside Spiral
With alternating arms, make outward circles so that the battle rope moves like a corkscrew, working your shoulders as well as your rotator cuffs.
This exercise has a number of different variations for all levels of ability, from half kneeling to clockwise and anti-clockwise rotations. This battle ropes exercise will work the rotator cuffs, which are the small stabilising muscles of the shoulder joints and create core tension. This is why it is incredibly essential to keep your torso as strong as possible through not allowing yourself to slouch. It’s a fun as well as dynamic way to train the back muscles and rotator cuffs.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
Do you want to become a battle ropes expert? If you do then it is very important to do our Battle Ropes Course. Follow this link to find out more.
