Fitness: How to master battle ropes for greater strength

Out of all the cardio equipment available in a gym, battle ropes are probably the most deceptive. They look exciting and fun, until you hinge into position and start rippling them with one or two arms. Within seconds, the playful nature of the battle ropes has now turned into a feeling of forearms tightening, legs giving away, and heart thumping at the surprising effort needed to move them. Three sets of 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off will make one realise that the popular finisher lives up to its name.

A perception of the battle ropes is that it’s used by elite athletes only. But it is also ideal for beginners. In fact, it is a great way to gauge your fitness and progress with ease through an increase in the number of seconds and kinds of exercises. The resistance and the weight of the ropes is a constant, and that helps adopt them with more ease than one would think.

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“They may look like they were brought up from a dungeon or off the deck of a boat, but they’re called ‘battle ropes’ — and they’re an effective and safe tool for strength training. Despite their daunting name and appearance, you don’t have to be a contestant on ‘American Ninja Warrior’ to use them,” states a 2022 New York Times article titled To Level Up Your Strength-Training Workout, Embrace The Battle Rope.

But there is more to the methods of using the battle ropes. The first is the sheer number of different shapes of waves you can do to affect different muscles. In a quickfire 4:21minute YouTube video, fitness instructor Luka Hocevar shows 45 different variations one can try using them. From Russian twists to alternate lunge waves, and solo drum beat waves to jump-and-slams, these are some top quality suggestions from him.

Apart from the movements themselves, it is important to understand why battle ropes are as feared as they are useful. “Apart from its muscle-building and calorie-burning benefits, battle ropes also help in improving your heart health. As battle ropes involve full-body movements, it increases your heart rate and improves cardiovascular endurance. Engaging in battle rope exercises for just a few minutes a day can have a significant impact on your heart health,” writes dietician Mark Robertson in a blog in the fitness site dmoose.com titled, 10 Uses And Benefits Of Battle Ropes In Your Daily Workouts.

It’s also about coordination. Whether you are hinged and doing alternating waves, or holding onto the ropes and doing jumping jacks, your limbs are moving in tandem to create a motion that not just feels good, but also looks good. Using battle ropes needs a combination of agility, strength, and endurance, with the option of being in a hold position. Adding this will lead to lactic-acid build-up tolerance, making your sets for all other muscle groups more worth-it.

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There are some things to keep in mind as you start using battle-ropes. “We create too much tension between the mover and the anchor, eliminating the ability to produce increasing amounts of output and the ability to move through our full range of motion. Take a step or two towards the anchor, and free yourself to move (as well as add a bit more power output to your movements),” states an article on sports trainer John Rusin’s site titled Top 30 Battle Rope Exercises For Power, Strength & Endurance.

John Rusin trains MLB All-Stars, NFL All-Pros, Olympic medallists, and world-record-holding powerlifters and runs an online training program as well. In the article, Rusin suggests holding a smart position with a grip that isn’t too firm or too soft, along with taking a “wide position of power, and feel your abs get just as much of a workout as your shoulders, arms, and grip.”

The battle ropes are actually an all-purpose exercise tool. But its use specifically as an abs builder is very underrated. YouTube page Jimmy Walker Fitness has a really good 10-minute follow along workout just for this. While he does not add oblique-focussed moves, feel free to get into a side plank hold and then do waves as well. Three sets of three exercises done for 30-60 seconds with sizable breaks in between will add a resistance to your ab training – which aren’t from weights or bands or done on a pull-up bar.

Turning resistance training for the core away from the usual to something that is daunting but fun is a great way to refresh workouts.Apply the same logic to using it as a lower body endurance builder, adding lunges and squats to the mix and you will be creating waves at the gym. Literally.

Pulasta Dhar is a football commentator, podcaster and writer.

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