My goal in this article to explain the basics, uncover some variables and show you some of the advanced techniques that we have been using at our gym over the last few years.

A few years back, I saw some videos on battle rope training, and it piqued my interest. I wondered if it was just another fad or gimmick.

Out of the blue, a trainer friend named Tony Bruno (gave me my first training job in Chicago), called me and asked if I had heard about the ropes. Apparently, he was helping Ingrid Marcum rehab from a lifting injury, and she had opened his eyes to the training concept.

Ingrid Marcum helps facilitate the Battle Ropes workshops and certifications with the founder, John Brookfield. You’ve probably seen or heard about John and his program in Perform Better, Youtube, Ironmind, and many other resources.

Tony is typically very skeptical about fitness gimmicks, but his enthusiasm gave me the confidence to buy and learn more about the system. I spoke briefly to Ingrid and eventually had she and John visit our gym.

We’ve hosted three certifications at our facility, and it has become a pillar of our training program.

Battle Rope Training Benefits

Learning to maintain intensity over time helps increase lactic acid threshold in your upper body. This is unique since the majority of conditioning these days focuses on locomotion, running, climbing, and other drills propelled by the legs.

This has helped us with our other lifts and activities outside the gym. It has also become one of our secret weapons when training MMA fighters. I expect each one of them to be able to maintain intensity on a variety of rope drills for at least 5 minutes.

They are fun. The majority of people that I talk to hate the gym and it’s not because they are lazy. Most people are seriously bored at the typical big box gym. There is no emotion and very little has changed over the last 30 years.

Using tools like the ropes is a breath of fresh air for most people; it creates excitement, it is unique, and it gets people “playing” again.

Developing mental toughness. I think that developing mental toughness and learning to overcome obstacles is one of the most important things we can help people do.

When people start using the ropes, the idea of maintaining intensity over 1 minute seems like a pipe dream, but consistent training will help them break through mental barriers and come out with a new outlook and confidence.

Unilateral dominance/imbalance – The waves tell a story. If you watch the movements carefully, you will notice that one side of your body may move differently than the other; It may generate a smaller wave, be more uncoordinated, etc.

The cool part about Rope Training is that over time, these differences go away. Slowly, you will notice your right and left sides start to balance out.

How to Use Battle Ropes

Relax – Learning to relax under stress is vital. Many people grip the ropes hard and tense up their bodies, leading to quick exhaustion. Grip the rope lightly, relax your arms, shoulders, torso, and even your face; you will be able to move faster and maintain intensity for longer periods of time.

Breathe – This goes hand and hand with being able to relax. Rope exercises are 100% output, meaning that there is no rest. Typical exercises in other training methods have a rest point, allowing for relaxation and consistent breathing patterns.  Novices to Rope Training tend to hold their breath and hurt their performance. Try and match your movement with your breathing pattern; as speed and intensity increases, your breathing should too.

Whole Body Training – While most rope exercises are thought to be upper body movements, the entire body should be utilized to increase power and efficiency. The legs and hips play a critical role in generating power into and through the arms. This is important for all movements, especially sports and athletics. When doing the Waves, be conscious of your feet, legs, hips, and shoulders. Make sure to avoid standing too stiffly, and ensure that all areas of your body are active.

Battle Rope Training: The Wave Series

The Wave Series is typically what you see on Youtube, commercials, and advertisements. The most challenging aspect of the Wave Series is that, if done correctly, the exercises have zero downtime; Waves require 100% output.

These exercises can be used in a variety of ways, including various intervals for a particular time and/or for distance. A 50’ rope, wrapped around an anchor, makes 2, 25-foot lengths. You can use this information to design distance workouts (1/4 mile, 1 mile, etc.).

Time, distance, reps, etc. can all be manipulated to a variety of workouts and goals. Your imagination only limits the possibilities. Use the following variables to increase or decrease each exercise to fit your client’s ability levels and goals.

When trying the waves for the first time, 20 seconds will feel like an eternity. Over time, people quickly adapt and can maintain a consistent pace and intensity for 5 minutes to over 45 minutes. We have a wall full of names that did alternating waves for over 10 minutes.

I suggest working up to 10-20 minutes, then working on intensity and speed afterward.

Battle Rope Wave Exercise Variables

The Handle – Fold the rope over, and it doubles the size you have to hold, making it more challenging on the grip.

Distance from the Anchor – Ideally, you start with a little slack on the ropes. By moving closer to the anchor point, it makes it more challenging to get the waves to the end, meaning that you have to generate more power through the rope to get it all the way down.

Body Position – Standing, kneeling, sitting, plank position, and moving while doing various exercises adds a whole new list of drills. As you go from standing to kneeling, less of the body can work, and it becomes harder to get the waves to the end. Adding a variety of movements (squatting, lunging, jumping, lateral movement, and more) can make a basic movement very challenging.

Size of the Rope – Typically, we use a 50’ rope that is 1.5” thick for the wave series. They also have 2” ropes available, but because of its added girth and weight, it is much more challenging.

Wave Size/Velocity/Pace – The size and speed of the waves can also be counted. This is no different than pacing yourself for kettlebell lifting or running. The faster you go, the harder and more intense it becomes. Try to maintain 120-150 alternating waves per minute and see how you fair.

Battle Rope Wave Exercises

Here are six wave exercises, each stressing the body in different ways, using different muscles.

