What are the 7 Benefits of Battle Ropes?
Battle ropes are one of the core exercises within many High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) routines. These low-tech tools are often just thin, lightweight, pieces of rope, similar in shape to bungee cords. They’re also lightweight, portable, durable, and easy to store. The versatility of battle ropes is a big part of their appeal for people who work out at home, studio, or gym.
Battle ropes are designed to strengthen the entire body. They can build endurance, power, speed, and muscular strength in every muscle group.
Simple
Battle ropes are inexpensive, yet they deliver a hard workout.
Battle ropes are inexpensive, yet they deliver a hard workout. Quick
With a maximum length of 20”, battle ropes are easy to set up and take down.
With a maximum length of 20”, battle ropes are easy to set up and take down. Easy to learn
Just jump into it and start making waves.
Just jump into it and start making waves. Portable
Bring them with you wherever you workout.
Bring them with you wherever you workout. Versatile
Challenge every muscle in the body.
Challenge every muscle in the body. Workout variety
Do a High-Low workout of power and endurance, or superset them with bodyweight exercises.
Novel Cardio
Battle ropes, also known as speed ropes, are a type of resistance training using thick ropes with a diameter of about three to six inches, making their midpoint similar to a heavy jump rope. Battle ropes have been used for a variety of exercises for hundreds of years by various cultures. Originating in the Pacific Northwest, these ropes have been used most notably in the Navy SEALs as a military exercise.
In recent years, the battle ropes have started to gain in popularity. Fitness experts and workout aficionados are starting to take note of a host of health benefits that these ropes offer. Health benefits include increased muscle mass, increased endurance, and a massive decrease in waist size.
Combat Fat and Extra Calories with a Session of Battle Ropes
One of the most difficult facts of life is that it just keeps getting harder. The older you get, the less health problems you’re likely to have, but the more likely you are to add extra weight to your frame.
This is impossible to avoid no matter how much willpower you have. Even if you have the most disciplined lifestyle on the planet, you can’t completely eliminate the aging process.
However, with age comes responsibility that you can do something about. You can choose to gain muscle and increase your overall fitness level and health in your older years. This can be accomplished simply with a few techniques, including Battle Ropes.
Basically, Battle Ropes are giant pieces of rope that you can do a variety of resistive exercises with. So, how can these help you keep your weight down, and, more importantly, how can they help you get through your day?
First, it bears noting that the Battle Ropes at your local gym are going to be significantly different than the ones you can buy on the Internet for home use. That’s mostly because while there are several types of rope, the average rock, shot, or series of items tied together doesn’t offer much of a workout.
Battle Rope Your Way to a Killer Core and Abs
Forget about the crunches, the sit-ups, and all those other exercises you think work your core. They don’t. The real way to develop a strong and solid core is to work it out using the battle ropes.
If you want to bulk up or specializing in fitness. Your battle ropes can becoming your best friend.
In this article, you will learn how to use the battle ropes to develop some killer abs. Ready? Ok.
Battle Ropes Rip
Ripping is a good thing. It means that you will burn more fat than ever. It also develops and shapes your core.
Your midsection holds a huge percentage of the fat in your body, and that is why battle ropes are the superior way to get that toned core.
Battle Ropes Combat Injuries
You don’t want to be caught unprepared for battle on the field, but that’s just what happens to most people who work out without strengthening their core. Most people when they get injured, especially when they get injured in the core, they say, “Oh, it’s just a cramp.”
What is a cramp? Exactly. You’re unprepared for that battle, and you didn’t cover up your flank.
Battle Ropes Strengthen Your Pulling Muscles
While the six other exercises we’ll discuss are all beneficial in terms of adding muscle mass and improving strength, using battle ropes is one of the best ways to strengthen the muscles in your arms and upper body.
According to a study conducted by the NSCA, battle ropes are more effective for developing the single arm pull than pushups, pull-ups and bent-over rows. Even though they’re easier to perform than the other three exercises, if you start with large diameter ropes (which you should), you’ll get an incredibly fast workout that targets your arm muscles in a way no other exercise does.
