battle ropes

Battle Ropes Vs. Running [Which Workout Gets More Results?]

At first glance, running seems like a superior workout compared to battle ropes. You will burn 200–500 calories in 30 minutes of running. Meanwhile, 30 minutes of battle ropes will only burn 200–400 calories. Upon a closer look, battle ropes have a lot more benefits than running. Battle ropes combine cardio and total-body strength training to trim fat and build muscle at the same time. In comparison, running cuts fat but won’t do much to help you develop strong, toned muscles. Add in the fact that battle ropes have less risk of injury than running and battle ropes are the clear winner.

Which Workout is Better? Battle Ropes Vs. Running

Whether you’re an experienced runner exploring ways to change up your training or you’re looking to begin a fitness regimen, battle ropes are an intriguing piece of equipment. Are those ropes really as good as everyone claims? Can they give you more results than running? Let’s break down the science behind both running and heavy ropes to determine which one is best.

Which Burns More Calories?

Battle ropes and running are comparable calorie burners. A half-hour of running typically burns 200–500 calories, depending on intensity. Typically, runners burn about 10 calories per minute at a marathon pace, so you’re likely to burn around 300 calories in half an hour. You can increase this by running at a faster pace, alternating running and sprinting, or running uphill.

30 min running: 200–500 calories
30 min battle ropes: 200–400 calories
Most athletes burn around 300 calories doing either battle ropes or running.

Battle ropes burn a comparable amount of calories to running, with the typical number of calories burned in a half-hour workout ranging from 200–400 calories. Like running, it’s common to burn 10 calories per minute while using the ropes. So, while running has a slightly higher ceiling for burning calories than battle ropes, your typical athlete will burn around 300 calories in a half-hour during either workout. This means battle ropes are a good substitute for the fat-burning aspects of running.

Which Builds More Muscle?

When it comes to developing muscle strength, size, and tone, battle ropes are far more effective than running. At the same time, the ropes increase your heart rate and burn fat, they also develop muscles throughout your body. Although your arms appear to be doing all the work of waving and slamming the ropes, a battle rope workout recruits muscles throughout the body. You can even optimize your rope workout in order to build more muscle.

Battle ropes build muscle much faster and more efficiently than running.
The benefits of battle ropes include strengthening all the major muscle groups.
Running builds muscle in your legs but not throughout the rest of your body.

Running does help you build muscle when performed the right way. However, running mostly targets leg muscles and does not do much to strengthen your core or upper body. You’re likely to see much faster results building lean muscle with battle ropes than by running. Plus, you can follow a total body workout program to use the battle rope to strengthen all the major muscle groups in your body.

Which Has a Higher Risk of Injury?

Running carries a much higher risk of injury than battle ropes. As your fitness level increases, you’ll need to run longer and harder to challenge yourself. This increases the repetitive stress put on your muscles, bones, and joints. Runners are most prone to developing injuries in their knee, foot, and lower leg.

Running is far more likely to cause injury than battle ropes.
Running is a high-impact sport that often leads to repetitive stress injury.
Ropes are low impact and are not associated with injury as commonly as running.
By using good form during your battle rope workout, you further decrease your injury risk.

Battle ropes do not carry the same injury risks as running. The battle rope is a low-impact piece of fitness equipment that won’t cause repetitive stress injury. As your fitness level increases, you can build the intensity of your workout without lengthening it. By putting more slack in the rope or working faster during your exercises you’ll create a new challenge. As long as you practice correct form, you can protect your shoulders from injury when using battle ropes.

Which is Easier to Start?

At first glance, running may seem like a much easier way to begin working out. After all, you just need some running shoes and an open road, right? This is true as long as the weather cooperates. During rainy or cold months, most opt for treadmill running, which requires a hefty investment or a gym membership. Since many gyms these days have battle ropes on hand, it’s nearly as simple to start with ropes as it is to begin running. It’s also very easy to start working out with a few basic rope movements.

Running requires less equipment and can be done without a gym membership (if weather permits).
Beginning battle ropes often involves investing in a gym membership.
Running can be seen as boring and may lead you to quit working out.
Battle ropes are more exciting, which may help you stick with your workout plan.

A much more interesting question to ask is, which workout are you more likely to stick with? Many view running as a monotonous, boring workout. This may cause new runners to give up on their program. Battle ropes, on the other hand, allow you to try dozens of workouts. And, since you’ll be constantly changing exercises during a battle rope circuit, you’ll never be bored. Most people find it easier to get motivated to work with ropes than to go on a long run.