1. Stage Coach
2. Alternating Waves
3. Outside Circles
4. In-Out
5. Sidewinder
6. Rainbows

Battle Rope Wave Challenges

Wave Challenge #1

100’ (1.5” rope) Tsunami Wave. Part one of this challenge is being able to generate enough power to get a wave down the rope to the anchor point. If you can do that, then see how long you can maintain waves to the anchor.

Wave Challenge #2

50’ (1.5”) Alternating Waves. A simple start is to keep the waves going to the anchor for 5 minutes. You don’t need to worry about speed or intensity, just keep the waves going to the end for 5 minutes.

Wave Challenge #3

Once you have completed Challenge 2, start working on increasing your pace (number of waves, per arm, per minute). See if you can maintain 140 waves per minute for 5 minutes straight.

The easiest way to do this is by counting one arm, then doubling the number (otherwise it is easy to lose track). Depending upon the goal or the sport, particular challenges can be designed and used for ongoing testing.

Battle Rope Wave Exercise Demonstration Video

Battle Rope Training: The Pull Series

I rarely see anyone talk about these incredible drills. They are simple, efficient and truly humbling. Climbing ropes are regarded as the number way to develop hand and upper body strength. Unfortunately, not all of us have the space or ability to climb a rope. Some people need an alternative to building up foundational strength, want a safe alternative or simply want to have more variations to use.

The pull series offers another way to challenge your entire body. It is one of my favorite drills, and I use some variation of this at least once per week for myself and my clients. It is perfect for grapplers, but also very efficient for anyone looking to develop more upper body strength.

Rope Pull Exercises

Here are the basic 3 pulling exercises. Just like the Wave Series, there are quite a few variations that you can implement.

1. Facing Pull
2. Side Pull
3. Front Pull

Pull Exercise Variables

Body Position – Standing, Kneeling, Seated, Plank These positions don’t work for every pull mentioned, but do for most. As you attempt the various pulls, you will know right away which one works or not.

Size of the Rope – The size of the ropes is a huge component of these drills. The increased girth makes gripping the rope harder. For some of the testing we do, men use the 2” ropes, while women use the 1.5”. A larger rope also weighs down on itself when piled up, so you will feel some natural resistance during the pull.

Length of the Rope – Ideally, you will use a 100’ rope for all of the pulling exercises. Not only do you have to change less often, but the increased length also piles on itself as mentioned before. This type of resistance is inconsistent and forces you to overcome little bumps along the way.

# of Wraps – Varying the resistance is as simple as wrapping the rope around the pole more or less. One wrap is a good start, but you can add wraps as you see fit.

Time or Distance – We use the pulls in a variety of ways, including timed intervals, distances, and more. Just like the waves, you can determine distance very easily. Want to pull a mile? 53 lengths of a 100’ rope is about a mile.

Battle Rope Pull Challenges

Pull Challenge #1

Pull for distance. Try a simple seated pull over one shoulder for distance. Can you pull a quarter mile without stopping?

Pull Challenge #2

How many wraps can you pull? Adding two wraps can drastically increase the difficulty. Work to add more wraps and see what you can handle, but be careful. Ropes are much different than handles, so for an untrained hand, these can be tough. Start slow and maintain good posture.

Pull Challenge #3

Choose four different pulls and do each for a quarter mile, back to back. It will total one mile (53 lengths of 100’ rope). Try and complete the drill under one hour.

Battle Rope Pull Exercise Demonstration Video

Battle Rope Training: The Partner Series

Some people prefer working out alone, but typically people’s performance improves when they have good workout partners. The ropes provide a lot of interesting exercises that can be used with groups, teams, or squads of people. Partner drills force you to not only overcome the friction or weight of the rope, but also the energy created by your partner. Simply holding the rope becomes much more challenging and a whole new feel from the solo exercises, plus it’s more competitive and fun.

Partner Rope Exercises

Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Plank Pull (forward)
2. Plank Pull (side)
3. Plank Pull (reverse)
4. Double-Rope Movement
5. Tsunami Battle

Battle Rope Partner Exercise Demonstration Video

Advanced Battle Rope Exercises

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you may be ready to move onto more advanced, challenging Battle Rope Exercises. If that’s the case, give these a shot.

Battle Rope Advanced Exercise Demonstration Video

A Beginner’s Guide to Battle Ropes

The post A Beginner’s Guide to Battle Ropes appeared first on Onnit Academy.

The Fat Burning Battle Ropes HIIT Workout can be used as a finisher or just a stand alone workout if you are crunched for time.

For those who do not know, HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training, and the fat burning battle ropes HIIT workout is a sure fire way to strip the last bit of fat off for summer.

Not only will the Fat Burning Battle Ropes HIIT Workout build work capacity and aerobic conditioning, it will also increase muscle endurance in the upper and lower body.

Try this workout as soon as possible, all you need is a single Onnit battle rope and a small area to whip yourself into shape!

Fat Burning Battle Ropes HIIT Workout Instructions

Perform as many waves as possible in 30 seconds. Once finished rest 30 seconds, move onto the next exercise in the group and repeat. Once finished with the entire round. Rest for two minutes and repeat for a total of 6 rounds.

For the Circle Wave and Low to High Chop, alternate which direction you perform the movement every round.