The best way to use battle ropes is to start your workout on the floor and end on them because your arms and torso will be very tired by the time you’re through this type of intense full-body workout. At the start of your workout, do lower intensity moves like shoulder taps and side pulls to warm up and get your muscles ready.
At the end of the session, perform some harder moves like cross-overs, cross-unders, and downward slams to really push yourself past your limits.
Battle Ropes Build Buff Shoulders
In addition to the cardio benefits from several of our previous battle ropes exercises, squats, burpees, and jump rope, battle ropes also provide a great upper body workout. If the possibilities of working out your core and abs are not good enough, battle ropes can also tone and define your arms.
This upper body workout can be accomplished by performing one of the following battle ropes exercises:
- Single Arm Rope Slams
- One Arm/One Leg Rope Weave
- Slalom with Battle Ropes
- Dive Bounces
- Clawed Frog Walk with Battle Ropes
- Cavemen
- Rope Trampoline
Excellent for HIIT Style Workouts
Using battle ropes for your HIIT workouts is an excellent way to challenge yourself. However, it also adds a new dimension of intensity due to the change in leverage. The ropes are long, which is a benefit because it gives you a little extra room to make high impact movements. This forces you to use stronger muscles to catch the rope, giving you a full-body workout.
It is also an excellent way to increase your anaerobic performance, meaning they can improve your overall cardiovascular health. If you want to make your HIIT workout as efficient as possible, consider adding this movement to your routine.
There are a ton of benefits from using battle ropes. However, the biggest reason why you should use battle ropes is that they are an excellent way to challenge yourself.
Battle Ropes Improve Your Functional Fitness or Functional Training
Battle ropes, also referred to as jump ropes or assault ropes, are heavy ropes that look like a jump rope, but are typically used for heavier activities. The ropes are usually called by different names because the names vary depending on where you are and who you are talking to.
They are usually either called battle ropes, assault ropes, jump ropes, or power ropes, but regardless of the name, they are a very versatile, powerful fitness tool.
Battle ropes will improve your functional fitness and functional training. Functional fitness is fitness that is applicable to your actual life, and you can use the rope in your life outside the gym.
They also improve your grip strength, while increasing speed and endurance.
Benefits of Battle Ropes
Battle ropes give you huge power, and they are a good way to start training with power, as you increase the speed and intensity of the exercises.
Benefits include:
Increased Combat Readiness:
Every branch of the military uses this rope. Why? Because it is one of the best ways to increase your combat readiness. Increase your anaerobic threshold for longer, faster battles.
Builds Joint Strength:
With battle ropes, you must keep your fists closed at all times unless you need to let them out to quickly grab the rope during drills. This forces the shoulders and hips to work together to control the rope, allowing you to easily handle a heavy rope.
Battle Ropes FAQs
Q: Where do battle ropes come from?
A: One of the most famous versions of the battle ropes is the Big Ass Battle Ropes (or Super Man Ropes). These ropes were developed by Coach Steele in a high school strength and conditioning class. This exercise can be traced back to the Navy Seal’s battle rope exercises.
However, people have been doing these exercises as long as people have been swinging ropes. Even Alexander the Great would do battle rope exercises with his troops. The checkered pattern on the ropes comes from the sailors trying to keep track of their time.
Q: What are the benefits of using battle ropes?
A: The benefits of battle ropes are many. Exercising with the ropes is a great way to increase your strength, endurance, and grip strength. Because your grip is constantly tested, using the ropes is an excellent way to improve your hand strength.
Some of the main benefits of the rope exercises include:
- They target the grip, which is one of the weakest parts of the body
- They are very high intensity with fast movements
- They are great for endurance
- They’re fun!
Q: How do I use the ropes?
Can You Build Muscle with Battle Ropes?
Battle ropes have been around for a long time, but in recent years, they have gained popularity in the fitness industry. The main reason for this is that they give you an intense total body workout in a relatively short amount of time. On top of that, research shows that they improve cardiovascular endurance.
So, they have that going for them, which is nice. But you’ll also be glad to know that they’re a great way to build muscle as well.
They’re a Good Warmup Tool
Speaking of research, there was a study performed that showed that after a ten minute battle rope workout, participants had a significant improvement in muscle activity of the chest, shoulders, triceps, and abdominal muscles.
