Want To Sculpt Your Abs And Lose Weight? Try These Battle Rope Workouts

Tuesday, October 9, 2018, 14:20

If you are tired of performing the same old cardio exercises for burning fat and building muscles, then you should try doing battle rope workouts, an incredibly challenging workout that is done by using long, heavy strands of rope.

What Are Battle Rope Workouts?

Battle rope workout is a high intensity interval training (HIIT). This vigorous workout is so challenging that it increases your heart rate and it involves working of all the muscles of the upper body.

This workout is also perfect for those who want to burn fat and build lean mass. The ropes come in various lengths and thicknesses and it can be easily tied around a pole and can be done at home or at the gym.

Battle rope workout works on each arm separately, thus eliminating strength imbalances while sculpting muscles.

What Are The Benefits Of Battle Rope Workouts?

The exercise is great for your upper body and works on the muscles of the abs, back and glutes. You can also work up your lower body by incorporating movements such as lunges, jumps and squats that work on your legs too. It also builds the muscles in your shoulders, core and biceps. In this way you can target your upper and lower body in one go.

A 2015 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that battle rope workout is effective at engaging the external obliques and the erector spinal through the lumbar region of the spine.

How Does Battle Rope Workouts Burn Fat?

The workout is so fast and intense that will help burn between 300 to 350 calories per half an hour. Not only are you burning calories but also your metabolism is revved up for up to 36 hours after you are done with the workout. This means that you will burn fat while sleeping and at work the next day.

Here's how to get started with these variations of battle rope exercises.

1. Alternating Waves

Alternating waves are one of the most popular and common battle rope exercises. The standard wave is done by using the arms which is a great way to focus on your biceps.

How to do: Stand tall with your shoulder and legs apart. Hold the end of the rope in each hand and bend your knees slightly and draw your shoulders back. Then whip an arm upward creating a wave-like movement and as you bring the rope down, whip the opposite arm upward.

2. Single Arm Plank Waves

This single arm plank wave workout targets your core muscles, particularly the deep, supporting muscles of your transverse abdominis also known as the transverse abdominal muscles.

How to do: Stay in a plank position while balancing on one arm and make a lateral wave with the battle rope with your other arm. Turn and switch to the other arm. Your hand should stay lifted but the rope can touch the ground.

3. Battle Rope Snake Waves

This workout strengthens the back muscles, arms and the abdominal muscles.

How to do: Stand with your feet apart and your knees half squat. Put your arms out and hold the rope in front of your body. Swing your arms out and back in rapidly to create a lateral wave so that the ropes criss-cross each other.

4. Rope Slams

The rope slam workout engages your shoulders, arms, back and abs muscles.

How to do: Stand with your feet apart and hold one end of the rope in each hand. Whip both your arms up above your shoulders in tandem as you extend your knees and rise up on the feet. From this position, you will have to bring the rope down to the ground on full force and repeat the action.

5. Battle Rope Circles

Battle rope circle is a great way to focus on your shoulders as it helps in strengthening the muscles.

How to do: Start in the squat position. Hold the rope with both your hands and make a single circle with both ends of the rope. First, start by moving clockwise and then to counterclockwise halfway through.

6. Battle Rope Flyes

The battle rope flyes is another variation that you can try for your whole back. It's a challenging workout that will strengthen your back muscles.

How to do: Squat down and whip each end of the rope together as if you are flapping your arms like wings. Your elbows should be bent down slightly.

7. Russian Twists

This workout will challenge your ab muscles to stabilize while you are using your shoulders and arms to shake the rope. This works great for your abdominal muscles, shoulders and arms.

How to do: Sit down with your legs slightly bent and grab the ends of the rope tightly towards your right hip. Slightly, lean back so your core engages and your torso should remain straight. Lift both your arms up and swing the ropes on your right side and then switch on to the left side.

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