A1: Battle Rope Jump Slam – 6 rounds x 30 sec
A2: Battle Rope Alternating Wave with Squat – 6 rounds x 30 sec
A3: Battle Rope Alternating Wave with Side Lunge – 6 rounds x 30 sec
A4: Battle Rope Circle Wave – 6 rounds x 30 sec
A5: Battle Rope Low to High Chop – 6 rounds x 30 sec
A6: Battle Rope Kneel to Stand Wave – 6 rounds x 30 sec

The post Fat Burning Battle Ropes HIIT Workout appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Functional training is all the rage at the moment and battle ropes, along with kettlebells, are leading the unconventional training movement in gyms across the country.

Using battle ropes improves strength and endurance by engaging the muscles of the entire body including the hands, forearms, shoulders, back, legs, abs, and core.

Once only thought of as a conditioning tool for elite athletes in high-performance centers, they’re now appearing in gyms across the country.

Although battle ropes offer a broad range of physical benefits, trainees face a lack of guidance on how to correctly program battle ropes workouts.

The following tips on setting up your battle ropes will provide you with a complete training regimen that goes beyond conditioning and gives you enough variations to keep your workouts fresh.

#1. Setting Up Your Battle Rope Anchor for Testing

Battle ropes are most commonly implemented for conditioning purposes.  Many trainees simply wrap them around a pole or tree and begin wave exercises.

When programming your workouts, it’s always a wise choice to include some measure or “test” to gauge your progress. This may be accomplished by simply counting the number of waves done within a given time frame, but this seems incredibly tedious and is very unrealistic.

A great battle ropes conditioning test involves wrapping the ropes around the squat rack and using the safety bar as a measuring point.

Count the number of times the ropes hit the safety bar or “rings the bell.” This conditioning test is an adequate benchmark in tracking your progress.

#2. Setting Up Your Battle Rope Anchor for Climbing

Athletes looking to increase upper body endurance can utilize battle ropes as a climbing tool. When attempting to use a climbing rope, you were limited to gyms with high ceilings.

Using battle ropes, all you need is a squat rack or a sturdy tree branch to integrate several pull-up and climbing techniques. Refer to the video at the beginning of the article to create a double loop climbing system to perform single rope climbs, L-sits or countless other pull up variations.

#3. Setting Up Your Battle Rope Anchor for Grip Strength

Few trainers realize the potential of battle ropes for grip and strength work.  Grab a heavy kettlebell and thread either end of the rope through the handle. Using the rope as a handle, as opposed to the kettlebell, further, develops functional grip strength.

This modification can be used for heavy rows, curls, or triceps extensions; allowing you to add or reduce the weight to your comfort level. This technique develops max effort strength and explosive power employing unconventional methods.

With a little imagination, the strength training programming possibilities are limitless!

#4. Setting Up Your Battle Rope Anchor for Dragging & Pulling Exercises

Dragging and pulling exercises are extremely useful for improving conditioning, developing strength and building explosive power. Typically associated with sled work, dragging and pulling implements can be applied using battle ropes and a few kettlebells.

To forge your “sled,”  place one end of the rope through the handles of the kettlebells leaving enough slack to create a knot. Using this simple knot you’ve effectively created a powerful dragging and pulling instrument.

#5. Setting Up Your Battle Rope Anchor on the Go

One of the many benefits of incorporating battle ropes into your training is versatility. Let’s say you lack a post or tree to bind your ropes around. If you have a kettlebell and multiple sandbags you can produce a battle ropes station on the fly!

Place one end of the line through the kettlebell’s handle, much like you would around a squat rack, lay the kettlebell down, place some sandbags or steelbells on top as a weight and you’re ready to go!

The post Beyond Conditioning: 5 Ways to Set Up Your Battle Rope Anchor appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Revered as one of the greatest inventions of its time, it’s still in use today as a prominent implement for the same uses. Only recently have ropes become a direct way to improve someone’s quality of life through human optimization both physically and mentally.

John Brookfield was the first to implement ropes into the human physical training methodology. Since his incredible impact in the fitness community, ropes have been found in almost every fitness center around the world.

However, most people do not know how to use this tool to produce human optimization efficiently. The following information will provide a sound basis for the trainer, coach, and student to use the Onnit Battle Ropes efficiently.

5 Benefits of Battle Ropes Training

#1. Ropes Provide a Dual-force Dynamic Effect to Improve Physiological Response

Ropes are significant in that they create a dual-force dynamic effect, one that uses the force of gravity and the force created by rope waves to amplify and improve all of the human systems physiological response.

Most of the implements people use today increase the effects of gravity on the body, creating a physiological response in the systems the trainer, student, or person is trying to improve or build adaptations.

For instance, if a body builder is trying to grow adaptations in his or her musculature, he or she will create moderate to excessive load on the musculature (as well as cardiovascular, pulmonary, and nervous systems) day after day and week after week using gravity-based implements (i.e. barbell, dumbbell, etc.), and it works.

If a runner is trying to improve his aerobic capacity or endurance, he will run (gravity-based load and exercise) day after day and/or week after week to build adaptations in the muscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and nervous systems to improve aerobic capacity/endurance.

In this way, ropes are significantly different. The coach, student, or person is able to amplify load in two directions: gravity (and the many ways we know how to leverage gravity because of the lifters, coaches, and trainers that came before us) and wave force (which is a new field of physiological pursuit, providing myriad ways to improve our body’s adaptation response).

#2. Less Injuries and More Results

The dual-force effect and contralateral movement common to rope use can accelerate adaptation in the body, while curbing injuries because each person is limited by their own force production.