What’s Better: Battle Ropes or Running?

Battle ropes are our pick in the comparison of ropes vs. running. Not only can you burn the same amount of calories with a battle rope workout as you can by running, you’ll also build more muscle and reduce your risk of injury.

Battle ropes provide more benefits than running and have a lower risk of injury.
Running is a good workout, but has fewer benefits and leads to injury more often.
You’ll see more results per minute with ropes than running.

When it comes down to the benefits per-minute, few workouts beat battle ropes. Because they combine cardio with strength training, you’ll get the benefits of running and weight training at the same time. This means the time you spend working out will give you a lot more results if you’re using ropes instead of running.

How to Maximize the Cardio Benefits of Battle Ropes

If you really want to maximize the cardiovascular endurance and fat burning benefits of battle ropes, explore HIIT training with a battle rope circuit. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is the practice of working at maximum effort for a short period of time, followed by a rest period. When training with battle ropes, it’s common to go all out for 30 seconds, followed by a 30-second rest. Once the rest is done, it’s back to intense work. This training system boosts your heart rate and burns calories at an incredible rate.

Use HIIT principles with battle ropes to burn calories fast.
Work for 30 seconds with the ropes, rest for 30 seconds, and repeat.
Perform battle rope HIIT by chaining together 6–10 battle rope exercises in a circuit.
Perform your battle rope circuit for 10–30 minutes to get an intense calorie-roasting workout.

Battle ropes are great for HIIT because you can perform so many exercises without changing weights or equipment. A good battle rope circuit combines 6–10 exercises performed one after the other to work your entire body and keep your heart rate elevated. A 10–30 minute workout will help you burn fat and build muscle.

Are Battle Ropes Good for Runners?

If you’re a runner looking to augment your training, give battle ropes a try. Because they provide an excellent cardio workout, you won’t lose cardiovascular endurance if you trade out a few days of running for rope work. Additionally, battle ropes help to build core strength and leg muscles, which will improve your running speed and endurance.

Battle ropes are a great auxiliary workout for runners.
The cardio and strength training benefits of battle ropes will boost your running ability.
If you are rehabbing a running injury, consider battle ropes as a low-impact exercise during recovery.

If you’re rehabilitating a running-induced injury, consider switching to battle rope workouts as you recover. The low-impact nature of battle ropes will allow you to maintain strength, or even make fitness gains, as your body heals.

Are Battle Ropes Better Than Running?

Because battle ropes provide comparable fat-burning benefits to running with better total-body strength training results and a lower risk of injury, we recommend ropes over running. Running has the potential to burn more calories than ropes if performed at high intensity, but it won’t build as much muscle. Plus, running carries a much greater injury risk. Combine these factors with the fact that battle ropes allow a wider variety of workouts, which will keep you engaged, and you’re better off buying a battle rope than a new pair of running shoes.

What Muscles Do Battle Ropes Work?

Battle ropes are a total body training system that allows you to work out every major muscle group. Although it’s obvious to see how waving and slamming ropes provides an excellent arm and shoulder workout, you can also perform specialized movements to develop the muscles in your chest, back, core, and legs. Even better, battle ropes provide a fat-burning cardio workout at the same time they build strength.

Are Battle Ropes Cardio or Strength Training?

Battle ropes are both cardio and a strength workout. So, you can increase your heart rate to improve your cardiovascular fitness level and shed fat, like you would with running or jumping rope. At the same time, you’ll put your muscles through a workout that will help you gain strength and lean muscle.

Battle ropes combine elements of both cardio and strength training.
By prioritizing compound movements with lower resistance, you can boost the cardio benefits of battle ropes.
You can increase the muscle building potential of battle ropes by applying strength training principles to your workout.

By shifting how you train, you can utilize ropes as a cardio-heavy, high-intensity workout designed to help you lose weight. If your goal is building muscle, you can increase the resistance of your battle rope workout in order to gain muscle size and strength. This makes the battle ropes perhaps the most versatile piece of equipment in the gym.

How to Conquer the Total Body Workout with Battle Ropes

By using the heavy ropes in different ways, you can target each of the major muscle groups throughout your body. Below we’ll walk through the movements and principles that will allow you to achieve a total body workout with battle rope exercises. You’ll train your upper body and lower body both with the heavy rope.

