Gym sessions can be pretty monotonous, especially once a weekly routine has been fixed. Cardio, abs, legs, lifting; it’s all pretty standard. So, if you’re looking to rev things up and get a full-body intense workout in the process, we suggest going the battle ropes way.
We get it. They look extremely intimidating. Secured to an anchor attached to a beam or pillar in the corner of the gym, battle ropes lay in a bundle on the floor, looking heavy, rugged and daunting, with the texture of the rope giving one instant worry about rope burns. But there are good reasons why trainers worldwide push more of their clients to include battle ropes in their workout routines. We’re about to debunk all the myths surrounding them and help you see all the benefits in slam and waving training ropes around.
Full Body Workout
There is a common misconception that battle ropes only work the arms to tone them. This is completely false, as doing a battle rope workout requires one to utilise strength from the back and chest, lean on strong footing and engage the core in order to effectively work out. This means that a battle rope session is a full body workout!
Battle ropes are also a great alternative to boring old cardio. The intense movement gets the heart racing while each arm works. This eliminates the imbalance in strength and sculpts muscles. It is also an effective fat blasting activity, replacing it with toned, strong muscles. To achieve better results, it’s imperative to keep the balls of the feet moving; the spine straight, but the body fluid around it and to move in many directions to focus on different sets of muscles.
Bad Form Causes Injuries
If you do a quick search on the internet for information about battle ropes, you’ll find many articles and forums discussing how bad battle ropes are for one’s shoulders. However, it is not the exercise or the equipment itself that causes injuries. The culprit is bad posture and form.
For starters, proper warm-ups that loosen every joint and muscle have to be practised. There are no two ways about it. No matter what the workout, the warm up is crucial. Apart from this, some amount of resistance training that helps increase strength and stamina is required to attempt this workout. Battle ropes also need one’s shoulders to be in great shape.
Posture is everything. Instead of trying to grip the ropes hard and pull them taut, it’s important to keep the shoulders loose and allow some slack. Moving away from the anchor point will reduce the intensity of the exercise; instead move closer to the anchor point to increase intensity and ensure that the set is challenging. Hold the ends of the rope at arm’s length in front of the hips with your hands shoulder-width apart. The core should be engaged too. Then begin.
HIIT With Battle Ropes
High intensity interval training exercises have proven time and time again that they are extremely effective in getting an intense workout done in a short amount of time, with amazing results. Including battle ropes in your HIIT routine will give it a leg up. Alternate between 30-second bursts of high intensity crossovers and low-intensity waves to improve overall health, and aerobic and anaerobic capacities.
Mix It Up
When working with battle ropes the tendency is to just do alternating waves. But introducing some side to side waves will work the hips and core to build stability. Also, moving the ropes in spiral motions will increase shoulder mobility and reduce the risk of injury. Then there are crossovers – lifting the ropes high up on one side and slamming them on the floor beside the leg on the other side while lowering into a semi-squat. Crossovers are intense and blast the core while engaging the shoulders, arms, lower back and knees – a total body workout.
Benefits Of Battle Ropes
- Fat blasting is on the top of the benefits list. Research shows that a battle ropes workout torches about 10 calories per minute, and the high heart rate – even more so with HIIT – helps boost metabolism.
- Then there’s increased mobility in the shoulders, hips and knees, and more fluidity in the waist and lower back. Working out with battle ropes also betters your grip.
- The fact that you have your feet planted on the ground throughout this exercise means that your risks of injury are low. Not to mention the improvement in both upper and lower body stability that comes with regular battle ropes exercises.