Much like jumping, if we cannot create enough force to get off the ground, or our nervous development disallows proper timing and sequencing for us to get off the ground, it will be hard to get injured.

We cannot create enough force through jumping or landing to be injured (note: most people injure themselves landing in the jump sequencing, because their focus is only on the first part of the movement–the jump, but that is a topic for another time).

With battle ropes, it is far less detrimental, because there is a constant connection to the two force producers (rarely in battle ropes training is the athlete off of the ground or disconnecting the chain of force and then reconnecting with it at high level forces), and it can be as explosive or dynamic as the athlete is able to produce force, thus creating the opportunity to grow endurance, strength, power, and skill without a ceiling.

Whereas if an athlete runs out of an external load such as dumbbells to provide the adaptation effect, you would have to purchase another dumbbell with a higher load, or figure out a way to leverage gravity in an increasing way. This will hardly be a problem with the ropes as the force is self-inflicted.

#3. Making Weak Body Parts Strong

Through the dual-force dynamic the areas, which tend to be weak, are strengthened: your grip, shoulders, core, hips, knees, feet, ankles, and mind. Your grip strength and grip endurance must increase as your ability to produce higher force in your waves increase.

Just like loading up more weight on a barbell, as your waves increase in size, speed, distance, or duration, they increase the force through the rope, requiring a stronger grip in order to not let the rope slip out of your hands.

The shoulders should stay in a fairly “packed” position, with your elbows lower than your shoulders, and tight to the sides of the body when first starting with rope waves (it should go without saying that the athlete will have neutral spine and the shoulders down and back – think big chest), this not only prevents injury, but it does wonders for the shoulder strength and stability. Innovative Results has been known to use the ropes as a way to prehab and rehab shoulders back to their fully optimized state.

The core (or torso to include shoulders and hips) is mobilized, stabilized, and strengthened through repetitive rotation and anti-rotation involved in the basic battle rope alternate wave. This is a contralateral movement (left lower limb moves in sequence with the right upper limb and vice versa), which is how the body works when walking, running, crawling, swimming, and cycling, only instead of just a gravitational load, the body experiences the load of the wave as well.

This is how the hips are strengthened as well. The hips can also be strengthened in all other planes of motion through changing the way the wave is produced. The knees, foot, and ankle are strengthened because the body is working with gravity to leverage wave output through the upper body (torso, shoulders, and arms).

Every wave produced from the upper body, has been a chain of movement that uses our body’s relationship with gravity and the ground through the foot, ankle, knees, and hips. Just like a punch, the athlete creates a timed sequence to produce a force through the rope to where the rope is connected to an anchor.

All of these body improvements in the weak areas produce a more confident, healthy, and tough mind (toughness will be generated by pursuing higher volume, or power –greater single wave output, which is simple, but simple is not easy).

#4. Mobility

As in all areas of fitness mobility must come before stability, and stability before endurance, strength, and power. Any mobility sequence from Onnit or Innovative Results will suffice, but the athlete should focus on the above weak areas. As the mobility in the grip, shoulders, core, hips, knees, foot, and ankle increase, the athlete will see a dramatic improvement in his or her performance.

Start the training session with dynamic mobility (stretching through movement), and end the sessions with either more dynamic mobility or static mobility (stretching in one position for a prolonged time).

#5. Stability

Whether you are creating waves, pulling the ropes, or lifting the ropes stability is generated. Think of the ancient sailor on a ship, pulling, lifting, wrapping, and tying ropes (they are actually referred to as “lines”) all around the ship as a means to an end. You probably are not thinking of an unstable, off-balance character.

Through these repetitive movements, the sailor becomes very stable and very strong, in both his lower body and his upper body. We experience this same level of stability as we continually put the dual-force dynamic through all of our physiological systems (nervous, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and musculo-skeletal).

The post 5 Benefits of Battle Ropes Training appeared first on Onnit Academy.

I would much rather spend twenty minutes working hard to lose a few pounds than forty minutes for the same results.

Which is why I put together these 23 battle rope exercises for you to burn fat faster.

These 23 battle rope moves will not only help you eliminate that unwanted weight around your waist, but it will help you build lean, strong muscle in your arms, chest, back, abs and bottom half.

Either perform them in addition to your routine or use them as a stand-alone power workout to reduce your fat and shed those pounds. Here they are.

23 Battle Ropes Exercises to Burn More Fat

1. Lateral Shuffle with Alternating Waves
2. Forward and Backward Shuffle with Alternating Waves
3. Squat with Alternating Waves
4. Jumping Jack Burpees with Battle Ropes
5. Split Squats with Rainbows
6. Reverse Lunges with Rope Slams
7. Lateral Shuffle with Hooks
8. Monster Walks
9. Plank Waves
10. Sit Throughs
11. Skater Jumps with Rainbows
12. Full Body Arcs with Rotating Lunges
13. Forward Lunges with Outside Circles
14. Ali Shuffle with In-and-Out Waves
15. Flutter Kicks with Alternating Waves
16. Reverse Fly with Plank Hops
17. Squat Presses
18. Full-Length Vertical Waves
19. Full-Length Body Circles
20. Rope Hops to Reverse Crawls
21. Rope Rotations To Forward Crawls
22. Rope Dragon Flags to Clock Drops
23. Superman Push-ups to Jumping Power Slams To Alternating Waves with Fast Feet

Some of these may take some continuous work to build up to, but most of these are very low impact, yet pack an enormous calorie-burning punch.

