The Battle Rope is a single heavy rope used as a full body strengthening and conditioning tool for achieving multiple training goals. The official battling ropes system was developed by John Brookfield. Its versatility lies in the incredible array of diverse and varied training applications it can be used for. The constant force production required by these exercises helps work on your core, arms and associated stability muscles work synergistically to create waving motions in a constant or varied continuum. Movements may be performed in all the planes of motion. Do all exercises in a circuit for 60 seconds each; repeat the circuit multiple times taking not more than 45 seconds rest in between the circuits.
— The writer is a fitness trainer at The Tribe Fitness Club.
Steps: Stand with your feet a bit wider than shoulder width apart and slightly bend your knees. Push your hips back and lower your centre of gravity just a bit for a very stable stance. Keep a tall spine with an open chest, brace or activate your core. Your stance will help you stabilise your body and help you transfer power through your hips and trunk to your arms and finally to the ropes.
Power Slam Double Waves: Hold the ends of the rope at an arm's length in front of your hips with your hands shoulder-width apart. Brace your core, raising both arms and slam the rope to the ground explosively as you lower both arms. Add a jump for more explosive power.
Seated Hip Toss: Holding the ends of the rope be seated on the floor, feet firm on the ground. Now, lean back, engage your core, twisting your torso as far as you can manage without changing the angle of your torso from the floor, twist from side to side.
Shuffle Alternating Waves: This is a classic battling-rope exercise and works on each arm independently, keeping your muscles under tension for extended periods. As you make alternating waves with your arms, shuffle your feet from side to side.
Benefits:
- Multiple muscle group activation makes it an excellent way to burn fat and activate the deep core muscles in the body.
- Movements and techniques can be modified for any fitness level; from using both hands to grip and work only one end of the rope, to adding more advanced movements that include lower body movements along with the upper body work.
- Provides a form of higher intensity training without impact on the joints.
- Helps develop muscular endurance and strength, as well as cardiovascular conditioning, grip strength, explosive power, joint stability, core strength and stability.
