Battle rope is a new workout that has been making noise among workout enthusiasts and within the fitness community. Although this exercise has been around since early 90’s, it only started to become popular with the emergence scientific based body workout.
Battle rope is a form of explosive body fitness exercise that uses thick and heavy ropes. By throwing the rope and making a variety of waves and movements, it provides you a total body workout. One of the frequently asked question about this workout is “does battle rope exercises really build muscle?”
Battle rope regimen is a strength and conditioning exercise, let alone endurance and stamina. Building muscle is merely an incidental benefit, although you will eventually be leaner and have a toned physique.
Weight training repetitions are the ones that build muscles. Battle rope will welcome you into the world of high intensity routine drill.
Will Battle Rope get you Ripped?
Coupled with weight training [not absolutely bulking up], battle rope exercises can somehow help your body get ripped.
Performing this, your metabolism will greatly increase, hence, the fat burning mechanism in your body will sporadically set in.
Because you metabolism soars, your body will consistently burn fats. Thus, your muscles will be more visible.
This is where the instance when high intensity training, together with strength, conditioning, and weight training, will rip your body.
What muscles do battle ropes work, and how?
This workout focuses more on high repetitions and high amplitude movement. In doing this workout, you must move as fast as possible to complete each set of the routines.
In battle rope’s standard and usual workout, Deltoid and Shoulder muscles and those the help create a better posture ae likely to be targeted.
Core muscles are being strengthen, as well. When doing this, your legs also support your body weight. Ergo, leg muscles are utilized.
Standard Mechanics
First, you must have a good grip on the ropes. The ideal grip is to put your fingers around the ropes with the thumb off the handle itself and see to it that your hands are facing each other.
It is a no-no to hold right at the end of the ropes because you will not able to flick your wrist. This can easily tire up your hands, thereby, effectively losing your grip.
Second is you have to be in a solid stance. You have to place your feet a bit wider than your shoulders. Standing upright is highly discourage because it might cause fracture. You have to bend your knees and hips while keeping your chest forward.
Third is you have to flick and do not thug. The act of throwing the ropes by flicking your shoulders and wrist quickly is a common error when tugging the ropes. This may result to possible shoulder injuries.
Fourth is you have to clear the ropes. Make sure that you choose rope with the right length and thickness. Also, see to it that the wave reaching all the way to the end of anchor point.
Breathing Technique
Another important thing to note is the proper breathing technique. This might sound obvious but often this was one of the most common mistakes in performing an aerobic exercise.
We are quite aware of the level of concentration that is needed to perform this workout. Thus, there is a need for the proper breathing technique.
You might not last on this activity, which challenges both your strength and cardio endurance at the same time, if you will not make sure that you are taking enough strategic deep breaths.
Avoid creeping forward
Another important point to add is don’t creep forward. One of the things to watch out during a long set is to end up closer to the anchor point compared when you have started.
You will hardly realize that you are doing it. Yet, eventually, you may end up creeping forward. In the end, it will put too much slack in the ropes.
Such event will possibly make it really hard to create a nice and easy wave as well as keeping with great in form.
A possible work around for this is to put a marker or tape on the ground. You should try to stand on it closer to that point for the entire duration
How effective are the battle rope exercises?
Now, after learning the mechanics of this workout and the dos and don’ts, let us shift our attention to the common battle rope exercises.
Bicep Waves
One of the most common exercises using battle rope is the biceps wave. In executing this, you have to keep the rest of your body still.
Then, you should wave the ropes at the fast phase and focusing more on high reps and high amplitude mindset. You have to stay in a squat position with your back straight while keeping your elbow movement down to a minimum.
By holding your elbows intact, it will prevent your shoulders from burning out and continue with the work out for the longer time.
Lateral Whip Movement
Next is the lateral whip movement. You should slightly bend in your elbows. Afterwards, you bring the ropes upward as if you were making a lateral raise. You have to keep your thumbs pointing forward then start whipping them downward.
Continue doing this, then, gradually raise your speed. This exercise is a great way to target the deltoid and back muscles which more often than not, are muscles associated with creating a better posture and good.
Common errors to this exercise will include too much leg movement, in and out of the squat, and letting the torso slouch. To avoid this, you must keep your chest up and stay in a squat position.