If you are doing these exercises by themselves, I will pick three or four that you know you can do, and perform them for 10-40 seconds each, with minimal rest for 5 to 10 rounds.

With a good warm-up and cool down, you will be fighting fat in no time.

Don’t forget to eat well, hydrate well, and get good sleep, so your hormone structure works with you instead of against you.

Every day at the gym is a day closer to wearing the clothes you desire with the body you have been envisioning.

If you are looking for full-length done-for-you workout programs, check out my Onnit OnDemand channel at https://ondemand.onnitacademy.com/p/aaron-guyett-channel

The post 23 Battle Ropes Exercises to Burn More Fat appeared first on Onnit Academy.

But there is a part of me that wants to eat everything in sight lift everything in sight, and make every muscle so big that I have to walk sideways through doors.

As a professional athlete and United States Marine, staying within a certain weight category improves my chances for championships, titles and promotions…it also helps me run much faster for much longer periods of time for some of the tests I have to take in the military.

Unfortunately, I have a bit a vanity that I have to reveal…I do not like my t-shirts to fit loosely around my arms.

I would buy smedium shirts, but then every shirt I wore, wouldn’t cover my belly button.

So I have decided there is a circumference of arm size that I cannot let me arms fall below…no matter how much I have to cut weight.

I want biceps and triceps that make each shirt sleeve beg for a seamstress to let them out.

Good thing, I train battle ropes, which creates massive pump, and would probably increase the size of my arms even bigger, if I didn’t have to keep my calories below a certain amount.

If you are looking for massive arms and enormous pump, check out these nine battle ropes moves, but make sure you grip hard on the rope and give each exercise every bit that you got…otherwise you will be cursed with your wimpy noodle arms for the rest of your days.

1. Kneeling Alternating Waves

2. Reverse In-and-Out Waves

3. In-and-Out Waves

4. Seated Rope Pulls

5. Kneeling Overhead Extension Rope Drivers

6. Seated Rainbows

7. See-Saw Presses

8. Standing Push-Pulls

9. Side Facing Vertical Waves

Battle Ropes Workout to Build Muscular Arms

Whether you work one or two of these in at the end of a good arm, back, chest, or upper body day, or you perform these exercises as your arm, back, chest, and upper body day, you will not leave the gym disappointed.

Actually, you should find the nearest beach during your prime pump hours to show off what you have just created–a gnarly case of swolliosis.

But seriously, if you are looking for big triceps, bigger biceps, and the biggest pump you have ever felt, check out these battle ropes exercises above.

For full workout and training programs check out my Onnit OnDemand Channel at: https://ondemand.onnitacademy.com/p/aaron-guyett-channel

Enjoy your pump!

The post 9 Battle Ropes Exercises to Build Muscular Arms appeared first on Onnit Academy.

The battle ropes are very simple in design. They are literally just a rope that can be made from either manila or poly. They can vary in diameter and length and this is one of many methods to progress the difficulty.

The longer ropes are more ideal for pulling movements whist the thicker ropes are advantageous for developing power and grip strength. They should have handles and some may have a protective sheaf to protect degradation.

They are wrapped around an anchor point and the two sides should be of equal distance.

The Battle Ropes training system was developed by the legendary John Brookfield in the US. John is well renowned for his unconventional training methods with professional athletes.

The inspiration for battle ropes training came after John was at a wharf staring at a rope that was tied to a boat. He was mesmerized by the wave like movements of the rope and sought to replicate it.

If you have seen battle ropes training taking place then you know it looks impressive but is it effective? The answer is a resounding ‘yes’ and this is especially the case if you know how to use them correctly. Here is a list of just some of the main benefits of battle ropes training:

Battle Ropes Develop Impressive Metabolic Results in Limited Time

There haven’t been a lot of studies completed with Battle Ropes because it is such a new training tool. However, the research that has been done confirms what we assumed.

Battle rope training demands more oxygen and elevates post exercise oxygen consumption more than many other forms of traditional training. This means it is an incredible fat blasting tool that makes you stronger, fitter and more powerful all at the same time.

This translates to better athletic performance, a leaner and more toned physique and an increased capacity for work.

Battle Ropes are Versatile

Battle Ropes are also brilliant because they are portable and you can train almost anywhere with them. You just need a bit of space and you can train in a park, on the beach or at the gym.

Most people simply complete two handed or alternating waves with the battle rope, but there is so much more you can be doing. There are over 30 wave based movements that challenge the upper body, lower body and core in unique ways.

There are exercises that are specific for power, aerobic endurance, anaerobic endurance and strength endurance. You can complete the exercises with a partner or on your own. They are also incredibly time efficient.

If you have 10 minutes, then you can still undertake a vigorous workout that trains the whole body.

It is also really easy to regress or progress the battle rope difficulty using a variety of techniques. This includes the location of the body in relation to the anchor point, grip, tempo and the duration of the set.

Battle Ropes are Fun

Clients are instantly drawn to the battle rope as the dynamic nature, huge array of exercises and uniqueness means they are fun and enjoyable to use. It is a great change from the traditional forms of training and this gives clients that extra excitement and diversity.

Battle Ropes are Brilliant for the Posterior Chain and Core

This may come as a surprise to some as it can look like it is an upper body dominant tool. This is not the case if you use them correctly. The power for the wave based movements should be initiated through the hip hinge.

This is great for igniting the hamstrings, glutes and spinal erectors. One of the really unique factors about the battle rope is the force that comes back through the rope. Absorbing this force and maintaining balance is great for core engagement.

