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Battle ropes are an excellent piece of training equipment for both a home gym and a commercial gym. They allow for a variety of training options and can be used to train practically the entire body.
Additionally, battle ropes also have numerous benefits in terms of fat loss, power, endurance, strength, and agility. They are a highly effective piece of equipment for building core strength and stability, increasing explosive power, muscular endurance, and more.
Let’s dive into the top 5 battle rope exercises and see how they can help you improve your fitness and body composition.
Battle Rope Kneeling Wave and 4 Other Battle Rope Exercises to Boost Your Fitness
1) Battle Rope Waves
Waves are the most popular battle rope exercise. It’s great for torching fat, getting lean and building muscle (particularly in the biceps, forearms, shoulders and core). It is also an excellent substitute for other cardio exercises.
How to do it?
- Grab the battle ropes in a neutral grip, and position your body so there is some slack in the ropes.
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, knees bent slightly, back straight.
- Hold the ropes out in front of you like you are driving a horse and buggy.
- Bring your right arm up and wave it as if throwing the rope into the air.
- Then bring your arm down as the rope comes down, and raise your left arm to repeat the motion.
- Keep alternating arms as you make waves with the rope.
2) Battle Rope High Wave
High waves are similar to standard waves, except that your torso stays upright in this one. The large waves you create with your arms place more emphasis on upper body muscles like your chest, traps, lats, forearms and shoulders.
Here's how you do this exercise:
- Grab the ropes with a neutral grip and stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
- Bend at the knees until your upper body is just above parallel to the floor.
- Bring your arms out in front of you and imagine that you are driving a horse and buggy.
- Your hands will be moving up and down in front of your body, just like they would if you were waving hello to someone.
3) Battle Rope Low Waves
The battle rope low wave is the opposite of the high wave, so you'll experience less range of motion and have a lower center of gravity. This position will put more emphasis on your arms as well as your lower back muscles.
How to do this workout?
- Grab the ropes with a neutral grip, and position your body so there is some slack in the ropes.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees slightly and push your hips back.
- Lean forward; try to touch your chest to the floor but keep your spine straight.
- Alternate your arms, making quick up-and-down movements.
- There will be little movement in your shoulders, and the up-and-down motion should be rapid.
4) Battle Rope Kneeling Wave
From a tall kneeling position, swing your arms like you are waving to someone in the distance. This is a great exercise for beginners, as it focuses on one side at a time instead of both together. It can also be used as a warm-up exercise.
To perform this exercise:
- Grab the ropes with a neutral grip so there is some slack in the ropes and then kneel down with your back upright.
- Bring your right arm up and throw it up and away from you, while bringing your arm back down.
- Do the same motion with your left arm by bringing it up and throwing it up and away from you, while bringing your arm back down.
- Alternate between your right arm and left arm by doing both motions.
5) Battle Rope Russian Twists
Battle Rope Russian Twists will send your core muscles into overdrive as you try to stabilize the undulating rope. This variation of the classic Russian Twist is going to work on your shoulders, traps, and arms—primary movers of the rope.
Here's how you do this workout:
- Sit with your knees bent, heels on the ground, and grab a rope in each hand.
- Bring your hands close together and outside of your right thigh.
- Lift both ropes up and over to the other side of your body.
- Keep your spine straight and don't rotate as you lift. This is an anti-rotation exercise.
- Do this for a number of reps or duration of time.
Takeaway
Battle ropes provide a total body and functional workout that is perfect for increasing strength and endurance, as well as burning fat. There is no isolated muscle group being trained here; rather, the entire body works in unison to perform every exercise. That's why battle rope exercises are great for raising the heart rate (which can be used as a cardio assessment tool), and also fantastic at getting rid of belly fat.