Spiral Workout
Another one is the outside spiral workout. This is done with alternate arms and make an outward circle so that the rope will move like a corkscrew thus, working your shoulders and deltoids in the process.
This exercise has a very few variations. It will work the deltoid process which are the small muscles of the shoulder and will create core tension.
Hence, it is important to keep your chest as strong as possible by allowing yourself not to slouch. It’s a dynamic and fun way to train your back muscles and deltoids.
Tying T Exercise
The tying T exercise is the one of my favorites. You have to lie your face down forming a T-shape. Then, you should move the rope up and down, just like you are preparing for standing position.
This will definitely work your lower back and shoulders. This is another great exercise that work your posture muscles. The same is a great drill when starting doing a battle rope workout.
In doing this exercise you are going to work the upper, middle, and lower part of your body as well as the rear muscles.
It is great to use this in warm ups or as a main workout exercise. However, you have to make sure you squeeze your muscles.
You must not arch your upper back. You should feel this through the lower back and the shoulders.
Jumping Slam
The jumping slam is for the grand finale. In doing this, you have to jump up and bring the ropes down together then aim for high amplitude. You have to repeat this with much height and velocity.
An exercise which has the word ‘slam’, will instantly become your favorite. Keep in mind that this exercise will definitely tire you out pretty quickly thus, you should have a hawk’s eye with your form and no slouching.
Core Strengthening Regimen
Core muscles have been the constant in all strength, conditioning, and flexibility fitness activities. Core muscles are vital pieces of the puzzle when one is into an intense fitness routine.
Fortifying the core with adaptable exercise targeting such muscles will help your body flow with strength in doing other simultaneous and related workouts, such as but not limited to yoga, Pilates, and suspensions.
Full Circle Wave
Now, well discuss the battle rope exercises which will improve your core. Number one on my list is the full circle wave.
To do this, you have to stand tall then sideways the rope ends must be fixed while holding the other ends of the.
Move your hands up and creating a big circle clockwise for 12 reps then perform another 12 reps counterclockwise.
Repeat then rest for 30 seconds until you are done.
Two-point Wave
Another is the two-point wave exercise. You have to start in a plank position while your abdominal is fully engaged. Your body should be straight coming from plank position.
Make sure to hold the rope in both hands and raise your left leg. Repeat with your right leg. Keep doing this until you get tired and then rest again.
Side Plank Wave
Next is the side plank wave. Perform this by doing a side plank while your legs are straight and your upper body is supported by your right forearm.
You must hold the rope and wave it up and down for 60 seconds. Then, you switch sides and repeat the entire procedure. The upper body battle ropes workout is also a must.
For maximum effect, you should focus on maintaining the intensity and the motion from start to finish of the exercise.
Three Move Rope
In fact, if it is the lower body conditioning you want, battle rope is actually the best tool. You have to do this three-move rope and workout to whip your upper arm into shape.
A position which stands upright while your feet hip-width apart while holding a battle rope in each hand is a good move.
Since your muscles will be exposed in a prolonged time under tension, your muscles become leaner. Leaner muscles do not mean more muscles. Hence, battle rope does not really build muscles.
Do battle ropes build power?
Definitely! This is a high intensity workout and burst fitness strategy. Being on this level of exercise, battle ropes can help you build power.
Your metabolism will skyrocket, thereby, making your body fat burning machine. Of course, in all of these, you must go side by side with proper meal plan to help your body restore its energy.
This process will burst the power potential of your body.
Do battle ropes burn belly fat?
Most certainly! With these exercise tool used in your fitness activity, your body, as we mentioned, will become a fat burning machine.
Because of that, fats are being utilized as fuel for the demand of energy that is put into the exercise. This is deemed as a total body workout. When paired to other fitness regimen, this will be a fat burning explosion.
Consequently, belly fats are incinerated.
Final Thoughts
All of us should be concerned about our own health and fitness. Life is short. We should enjoy it. Fitness activity is one of life’s components to achieve overall well-being.
Health is wealth as the cliché goes. Nonetheless, such belief, principle, or you may call it dogma is one of the constant companions of optimum life value.
Doing exercises, such as battle ropes as exercise tool, will necessarily contribute to healthy lifestyle, among other workouts that one has in his routine.
Perforce, in as much as we want to take healthy foods and have a psychological balance within ourselves and in our minds, we should also not forget our physical welfare.