It is not uncommon to see people get pulled by the rope because they are not absorbing the returning force.

Battle Ropes are Brilliant for Training your Mind

This is one of the main features of John Brookfield’s training. Trying to maintain 20 seconds on the battle ropes the first few times using them can feel like an eternity.

However, you need to continually push your mind to conquer the aching muscles and burning lungs so you can build this time up. 20 minutes on the battle ropes is indeed possible with mental fortitude. This translates well into any sporting arena.

Battle Ropes are Low Impact

The battle rope is a great alternative to high impact activities such as running or jumping. It is great for clients that have any joint issues as you can accelerate the heart rate with minimal impact.

These are just 6 of the many benefits you can derive from using this brilliant training tool. Anybody can use battle ropes and they will reap incredible results.

Advance Your Battle Ropes Training with Onnit Academy On Demand

If you want to increase your Battle Ropes skills, you need to sign up for Onnit Academy On Demand! If you enjoy the knowledge, experience, and programming of The Onnit Academy…it is now available On Demand.

With Onnit Academy On Demand, you can access the world’s greatest fitness professionals anytime, anywhere, for one low monthly price. Whether you’re a professional trainer, a fitness enthusiast, or just looking for a new routine, we’ve got you covered.

The program contains 2 different video channel packs, The Master Coaches Channel Pack, and The Legends of HQ Channel Pack.

Each of these packs gives you access to 6 top fitness professionals offering their own unique 4 week training programs targeted towards specific goals and techniques. Every 4 weeks, these trainers will introduce a new 4 week program expanding your library and allowing you even more fitness programming options.

The post 6 Benefits of Battle Ropes Training appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Ropes are an incredible invention to bind, move, and control many of the things around us – including the human body. But most teachers and students limit the power of ropes training. By the end of the article, you will know the best way to use battle ropes to build strength throughout your entire body, using the versatility of velocity.

Using Battle Ropes to Build Strength

The more force you apply, the more force is applied to you – making the ropes a safer and better way to build true strength progressively without plateaus.

It is a very reciprocal relationship, and this creates strength adaptation over time, with the traditional concepts of progressive overload. You can harness this strength producing adaptation by consistent application of force over time.

If you are looking for peak strength, use the highest intensity possible for 10-20 seconds of movement with double or triple the amount of rest (20-60 seconds).

If you are looking for maximum hypertrophy or muscle growth, use the highest intensity possible for 20-60 seconds of movement with double the rest (40-120 seconds).

Lastly, if you are looking for strength endurance, use the highest intensity possible for 60-120 seconds of movement with equal rest ratios (60-120 seconds).

Exercises to Increase Strength

Now that you are armed with good strength-building ratios for three different categories of strength, let’s review the best movements for total body strength (remember, each person is going to have varying degrees of output and adaptation protocols.

So start here and adjust as needed for optimum results):

Hip Hinge

I call this the Stagecoach (or Double Rope Simultaneous Waves), and it can be done with your feet firmly planted in the ground or you can explosively leave the ground, creating more force and impact for adaptation to occur.

There is a tremendous amount of force generated with each wave produced. Try to combine bigger waves with faster speed to produce an amplified amount of force throughout the entire body.

Squat

I call this Alternating Wave Squat. It takes the basic alternating wave and the bodyweight squat to a new level by combining them to challenge timing, balance and conditioning. This drill is best used for short bursts of high intensity activity followed by active recovery.

Try to combine bigger waves with faster speed to produce an amplified amount of force throughout the entire body.

Push and Pull Horizontal

I call this movement Flys, much like the pec deck flys at your local body builder gym. Except in this movement, you are generating force forward for your anterior chain and backward for your posterior chain. This makes it a push and pull exercise for your arms, chest, back and shoulders.

You are moving the ropes laterally in and out with the right and left arms, and the lactic pump is ridiculous. To make this exercise more productive and challenging, keep your core, hips, and legs as still and solidified as possible.

Push and Pull Vertical

I call this Double Overhead Press. It puts a unique spin on the good old standard for building upper body and shoulder strength.

By using a neutral grip, the battle ropes puts the shoulder in a better position for pressing by forcing it to stay upright by pulling back on the arm.

When performing overhead presses you will notice big gains in other lifts as well as greater strength throughout your entire body.

The overhead press is definitely a must for anyone looking to put on muscle and strength.

You would think with a light weight, this movement would be quite easy. Quite the opposite, due to the awkward position and length of the rope, this exercise is extremely challenging.

Rotation

I call these Standing Rainbows. Stand tall, wide, and strong, taking the handles of the ropes from right hip to left hip, and vice versa as big and fast as possible for the duration of the set.

The hip, abs, obliques, chest, back, shoulders, and arms are going to be pumped up as you work with the highest intensity you can produce for the time of each set.

Carry

I call these Anchored Squat Stance Traveling Rows. You take the rope, tie it off to an anchor using your figure 8 knot. Perform a low forward walk at a slow and controlled speed, while pulling and pushing with your upper body.

This creates a continuous amount of force that transfers through your body in a contralateral pattern, creating incredible pulling, pushing, rotating, squatting and hinging strength.

This training progression should be performed for at least 3 weeks. But for peak gains in strength, it needs to be aggressively adhered to for 8 – 12 weeks.