Arms and Shoulders

Arms and shoulders are among the easiest upper body muscles to work with the battle ropes. In fact, battle ropes have been described as “cardio for your arms” because you use your arms to move the ropes in every exercise. However, there are several battle rope exercises that will increase your arm and shoulder strength. Some of our favorites are:

Seated alternating waves
Battle rope overhead press
Push-Pulls

When using the battle ropes it’s important to protect your shoulder muscles from injury with the correct techniques. Battle ropes are incredible for building the muscle on the front, sides, and rear of the shoulders when used the right way. Practicing proper form will keep you pain free and even improve the range of motion with which you perform your exercises.

Chest

There are several great exercises that will work your chest with battle ropes. The key to building chest muscle and overall upper body strength is to move the ropes in side-to-side waves, corkscrew circles, and to incorporate push-up motions into your battle rope movements.

Move the ropes in lateral waves to activate chest muscles.
Make corkscrew spirals in the ropes to keep your chest muscles under tension for a great workout.
Incorporate push-up movements into rope slams and other exercises to focus on your chest.

One of the benefits of battle ropes is that they work both sides of your body equally. This unilateral exercise, which requires you to move ropes evenly with both sides, prevents and corrects muscle imbalances. This makes the ropes a great tool for a full body workout and focusing on your chest development.

Back

Both the upper and lower back can be targeted with the battle ropes. Lateral waves work the back as you whip the ropes outward. Rope movements where you bring your arms down overhead in a rope slam use the large muscles in your back to generate power.

Spreading your arms wide to move ropes in lateral whips activates upper back muscles.
Rope slams and waves provide an excellent workout for your lats.
Target the lower back with core-centric rope workouts.

You can achieve a total back workout with battle ropes by applying just a few key principles. Exercises that involve turning use lower back muscles, as do lower body workouts such as squats. Both of these can be added to a rope circuit to provide a tough workout for your entire body, including your back.

Legs

Although it’s common to view the battle rope as an upper body workout tool, it’s very easy to use the ropes to build your leg muscles. You can incorporate squats and lunges into waves and slams to get an incredible leg workout. Plus, any battle rope movement that includes leaps and burpees provides excellent lower body conditioning.

Add squats, lunges, and agility movements to rope slams and waves to activate muscles throughout your legs.
Jump slams and burpee slams require you to leap, which targets muscles in your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves.
Taking an athletic stance while performing standard waves and slams causes you to use your lower body to generate power.

Even if you are not adding squats, lunges, and leaps to your battle rope exercises, total body movements (such as standing waves) recruit muscles from your lower body. In order to move the ropes in powerful ways you will drive up through your legs as you move your arms. You’ll get a great leg workout just by practicing good form with the ropes.

Abs

Battle ropes excel at working your abs and core muscles. Not only can you add rope throws to Russian twists, but you can also use one arm to make rope waves during planks. Maintaining balance during these tough exercises works stabilizer muscles in your core, providing an incredible ab workout.

Use one arm to make rope waves during planks and side planks to make your abs and obliques work harder during these poses.
Add rope throws to russian twist for an intense ab workout.
Include full-body battle rope exercises that incorporate natural twisting, turning, and bending to get an intense exercise for your abs.

Twisting and turning motions with the battle ropes, such as those found in side slams, work your abs in ways that most workout programs neglect. These dynamic movements use your core for power. Ultimately, this leads to tighter, fitter abdominals.

What are the Benefits of Using Battle Ropes?

By using battle ropes in unique and creative ways, you can work muscles throughout your body. You can incorporate traditional exercises, such as push-ups, squats, and Russian twists, to activate more muscle groups and increase the difficulty. Also, you can move the ropes in unique patterns to focus on specific muscles. Whether you’re looking to tone your arms, strengthen your lower body, or build a better back, battle ropes have the answer.

Can You Use Battle Ropes Every Day?

You can work out with battle ropes every day as long as you keep your workouts 10 minutes long. You can also perform frequent workouts by using battle rope exercises meant to target individual muscle groups on different days. By alternating lower body workouts with upper body workouts, you can work out for several consecutive days. However, it is important to include rest days in any workout program in order to allow your body time to recover.

How Often Should You Use Battle Ropes?

