Health² (Health Squared) Shows You The Ropes To Improve Your Fitness

When considering conditioning exercises, it is important to remember the battle rope. In this article, we are focusing on the battle rope, what it is, how it is used, and what you need to know.

While not everybody’s favourite piece of gym equipment, the battle rope is an epic workout!

What Is A Battle Rope?

A battle rope is a thickened nylon rope, generally with a rubber handle which provides grip as you perform intensive exercises designed to raise the heart rate and break a sweat. Battle ropes are normally moderately heavy and can be used differently for different levels of users. Normally you would anchor a battle rope using an anchor such as a fixed point on the floor or affixing it to an exercise rack. When we use battle ropes, it’s normally in our private PT Studio. Therefore, we use strap fixings, but you can get metal anchor fixing, which is set into the lawn and ideal for summer weight loss workouts.

Why Are Battle Ropes Great For Workouts?

Personal trainers like us love battle ropes because they provide intensive exercise around some of the key areas usually targeted by trainers, such as the back of the arms, shoulders, chest and even abs. The effort taken to lift and move battle ropes makes even the fittest instructor break a sweat. Battle ropes elevate the heart rate in short sharp bursts, boosting metabolism to burn fat and calories, transforming a client’s body more quickly than doing some other exercises.

Other reasons battle ropes are effective include:

Improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness
Enhancements in athletic performance
They are low-impact exercise
Battle rope exercises can be completed sitting down

But What Exercises Can You Do With Battle Ropes?

Four exercises that can be completed using battle ropes are as follows. We would not recommend completing all of the exercises below once, especially if this is your first time with a battle rope. Please be sensible and identify your physical boundaries by easing into the exercises. Try one or two before you try them all.

Bilateral waves – from a standing position, bend your knees slightly, then with two hands in front of you, raise and lower the ropes quickly. This action works the biceps, quads, triceps, shoulders, pectoral muscles and even calves.

Unilateral waves – from the same position, feet hip-width apart and a rope in each hand, ensure legs are bent slightly at the knee, then raise and lower each arm independently in an up-and-down motion.

Rope slams – once again, from the same slightly bent knee position, bring your hands together and then raise and lower them in unison. The goal here is to lift the ropes high and them slam them down, rather than making smooth waves. This differs from bilateral waves because the movement creates a longer whip in the rope and is around double the extension, using more of the shoulders and back.

Alternating wide circles – from the same regular standing position with knees slightly bent, begin to swing the ropes out from the centre using a circular motion (wax on, wax off). This large circular motion works the pectoral muscles and shoulder muscles while maintaining tension through the quads.

Try these for 30 seconds of effort, take a 6o second break and repeat for 3 to 4 sets.

What Can I Expect?

When completing any of these exercises multiple times, you will tire, and the first few times will certainly be challenging. Once you get into a routine with the ropes, your muscles become stronger, and movements become easier. At this stage, you can increase your sets, increase your tempo and the length of time each is completed should you wish. Your trainer will take you through each of these exercises to ensure that you are standing correctly and not overdoing any of the movements. We would advise using them for the first time with a trainer. It is best to read up or ask for some advice before you tackle the ropes on your own.

Summary

We love the ropes and are sure you will too! They can be a great exercises to burn fat, provide tone and improve strength within a short period of time.

Are You Considering Buying A Rope?

If you read this article and decide you fancy hitting the ropes, then please get in touch with our team and will be sure to book a session with our personal trainers to help you get the most out of your exercises.

We can’t stress enough you must ensure that there is enough space to use your rope if you plan to exercise in your garage or home. Using a regular garden is often easier, but we recommend an anchor point. We chose Mirafit for our rope and anchor and recommended them for quality and price.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss personal training, please get in touch with the team using the contact page or use live chat the following email address: ben@healthsquared.co.uk

Health² (Health Squared) Shows You The Ropes To Improve Your Fitness