In the past, battle ropes would mostly lay on the floor of the facilities of the gym, gathering dust. This phenomenon has changed! Today this exercise tool has gained a lot of popularity. It can be done in isolation and also to complement other exercises. There is something really satisfying about performing a slam movement and watching the energy flow through the rope like a tidal wave.

Unlike other exercises that concentrate on one area, battle rope exercises often work the whole body, building these exercises into your workouts often result in growing evenly distributed muscles within a short time. Let’s dig in on the different variations of Battle Rope exercises.

 

Jumping Lunge Waves

The jumping lunge is a killer! It targets the upper body (arms, shoulders, and the core) primarily. The jumping variation will help you work the lower body (thighs and hips). It is a full-body movement. 

1. Position yourself in a split stance athletic base position. Let your back knee touch the floor, and your hands stretched forward, holding the rope. 
2. Start slamming the rope on the floor in an alternating sequence.
3.  Perform a lunge jump in an alternating sequence as you continue slamming the ropes. 
4. Use your arms to generate the force and the legs to absorb the impact. 
5. 30 Seconds On – 30 Seconds Rest – 3 Sets Each

 

Pistol Squat Wave 

 

Next up is the pistol squat wave. Bang bang!

1. Have your back in an upright position,
2. Lift one foot and lower your body in a squat position. (support your body with one foot with the other spread out in a right angle to your abdomen)
3. While alternating arms, slam the ropes to the floor! 
4. 30 Seconds Work – 30 Seconds Rest – 3 Sets Each 

 

Plank Slams 

Thinking of improving your shoulders and broadening your chest? This is your exercise!

1. Start in a push-up/ plank position with both arms holding the ropes.
2. Keep your back flat and hips as parallel to the ground as you can. 
3. Slam the ropes with one hand as the other hand is supporting your weight. 
4. alternate arms, try to get into a rhythm! 
5. 30 Seconds Work – 30 Seconds Rest – 3 Sets Each

 

Rope Shadowboxing

Rope Shadowboxing is a great exercise for toning up the shoulders and arms. Try and keep the movements strong and quick. 

1. Start in an upright standing posture with your feet slightly spread( 50 cm or so depending on your height).
2. With your hands holding the ropes, perform boxing movements simulating punches by throwing your hand out. 
3. Imagine yourself boxing and throwing those hard fists into your opponent.
4. 30 Seconds Work – 30 Seconds Rest – 3 Sets Each

 

Sitting Side to Sides

Here we have sitting Side to Sides, a variation of standing side to sides that allow you to focus on isolating the muscles in your upper Body & Core 

1. Start in a sitting position. 
2. Raise your legs up to create an arch, bring your knees halfway to your chest.
3. With your arms stretched forward, hold a rope or a pair of ropes together with both hands. 
4. Slam the rope on the right side of the legs then, immediately slam the rope to the left of the legs. 
5. 30 seconds Work – 30 Seconds Rest – 3 Sets Each

 

 Rope Waves 

Rope waves are a classic battle rope exercise, a great place to start before advancing to other variations. It is simple and easy to perform, not to mention it is really darn fun! 

1. Adopt a slightly slanting position by bending your knee.
2. Hold both ends of the rope at a distance, shoulder-length apart. 
3. Have your core braced (tight core), and slowly start raising and lowering your hands in an alternating sequence. 
4. Be sure to slam the rope hard to the ground to help you build more resistance and better muscle growth. 
5. 30 seconds Work – 30 Seconds Rest – 3 Sets Each

 

Split Jump Waves 

This split jump wave targets your hips and lower abdomen as well as your entire upper body simultaneously. Move with power and speed, quality reps are key!

1. Start in a split position with one leg forward. Keep your knees bent.
2. Holding the rope with both hands perform a strong swing to the right and at the same time alternate the position of the legs with a jump.
3. Perform another swing to the left and alternate the position of the leg by jumping. 
4. 30 seconds Work – 30 Seconds Off – 3 Sets Each

  

Superman Waves 

This exercise will work out your entire body. It creates strong shoulders and strengthens arms. This one is pretty advanced, if you need too, you can place your knees on the ground instead of your feet. 

1. Now support your body using your toes and hand. (be in a “push-up position” holding the rope).
2. Raise your upper body and  simultaneously slam the rope with either hand and return to the “push- up position.” 
3. Now raise your foot as you slam the rope against the ground. 
4. 30 seconds On – 30 Seconds Off – 3 Sets Each

I hope you enjoyed this workout, using unconventional tools forces your body to move in ways it’s not used too. This promotes real-world strength and keeps things fresh! Its important to keep your workouts fun and exciting, Battle ropes are a great option for this because they are quite frankly bad-@$$!