These are important body parts to build muscle in, so consider adding battle ropes into your routine if you want to do some weight lifting.
They Burn a Lot of Calories
Another study tested different ways of working out and how many calories they burned. Participants were divided up and either walked, jogged, or did battle ropes for twenty minutes. The results were pretty clear: battle ropes burned a lot of calories.
The battle ropes group burned 296 calories in twenty minutes, compared to the jogging group who burned 273 calories and the walking group who burned just 218.
Are Battle Ropes Good for Cardio?
Yes! Battle ropes are excellent for developing cardio and endurance. The battle rope is a challenging cardiovascular exercise because it provides a full-body strength training workout. The one-directional movement places large amounts of stress on your body, forcing it to adapt and become stronger and more fit.
Training with battle ropes also dramatically improves endurance and stamina. A rope battle increases your overall endurance because you are using large amounts of muscle groups to perform the exercise.
On average most people cover about 12 to 13 feet with each turn at the ropes. That’s a really long distance. The battle rope is a unique and effective way to combine two total-body exercises into one.
And now that you have some background information on the battle rope, you’re probably wondering why you should use these things. So, I have identified some of the top battle rope benefits below.
What Muscles do Battle Ropes Target?
If you have ever used battle ropes before, you are probably already familiar with the benefits of this type of training. Battle ropes are one of the best conditioning tools that you can get your hands on. They are the most primal form of training tool that exists.
Battle ropes can be used as a piece of fitness equipment, but they can also be used as a heavy bag. It can also be used as a piece of heavy equipment.
This is why battle ropes are known as the most versatile piece of fitness equipment on the market.
Battle ropes can get your heart rate up in a hurry and make you get a great cardiovascular workout. It brings a new intensity to the traditional rope exercise. You can work muscle accessories in a whole new way.
Because of the way that you use battle ropes, they target a variety of muscles. These include the shoulders, biceps, forearms, triceps, and abs. Your back and glutes also bear the brunt of the work when you use them properly.
The ropes are also able to improve your balance. This is because you are forced to maintain your balance while using them. You will be doing a great deal of lateral movements while using battle ropes. This will make your footwork better and your balance better overall.
Do Battle Ropes Work Shoulders?
Battle ropes are cords made of a twisted and/ or braided non-elastic material, typically nylon.
They are generally 1 or 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) in diameter.
They vary from 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 meters) in length.
Battle ropes have many cross-training and fitness applications, but are used primarily in HIIT workouts to increase strength and endurance.
These are some of the core benefits of using battle ropes for fitness workouts:
Do Battle Ropes Work Biceps?
Quite honestly, yes. But as with most things in fitness, if there was a simple "one all" answer, there wouldn't be thousands of products on the market. The effects of battle ropes can be seen in multiple muscle groups. While some of the muscles in a given exercise will be more emphasized, most of the areas will benefit. Of course, depending on the exercise, other muscles groups like abdominals and hips will be used as stabilizers.
This is what makes battle ropes so versatile. While they will work the typical muscles associated with strength training, they can be used for many other types of exercises. For example, the core and hips are challenged when doing battle rope exercises like the swing and crossover knee raise. Similarly, the arms, back, and chest get a workout in many of the moves.
Since the manufacturer of the Rope Skipper has a training video on the website, we're including it below for reference:
As you can see, most of the exercises included in the video primarily work the large muscle groups in the body, primarily the legs and hips. While there are some smaller muscle groups that are targeted, the focus is on the larger ones. If you are looking for a product to only help you concentrate on one area, you will probably want to choose a different piece of equipment.
Wrap up
Battle ropes involve swinging a thick rope in a variety of different exercises that mainly involve explosive movements of the arms and upper body. The use of a weighted rope is designed to improve strength, endurance, and power. A variety of different routines can be used with this piece of equipment, allowing it to be incorporated into a full body work out.
Battle ropes are an ideal way to get in a challenging full body workout and increase your strength and endurance. While they can be used as an alternative to an exercise machine at a gym, they’re also great to have in the backyard or to take on the go for a full body workout wherever you go.
Below are 5 of the many benefits of this piece of exercise equipment.