Battle Rope & Burn

Battle ropes are becoming hugely popular amongst fitness goers and athletes alike. From visuals of Sidney Crosby & Steven Stamkos in big brand fitness commercials, to aging adults, the trend is real & best of all, battle rope training is scientifically supported.

Much of the information linked into headers 1-3 came directly from a recent NSCA Personal Training Quarterly article. I am big proponent of getting the most work out of the least amount of time. To that end, follow the information, workouts & tips below.


Fullbody integration increases metabolic demand and coordination requirements. When clients have been assessed and progressed properly, go ahead and add lower body movements to the
whip, throw & crank. 

The benefits of HITT training are well known and not worth repeating at this time. But one, essential pre-training caveat is required. Never train at high intensity if you:

1. Are new to fitness
2. Have a personal or family history of cardiorespiratory incident
3. Haven't received a submaximal or maximal cardiorespiratory fitness assessment from a certified professional or personal trainer

And remember,

• Low intensity, steady state & long, moderate intensity intervals are the foundations for HITT.
• Have a trainer perform a submaximal cardio assessment in order to ensure you are working at the appropriate level. These assessments are used to create safe, highly individualize training programs.

1. INVOLVE AS MANY MUSCLES AS POSSIBLE

"The metabolic cost of a given exercise relates directly to the amount of muscle worked (3)."

Battle ropes are upper dominant but simply adding a deep squat or lunge hold can add additional cardio challenge and metabolic demand.

2 arms are better than 1. "Although both single- and double- arm exercises can be very effective for increasing the metabolic demand of a workout, double-arm exercises may be more effective." Additionally, the higher the intensity of the exercise (rip - rolling - tidal), the greater the metabolic impact.

2. USE SHORTER REST PERIODS

"The cardiovascular and metabolic effects that battling rope exercises create are increased by using one-minute rest intervals for every 30sec of work compared to two minutes of rest (7)."

The 1 work: 2rest work:rest interval has been shown to increase fat burning during HITT based training. However, upper muscles can be resting when lower body muscles are being worked. See point 5 in the bullets below. Therefore a work:rest ratio of 1:1 or 1:0.5 can be used when working this way. That means, you can perform 60sec of exercise & 30 sec recovery Vs working 30sec and resting 60sec. More importantly, you will receive most of the same benefits while shortening the duration of your workout.

3. USE SUPRAMAXIMAL INTERVALS - SMIT
The greater the intensity, the longer the EPOC / calorie after burn. SMIT goes above HITT training, which is performed at 100% of VO2max. SMIT involves interspersing maximal-intensity bursts of physical activity intervals performed at more than 100% VO2max with the same rest interval. How can someone go above 100%? It isn't for the faint of heart, but 100% of V02 is usually 90-95% of max HR. So SMIT equals HR's above that. Unless you are SUPERRRRR fit stay clear of SMIT; you will achieve great benefits for HITT.

4. MY INTEGRATED BATTLE ROPE APPROACH

When performing battle rope exercises, always choose a athletic stance with a strong upright posture as your base. Be certain to keep your shoulders down and back (i.e. avoid up and down shoulder movements) while whipping, throwing & cranking.

The research has shown that interval based training at higher HR's create the multiple health, performance and fitness benefits. But, again it's essential to receive a cardiovascular assessment before performing any for of high intensity cardiovascular training. At the British Columbia Personal Training Institute all instructors learn submaximal cardio tests that can easily be performed before embarking on your HITT / SMIT journey. I've previously outlined interval based cardiovascular training programs for various client fitness levels. Here are my specific suggestions for integrating battle ropes into your training program:

1. Think Ripple (low), Rolling (med), Tidal (high) for different levels of intensity.
2. Add speed of movement for greater intensity. It's simple perform more reps than you did previously but in the same amount of time. Or same reps in a shorter period of time.
3. Add another movement like squat, lunge, side shuffle, jumps or fast feet for added challenge and intensity.
4. Use ropes as a finisher during upper body weight training
1. When you are done pumping iron and you drive a little extra swell and condition your heart simultaneously, choose 2-4 movements (1 Whip, 1 Crank, 1 Chop / Slam).
2. Perform each movement for 30-40 double (harder) or single arm (easier) or 15sec per arm single / 20 sec / movement if double.
3. Active recover with leg or arm swings for 1 min to 90 sec
4. REPEAT 2-4X
5. Use a mini integrated circuit including (x # of reps per movement or 20sec / movement w 30 sec rest). Since different muscles are being used you need less rest to perform this style of circuit. Try the following:
1. Upper Dominant = Battle Rope, Boxing
2. Lower Dominant = Speed Ladder, Step / Plyo Box or Micro Hurdles
3. Fullbody = Sandbell, Multijoint Resistance Training, Kettlebell, Bulgarian Bag, Medicine Balls, ViPR etc.
4. Here are 3 samples:
Don't like being inside during the summer, all you need is a line, skipping rope, bench or stairs and your own rope.




Start with easier movements, lower velocities, less complex movement patterns, lower wave intensity and more rest. When you are ready (i.e. HR / breathing rate recovery improves / happens more quickly between sets) progress each of these elements.

If you have never tried battle rope training, and want to experience it in an integrated format, I have a simple solution. I helped create a group exercise format called Powerwave for Steve Nash Fitness Clubs. It's currently being offered at numerous facilities around the lower mainland. Drop in and tell them the Director of Fitness Education sent you. Enjoy the battle.

REFERENCES
Tumminello, N. (2016). Utlilizing battling rope exercicse for HITT and SMIT. Personal Training Quarterly. MARCH 2016  |  Vol. 3 - Issue 1.
 

Ratamess, NA, Smith, CR, Beller, NA, Kang, J, Faigenbaum, AD, and Bush, JA. The effects of rest interval length on acute battling rope exercise metabolism. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 29(9), 2375-2387, 2015.
 

Chad Benson, MSc, CSCS, CPT

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