How often you use battle ropes depends on the type of training program you’re using. If battle ropes are the only tool you’re training with, you can perform an intense full-body circuit 3–4 times per week. If you’d like to train more frequently, perform a short battle rope circuit daily or train with specific exercises in order to give certain muscle groups time to rest.

If you are performing a 10-minute battle rope circuit, you can work out daily.
If you are performing a total body battle rope circuit that is 30 minutes or longer, work out 3–4 times per week.
If you are targeting specific muscle groups on specific days, you can use battle ropes 4–6 times per week.
Allow rest days if you are using battle ropes along with other training tools.

If you are using battle ropes in addition to other strength or cardio training tools, make sure to allow your body ample rest. You can lift weights, then use the heavy ropes to add a cardiovascular component to your workout, but make sure to give yourself rest days between full-body workouts. Resting prevents overtraining and injury.

How to Use Battle Ropes for a Daily Workout

If you want to work out with battle ropes every day of the week, keep the workouts short. A 10-minute battle rope circuit will raise your heartrate, work several muscle groups, and help you burn calories in a short period of time. If you train with the ropes for much longer than 10 minutes, you will need to add rest days between workouts to give your body time to recover.

Perform a 10-minute total body circuit if you want to use battle ropes every day.
If you perform a circuit longer than 10 minutes, add rest days between workouts.
Determine your goals—daily workouts will burn calories but won’t build as much strength as less frequent, more intense workouts.

If your goal is to remain active every day and use the battle ropes as a fat-burning tool, a daily 10-minute circuit is a great training tool. If you are looking to maximize the muscle-building potential of battle ropes, you’ll be better served by longer, less frequent battle rope workouts.

Complete Body Battle Rope Training Program

To use battle ropes to best match the payoff of a strength training program, work out with the ropes 4–6 times per week using exercises designed to target specific muscle groups. Using the program below, you can work out more frequently by targeting the upper body and lower body on alternating days. This gives your upper body muscles a chance to recover on lower body days and vice-versa. To use this program:

Choose 3 exercises that target the muscle group being worked that day.
Perform 5 sets per exercise: 30 seconds of work, followed by 90 seconds of rest.
Once you have completed 5 sets of the first exercise, move to the second and so on.

As with any workout program, it’s essential to warm up safely before performing battle rope movements. A good warm-up often includes active stretching and low-resistance exercise. Remember, the battle ropes are a serious piece of equipment and you will be using major muscle groups to move them. Care for your body in the same manner professional athletes do.

Day 1: Chest

There are several battle rope exercises that target your chest muscles. Although there are more options and variations available to you, a good sample chest day with ropes is:

Exercise 1: Push-up slams
Exercise 2: Battle rope chest flyes
Exercise 3: Battle rope circles

Remember, perform each exercise for 30 seconds, then rest for 90 seconds. Repeat 5 times per exercise. Then, move to the next exercise. You’ll get a great chest workout in no time.

Day 2: Legs

Battle ropes offer a multitude of ways to work your lower body. By adding squats, lunges, jumps, and agility movements to your rope routine you unlock the potential for some fantastic leg workouts. Here are our choices for the first leg day of the week.

Exercise 1: Alternating waves with squats
Exercise 2: Jump slams
Exercise 3: Sidestep waves

For further variation, trade out the sidestep waves with high knees while doing battle rope waves. There are a lot of options when working with heavy ropes, and these battle rope exercises can be tailored to fit any fitness level.

Day 3: Back

You may not see them in the mirror, but working your back muscles is essential to overall health and strength. We’ve created a fantastic battle rope workout for your back with the exercises below.

Exercise 1: Seated alternating waves
Exercise 2: Lateral whips
Exercise 3: Lying T

There are additional ways you can work your back muscles with battle ropes. The sample of movements above is designed to activate the upper back muscles, lower back, and lats for a total back workout.

Day 4: Core

You didn’t think we’d neglect to give you ways to work your abs with battle ropes, did you? Battle ropes not only boost the intensity of traditional ab workouts, they also allow you to use the natural turning movements of your body to get a great core workout. Try these 3 exercises:

Exercise 1: Battle rope russian twist
Exercise 2: Side plank waves
Exercise 3: Side slams

The exercises above use the full range of motion that makes battle ropes so effective. You’ll use your abdominals, obliques, and lower back to build functional core strength.

