Learning the Ropes

Running is probably the first thing that comes to mind when most people think about doing cardio, but no matter what you do, there’s no cardio exercise you can do without it involving being out of breath. But being out of breath and bored at the same time is really brutal. Don’t limit yourself when you’re doing cardio. There’s so much more than just running down the street. You can actually make your cardio interesting with battle ropes.

Just What is a Battle Rope?

Typically a battle rope refers to a thick rope, which is 2 inches in diameter or more that’s usually about 40 or 50 feet in length.

People even use long chains and even old fire hoses used instead of ropes, but buying them from a reputable online company like Rope Fit will ensure that you are getting the best equipment that can be had, free of defects and the possibility that you could injure yourself in any way while working out. To use a battle rope it has to be attached or wrapped around a stable fixture like a tree, sign, light post, etc. Two ends of the rope are held in each hand. But make sure the lengths of rope are both even.

Workout Duration

A rope workout doesn’t need to be long. Think of it as running sprints for your arms. A lot of times they are used in tabatas. An example would be working as hard as you can for 30 seconds, then resting 3 seconds. You can do that for 10-20 minutes. This type of training builds both anaerobic and aerobic conditioning. It also builds strength in a lot of sport specific movement patterns.

The Wave

The most common (and usually the first) exercise done with the battle ropes is a wave created by moving your arms up and down in an alternating pattern directly in front of you. Move them as rapidly as you can in the biggest range of motion possible. The ropes will create what looks like ocean waves. During most of these exercises, including this one, you need to be in a quarter squat position with a wide base. This will allow you to generate more power, especially when you’re tired.

The Double Wave

This exercise is similar to the previous one. The only difference is that you’ll keep your hands together on this one. The ropes should be side by side following the same wave pattern.

Lateral Twists

Hold both ropes together right in front of your belly button. Next, twist your torso rapidly from side to side. You should feel the effects of this exercise mostly in your abs.

Big Arm Circles

You can do arm circles a few different ways. First, you need to make sure you workout in a clockwise and counterclockwise motion. You can keep your arms together and make one big circle, or you can keep your hands separated and move the ropes in an alternating pattern, similar to a double-dutch jump rope.

Find What Works Best for You

There are many more beneficial workouts you can get from battle ropes. Begin with a few simple ones, adding more as you increase your stamina and strength.