Focus on the type of strength you are going for, by adhering to the time breakdowns indicated earlier. I suggest three sets for anyone who has never trained before, and five sets for the person who regularly trains for strength.

How to Increase Intensity

Monitoring the height and speed of your waves (reps per set), are two excellent ways to increase the progressive overload of your training sets, week-to-week. Try increasing the height and the reps, and you will notice incredible improvements in the size and strength of your musculature.

Increasing the rope’s length or diameter is another way to progressively overload for increases in size and strength of your musculature.

As you apply these new techniques to your Battle Ropes training and strength training, remember that good hydration, sleep, and nutrition is key for the best results. Your stimulation for strength gains (or strength adaptations) is only as good as your recovery.

If your stimulation is awesome, but your recovery sucks, even getting juiced out of your mind on steroids won’t help you.

Also, if you are awesome at recovery, but your stimulation is lacking…the clothes hanging off of your body will let you know that you better get back to the gym, and produce some power and strength levels of force through your body. May the ropes be with you as you get your swell on.

Advance Your Battle Rope Training with Onnit Academy On Demand

If you want to increase your Battle Ropes skills, you need to sign up for Onnit Academy On Demand! If you enjoy the knowledge, experience, and programming of The Onnit Academy…it is now available On Demand.

With Onnit Academy On Demand, you can access the world’s greatest fitness professionals anytime, anywhere, for one low monthly price. Whether you’re a professional trainer, a fitness enthusiast, or just looking for a new routine, we’ve got you covered.

The program contains 2 different video channel packs, The Master Coaches Channel Pack, and The Legends of HQ Channel Pack.

Each of these packs gives you access to 6 top fitness professionals offering their own unique 4 week training programs targeted towards specific goals and techniques. Every 4 weeks, these trainers will introduce a new 4 week program expanding your library and allowing you even more fitness programming options.

The post Build Superhero-like Strength with Battle Ropes appeared first on Onnit Academy.

For example, bodybuilders use heavy squats, bench presses, and deadlifts to put on mass using rep schemes that differ from what a powerlifter would use.

Powerlifters will use those same lifts as well as variations (front squat, close grip, stiff leg deads) in higher rep schemes to put on mass and flush blood into the muscles to boost recovery. With that being said, there are two things to consider for both disciplines:

Shoulder Health

Whether bench pressing or overhead pressing, your shoulders are going to take a beating. Doing a proportional amount of pulls (row variations, pull ups, etc) will help keep your body balanced, but eventually that won’t be enough.

You’re going to have to come up with a pre-hab routine (meaning you’re preventing yourself from getting hurt) to keep your shoulders healthy.

Conditioning

The more conditioned you are, the more work you can do. The more work you can do, the stronger you will get.

Pre-fatigued training is one way to approach that concept. So grabbing light dumbbells and hitting 5×10 or 4×25 prior to getting on the bench press is a great way to train your muscles in a fatigued state. Why?

So when you’re going into the bench at a powerlifting competition (after squatting), you can hit your max bench because you’ll still feel fresh.

With that being said, a tired muscle is susceptible to injury, especially as your stabilizers fatigue. So it’s great to pre-fatigue your muscles before hitting heavy sets, but don’t just jump into it – you have to build up.

As an example: I’m a 540 pound raw bencher. When I started with the pre-fatigue training, I grabbed 30lbs dumbbells and did 4×25 (takes about 5 minutes). Fast forward a year later I’m up to 55-60lbs doing the same thing. So take your time and build up slowly.

So how do the steel mace and battle ropes fit into shoulder health and conditioning in relation to powerlifting and bodybuilding?

Steel Mace

Shoulder health

This beautifully crafted piece of steel will make you feel like a savage when you pick it up and start swinging it around. And it will help with shoulder health. You think the ancient Persian warriors had shoulder problems? I don’t think so.

I’ve dealt with impingements in both shoulders, meaning I couldn’t raise my hand straight over head as a result of tight lats and tight shoulder capsules. I tried ART, massages, and standard rehab protocols. Some of it helped, but only temporarily.

I grabbed a steel mace when I saw them from Onnit and had a couple ideas. I started with a 15 pound mace and used the pendulum technique – loading the shoulder internally and externally by swinging the mace back and forth behind your head like a pendulum.

Eventually I worked up to the “360,” starting with the mace in front of you and swinging it 360 degrees behind your head, returning to the starting position. This is essential for shoulder mobility.

In both the pendulum and 360, the goal is to ‘open up’ your lats, letting them relax as much as possible. Let the weight carry the mace through the arc and pull it over to complete the 360. This video shows you the perfect form.

Keep in mind none of this should be painful – even if you have shoulder problems. If you’re experiencing pain you should always consult a doctor.

Conditioning

And imagine if before you bench, you pick one of these bad boys up and swing it 50 times each side. You’ll probably be pretty tired. If you can start at 10-20 and build up to 50 and even 100, while still being able to hit your programmed numbers, then I’d say you’ve definitely gotten stronger through pre-fatigued training. Remember, that takes time, but it works.

Battle Ropes

Shoulder health

Using the battle ropes in the hinged pulse and double overhead slam are great ways to flush blood into the shoulders. Increased blood flow means better recovery. Better recovery between workouts means less of a chance for injuries.

Conditioning

This one is pretty obvious if you’ve ever used the ropes before. The hinged pulse and double overhead slam will tire your ass out. If you can go through a few rounds of those before hitting your heavy bench or overhead presses, you will get stronger.