Day 5: Shoulders and Arms

Yes, it’s true that battle ropes engage your arms and shoulders in nearly every workout, but you can up the ante and increase time under tension for these muscles. This group of exercises uses a few movements to target the shoulders as well as the biceps and triceps.

Exercise 1: Battle rope overhead press
Exercise 2: Push-pulls
Exercise 3: Rope slams

In addition to this targeted shoulder and arm day, you’ll build arm and shoulder strength by moving the ropes on other days. Just make sure to pay attention to proper form to protect your shoulder joint from injury when using the ropes.

Day 6: Legs

Remember that leg day earlier in the week? It’s time to add another, this time with a different set of lower body exercises. Our choices for finishing off the week are:

Exercise 1: Reverse lunge waves
Exercise 2: Burpee slams
Exercise 3: Battle rope jumping jacks

With lunges and leaping exercises you’ll activate your quads, glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, and calves with this workout. To increase the intensity, you can work faster or move closer to the anchor point. One of the benefits of battle ropes is that you increase your own challenge by working faster and harder.

Day 7: Rest

Your body requires rest to recover from an intense workout program. Although 30 minutes with the battle ropes each day may not seem like a lot, after 6 days of this program, you’ll be grateful for rest.

Use rest days to allow your body to recover from the workout program.
If you are fatigued, add additional rest days to this schedule as needed.

Remember to gradually introduce yourself to a new program. If your body is fatigued to the point that you believe you cannot maintain good form while performing a full workout, take a rest day. While working out involves pushing yourself, working to the point of injury will delay your fitness goals a lot longer than a single extra rest day.

Is it OK to do Battle Ropes Every Day?

It is only okay to work out with battle ropes on a daily basis if you are performing a workout that is about 10 minutes long. If you perform a long, total-body workout, you will need to rest for a day after the workout. Alternatively, you can work out up to 6 times per week by using a battle rope training program that targets specific muscle groups on specific days. By using targeted battle rope exercises, you can work upper body muscles while your lower body muscles have a chance to recover.

Do Battle Ropes Work Legs? [Top 7 Leg Exercises]

When used correctly, battle ropes are a total body workout that provides an excellent way to build leg strength and muscle. At first glance, it may look like you use only your arms to move battle ropes, but this isn’t the case. Standard battle rope workouts performed in a standing position recruit muscles throughout the lower body to perform powerful rope workouts safely. By adding squats, lunges, and jumps to these movements you’ll truly target your lower body during your rope workout.

How Do Battle Ropes Work Your Legs?

The best battle rope movements require you to use muscles throughout your body to move the ropes in powerful waves, whips, and slams. When you’re standing in an athletic position with your knees bent during waves, you’ll absorb the shock of the rope’s momentum in your legs, working your quads, hamstrings, and stabilizer muscles. When you jump up to slam the rope down, you’ll use your calves, glutes, quads, and hamstrings.

Many standard battle rope movements activate muscles throughout your entire body, including your legs.
Standing battle rope exercises use stabilizer muscles in your lower body to maintain balance.
Jumping during a battle rope workout targets several leg muscles.
Adding squats, lunges, and agility movements to battle ropes turns them into an intense lower body workout.

The potential for battle ropes to work the lower body can be increased by blending traditional leg workouts with your rope movements. Hold a squat position while doing waves, slamming the rope from one side to another as you drop into side lunges, or doing high knees while performing lateral waves add a lower body component to any movement. If you have space outdoors, you can incorporate even more into your workout. Try running backward for 40 yards towing a battle rope to get an intense quad workout.

7 Battle Rope Movements that Maximize Leg Strength

If you’ve got a set of battle ropes in the gym and want to use them for more than just an upper body workout, then you’ve got the right idea. Ropes are a versatile training tool that can increase your strength and conditioning in nearly any muscle group. Here’s how to really target your legs using the heavy ropes.

Alternating Waves with Squats

Let’s start with one of our favorite battle rope movements—the alternating wave. It’s a great arm and shoulder workout but it can be modified to provide a great leg workout as well. Perform squats as you wave the ropes to activate your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and hip flexors. Here’s how:

Hold the ropes in a handshake grip.
Take a squat-ready stance, with feet slightly more than shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent.
With your arms extended, move the ropes up and down to create waves that travel to the anchor point.
Squat until your thighs are parallel with the floor while continuing to make rope waves.
Rise from the squat, driving up through your legs and hips.
Maintain a straight back with retracted shoulders and eyes forward throughout the motion.
Work for 30 seconds, or for 8–12 squats.

As an alternative to performing several squats, a variation on this exercise is to hold the squat position for the full 30 seconds. Either way, you’ll get a great leg workout.

Side Lunge Slams

Side lunge slams are one of our favorites because they not only work the legs, but also recruit many other muscle groups as well. As an added bonus, they incorporate a turning movement to safely work the core and ab muscles in a way most traditional exercises don’t. Here’s how to perform this movement.

Hold the ropes in a reverse grip, with the handles pointing toward the ceiling.
Drop into a lunge position. Your right leg should be bent and your right side should be facing the rope’s anchor point. Think of your body as the top of ‘T’ and the ropes as the long leg of the ‘T’.
Bring your hands in front of you. Your arms should be extended at about knee height.
Power up from the lunge position, extending your arms overhead as you pivot from left to right.
Slam the rope down as you sink into lunge position facing the opposite direction.
Repeat for 30 seconds.

This rope workout is incredible for the lower body because it requires you to power up from the lunge position to help throw the ropes overhead in a high arc. As a bonus, it’s a great workout to increase upper body and core strength as well.

Sidestep Waves

A unique component of rope workouts for the lower body is that you can incorporate movement. This increases functional strength, agility, and cardio endurance. One of our favorite movements for this purpose are sidestep waves. To do them:

Hold the ropes in a handshake grip.
Sink halfway into squat position, with feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
Begin making alternating waves in the rope, making sure they are symmetrical and powerful enough to travel to the anchor point.
Maintaining your low stance, sidestep 3 times to the left, then 3 steps to the right.
Work for 30 seconds.

Depending on the space available in your gym, you can perform this exercise with more or fewer sidesteps. If you have limited space, you can perform high knees while standing in place for a greater leg workout.

Jump Slams

Build explosive power in your legs by adding jump slams to your routine. This movement will work your hamstrings, glutes, quads, and calves all at once as you power yourself off the ground while slamming the ropes. For this exercise:

Hold the ropes in a handshake grip.
Start in athletic stance, prepared to sink into a squat.
Drop down into a squat position and gather yourself for an explosive leap.
Leap upward out of squat position, powering yourself off the ground.
Keeping your arms extended, raise them overhead, creating an arc in the rope.
As you land, bring the rope down hard in a slam.
Bend your knees as you land, cushioning your landing and sinking down into squat position for the next rep.
Work for 30 seconds, then rest.

When performing any jump motion with the battle ropes it’s important to remember to bend your knees as you land. This will allow you to absorb the impact of the landing safely. Landing stiff-legged can cause knee injury. The key to jump slams is taking it slowly at first, performing the exercise as one fluid motion before you ramp up the speed.

Reverse Lunge Waves

Lunges are an amazing unilateral lower body exercise. They build strength and muscle evenly by working each leg independently, ensuring that a stronger leg can’t compensate for a weaker one. You can add lunges to your battle rope workout with the following exercise:

Face the anchor point and hold the ropes in a handshake grip.
Begin performing alternating waves.
As you move the ropes in waves, step back with the right leg and lower yourself into a lunge position until your right knee touches the floor.
Stand up from the lunge and step forward back to the starting position.
Step back with the left leg to perform a lunge.
Work for 30 seconds, alternating lunges as you work.

By adding lunges to alternating waves, you kick up the cardio intensity at the same time you activate more leg muscles. You’ll burn more calories, build endurance, and develop strength at the same time.

Burpee Slams

By adding burpees to your battle rope movements you will not only boost your heart rate, but you’ll also train your leg muscles for explosive power. This variation is performed by doing the following:

Hold the ropes in a handshake grip.
Stand in an athletic position, knees slightly bent and back straight.
Drop down into plank position, kicking your legs out behind you.
Gather your legs under yourself in a crouch.
Jump upward, extending your arms overhead to bring the ropes up in an arc.
Bring the ropes down into a hard slam as you land, bending your knees and preparing to drop into plank position again.
Work for 30 seconds, then rest.

The constant movement of the burpee works on natural flexibility and functional strength. Leaping, crouching, and gathering all require different muscles. You’ll feel the burn in your legs after this one.