But keep in mind, it’s the idea of taking one step back to take two steps forward. The first couple weeks you do this will be a pain in the ass.

Get yourself some battle ropes and a steel mace and get your shoulders healthy while increasing your work capacity. Winner winner, chicken dinner.

The post Shoulder Pain & Pressing: Finding Solutions to a Common Problem appeared first on Onnit Academy.

First, let’s start with what you don’t do…You don’t watch a YouTube video of ropes exercises, and then haphazardly do it, and call it training. Make sure you get proper form down and train effectively.

You don’t add it to what you are already doing and call it training. You don’t tell everyone it is awesome, but only for upper body aerobic and endurance training. Ropes can be used for much more than that.

If you are here on the Onnit site, my guess is that you are into some level of human optimization for yourself and possibly for others (clients, family, friends, coworkers, etc). As a person who respects and upholds human optimization as an important aspect of your life (life is either optimized or it is not, right?) you MUST respect training.

Training is the key to total human optimization, and without it, we can only hope to be better in any area of our life. So let’s get back to training for optimal physical ability and how to put ropes in this training for the best return on your time spent.

3 Keys to Understanding Battle Ropes

First, we must understand that the ropes—just like a mace, heavy club, barbell, dumbbell, kettlebell, etc—is a tool. If we use this tool well, we can see improvement in all areas of our physical output and durability.

Second, we must understand that ropes put demand or force through our bodies that we will adapt to over time and with proper increases in force and proper recovery, we will get more powerful, stronger, more endurance, and more durable.

Third, we must understand our own personal goals, and the way to train to reach these goals. For instance, if I am trying to be a more explosive jumper, I must have the power and durability to jump and land well.

I must also train an explosive jump correctly: Enough active jumping at peak performance to create a need for adaptation Not over-doing the jumps, which would increase the chance for an injury or even worse, reduce the chance for adaptation to occur.

Effectively Add Ropes Into Your Training

If your training program is complete (meaning a perfect mix of stimulation and recovery), then adding ropes training will mean removing one of your exercises or movements to keep that perfect mix of stimulation and recovery intact.

If your training is lacking a power, strength, endurance, or durability component, then you can use ropes to fill the gap. (How do you know if you are missing one of these? Easy – you are not improving in one of these aspects.)

For instance, when I was training for the IUKL Kettlebell World Championships in Dublin, Ireland, I needed to add an aerobic/endurance component to my kettlebell training because I wasn’t recovering well enough from running.

My feet were taking a toll (too much inflammation in the soft tissues of my feet, and a reduction in my foot and ankle performance).

I added a progressing amount of different double battle rope wave training to the time I was normally running. I incorporated a lot of legs, core, and arms in my waves in varying planes of motion with varying grips, and I progressed up to 40 minutes of ropes training, which drastically improved my longer sets with the kettlebell, hence improvement in my aerobic capacity, lactic threshold, and mental toughness.

I have also helped collegiate and high school wrestlers become much more explosive in their wrestling matches by having them perform five to ten second explosive waves with a single rope and double rope in varying planes of motion, varying stances, and different hand grips on the rope.

Newport Harbor high school wrestling recently had their most successful season in the last six years when training with this rope addition.

How to Train with Battle Ropes

If you are wondering what movements you should train and how you should train them with the ropes, you can watch some of the Onnit battle ropes exercises here: https://www.instagram.com/battleropeexercises/.

Here is a more complete solution. Become a creator of your own movements and rope training after you have earned your Onnit Academy Battle Ropes Specialist Certification.

For power and explosive applications of the ropes in your training, think 1-10 seconds of maximal effort (90%-100%) in movement variations that mimic or reproduce the movements you are training to master in your sport, activities, or your life.

1:5 is an approximate model of active to rest ratio that is enough for the next repetition, round, or set. After training this for 5 to 20 minutes, your systems may need a few days before it has created the adaptations necessary to train like this again.

For strength, lactic, and strength endurance applications of the ropes in your training, think 10 to 120 seconds of sub-maximal effort in movement variations that mimic or reproduce the movements you are training to master in your sport, activities or life.

1:5 through 2 is an approximate model of active to rest ratio that is enough for the next repetition, round, or set. After training this for 10 to 30 minutes, your systems may need a few days before it has created the adaptations necessary to train this again.

For endurance, aerobic, and durability applications of the ropes in your training, think over 120 seconds of sub-maximal effort in movement variations that mimic or reproduce the movements you are training to master in your sport, activities or life.

60 through 2:1 is an approximate model of active to rest that is enough for the next repetition, round, or set. After training this for 10 to 60 minutes, your systems may need a few days before it has created the adaptations necessary to train this again.

Ropes Can Be Used to Achieve Almost Any Fitness Goal

My mentor and coach for ropes training is John Brookfield, and he says that ropes can be a complete tool for fitness. I have used them exclusively for a month without seeing any loss in my previous gains with traditional weight training.

However, it is all in the proper application of the tool. Onnit’s Foundation and Durability certification is an awesome starting point, and if you want to further your knowledge with ropes training, sign up for the upcoming Battle Ropes Specialist Certification in April.

So, if you are looking for a way to put ropes training to use, do so with intelligence, knowing that the ropes can be a substitute or the perfect addition that you’re looking for to increase your power, strength, endurance, and durability!

Make your next training session your best training session!

The post How To Add Battle Ropes To Your Workouts for Maximum Impact appeared first on Onnit Academy.