Battle Rope Jumping Jacks

Jumping jacks might seem simple, but once you add a heavy rope to the equation, they get a lot more intense. This is a great rope warm-up or the perfect way to end a tough circuit. To perform this movement:

Stand with your back to the rope’s anchor point.
With your arms at your side and your palms facing inwards, grab a rope in each hand.
Jump, straddling your legs in a ‘V’.
As you jump, bring your arms up laterally above shoulder height. Keep your arms extended with only a slight bend in the elbow
Land with your legs straddled and arms raised.
Jump again, bringing your legs together and arms down.
Work for 30 seconds, then rest.

By adding weighted ropes, your legs will be required to produce more power to leap off the ground. This will activate your glutes, hamstrings, and calves. At the same time, your shoulder muscles will be working to raise the ropes, adding an upper body component to this simple exercise.

Do Battle Ropes Work Legs?

Battle ropes are a great leg workout tool. To get the best lower body workout using the ropes, keep these rules in mind:

Add traditional lower body workouts such as squats and lunges to battle rope movements.
Increase agility and functional strength by sidestepping or doing high knees during battle rope exercises.
Build explosive strength in your legs by using jumps, burpees, and jumping jacks with heavy ropes.

These rules can be applied to several battle rope workouts, transforming them from a total body workout to a leg-strengthening master course. Incorporate these rules into a leg day program or add a few lower body exercises into a rope circuit to see and feel the results.

Do Battle Ropes Work Back? [5 Battle Ropes Back Exercises]

Battle ropes are an incredible total-body training tool that will work your back muscles. Many battle rope exercises activate the muscles in your back as part of a total body workout. You can also perform battle rope exercises that specifically target your back muscles for increased growth and development. Moving the ropes laterally or in circles targets the muscles in the upper back. Whipping the ropes in up-and-down motions works your lats and lower back.

How Do Battle Ropes Work Back Muscles?

Many battle rope exercises require you to use your entire body, from your legs through your upper body, to generate power to move the rope. These big movements employ the muscles in your core for balance and stability. This activates the muscles in your lower back, strengthening them.

Controlling the ropes during wave and slam movements engages your core muscles—including the lower back.
Performing movements in a seated or lying position uses your back more effectively since you cannot produce power from your legs.
Moving ropes in a side-to-side or circular motion activates the rear deltoids and upper back muscles.
Moving ropes in an up-and-down motion uses your lats.

When choosing rope workouts with the intent of targeting your back, consider performing exercises in a seated position. Without the ability to generate force using your lower body, you will recruit more muscles in your upper body, including your back. Exercises where you slam or wave the ropes downward will use your lats. Movements that bring the ropes in a lateral (side-to-side) or circular motion will target your upper back muscles.

Rules to Get the Most Out of Your Battle Rope Back Workout

As with any workout, correct form while using the battle ropes is essential. To perform a workout safely and prevent injury to your shoulders and lower back, follow these rules:

Hold the rope firmly but do not grip it extremely hard. Gripping too hard can lead you to lean back on the ropes.
Do not lean back on the ropes. This can pull your shoulder joints and back into positions where harmful strain is placed on them.
Keep your back straight and shoulders retracted throughout each exercise.
Hold a steady gaze with your eyes forward.
When performing an exercise in the standing position, take an athletic stance with knees slightly bent. This will allow you to absorb the shock of the moving ropes, preventing injury.

These quick rules will keep you safe throughout your workout. Once you’ve mastered these basics, you can explore ways to maximize the muscle-building potential of your battle ropes workout.

5 Best Exercises to Target Your Back with Battle Ropes

When it comes time to get a back workout with the heavy ropes, there are a selection of exercises that will target the muscles throughout the upper and lower back, including the muscles at the rear of the shoulder. The movements below can be tailored to any fitness level in order to build strength and muscle in your back.

Lateral Whip

This exercise is designed to target the rear deltoids, rhomboids, and trapezius muscles. In layman’s terms, this means the lateral whip provides a workout for the muscles at the rear of the shoulders, between the shoulder blades, as well as the muscles that run from your shoulders up the rear of your neck. To perform it:

Grip the battle ropes in a handshake grip.
Take an athletic stance with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
Begin with the ropes held in front of you. Bend your elbows slightly.
Holding the ropes, spread your arms outward to create symmetrical sideways waves in the rope.
Spread your arms wide during the movement. Think of trying to touch your shoulder blades to one another at the peak of the movement.
Bring your hands back downward to the starting position.
Work for 30 seconds, then rest for 60 seconds.

As with the other exercises on this list, lateral whips can be performed as part of a battle rope circuit or in a more traditional “sets and reps” style. For a battle ropes circuit, choose 5–10 exercises. Perform each one once, with 60 seconds of rest between exercises, then restart the circuit from the beginning. For sets and reps, perform the exercise for 30-seconds, rest for 60 seconds, and repeat this cycle 5 times.

Seated Alternating Waves

Alternating waves are the cornerstone of any battle ropes workout. With so many variations, this movement can provide a total body workout or isolate specific muscle groups. By performing vertical waves in a seated position, the force to move the rope comes from the upper body, which activates the back muscles. For this exercise:

Sit on the floor with your legs straight and spread in a ‘V’.
Grip a rope in each hand in a handshake grip.
Flick the ropes up and down in waves that travel to the anchor point.
Keep your arms straight, with only a slight bend at the elbow, in order to engage the back muscles.
Work for 30 seconds, then rest for 60 seconds.

The up-and-down motion of this exercise uses the lats (the big muscles on either side of your back) to generate force to bring the rope down. To further increase activation of the back muscles, focus on using the full range of motion to flick the ropes down with force.

Lying T

This is a bit of an unorthodox battle rope workout since it involves laying face-down on the floor while gripping the ropes, but it’s an excellent back workout. It will target your rear deltoids and trapezius muscles, but it will also strengthen core muscles in your lower back. To perform this battle rope exercise:

Lie face-down on the floor, facing the rope’s anchor point.
Spread your arms out straight at your sides, forming a ‘T’ shape.
Grip a rope in each hand.
Keeping your arms extended, raise them from the floor as you attempt to bring your shoulder blades together.
Hold the position with your arms off the floor for 3 seconds.
Slowly lower your arms back to the floor.
Perform 8–12 reps, then rest for 60 seconds.

Unlike most battle rope exercises that rely on speed, you’ll get the most out of the lying T by keeping your muscles under tension by holding the top position. By the time you get to the end of your set, your upper back will be burning from the workout.

Jump Slam

The jump slam is a battle rope staple. You’ll use your whole body to bring the ropes overhead with your arms extended, but it will be up to the muscles in your shoulders and back to slam the ropes back down hard to the ground. For this exercise:

Hold the ropes in a handshake grip.
Sink into a squat position.
Maintain a straight back and keep your eyes forward.
Extend your arms with a slight bend at the elbow. Your hands should be at knee height.
Jump upward as you raise your arms overhead, keeping them extended.
As you come down, slam the ropes back down to the ground, creating a twin wave that travels to the anchor point.
End in the starting position—deep squat with arms extended at knee height.
Work for 30 seconds, then rest for 60 seconds.

Although you can perform rope slams in a seated position, it’s tough to generate enough power to get the full range of motion without the help of your lower body. By fully extending your arms overhead you’ll use the entirety of your lats to help bring down the rope in a powerful slam, leading to stronger, more defined back muscles.

Outside Circles

Moving the battle ropes in circular motions is an excellent way to activate the rear deltoid and rhomboid muscles in your upper back. The circular motion also uses stabilizer muscles throughout your back to maintain the balance and rhythm of the ropes. Outside circles are the best circle-type exercise for your back. Here’s how to do it:

Hold the ropes in a handshake grip.
Assume the athletic stance, with knees slightly bent and back straight.
Move the ropes in opposite circular motions. Your right hand should be moving in a clockwise motion while your left hand moves counterclockwise.
Create equal-sized spirals in the rope as you work.
Work for 30 seconds, then rest for 60 seconds.

For an extra challenge, perform outside circles in a seated position. This will put increased focus on your upper back muscles.

Can You Build a Strong Back with Battle Ropes?

You can build muscle and strength in your back by performing the right battle rope exercises. The following exercises are excellent for targeting muscles throughout the upper and lower back.

Lateral whips
Seated alternating waves
Lying T
Rope slams
Outside circles

Movements that move the ropes in in-out movements or circular movements will target your upper back. Compound movements performed while standing will activate the core muscles in your lower back. Making up-down waves in the rope will recruit the lats and other muscles throughout the back. Mix all of these types together for the ultimate battle rope back workout.