Want to take your conditioning and grip sessions up a notch? Throw in a bit of rope work. Love it.
What to get
The equipment is pretty simple – a long, hefty rope. I personally use the original Battling Ropes kit, which is ideal for this sort of work. It contains a whopping 50′ length of rope (I use the manilla, but polyester ropes are also available) and the Challenge DVD to show how to use them. Superb.
Alternately, the ropes can be bought by themselves (in different thicknesses and lengths), as well as various training manuals and DVDs. Whatever combination you’re after, it’s here.
In terms of space, the workouts require a long, narrow area with a heavy object at the far end (to put the rope around). A tree or sturdy pole is ideal.
If you’re training indoors, just use a slightly shorter area and wrap the rope around the rack. You’re ready to go.
What to do with it
There are many, many ways to train with battling ropes. Here are a few of my favourites :
- Battling Ropes Tsunami
Whether you’re training or just testing yourself, give this one a shot. Good stuff.
- Movement Drills with Battling Ropes
Frank DiMeo demonstrates just a few of the great variations possible with the Battling Ropes. Nice one.
- There are many ways to swing a rope
Ready for a few more ideas? Try these.
- Advanced Battle Rope Workout
And lastly, a sample of a complete Battle Rope Workout. Nice one.
Where to find out more
There’s actually quite a bit of info (both online and offline) available on ways to train with the Battling Ropes, including :
- An Overview of Velocity Training
This is a superb article by Frank DiMeo on his foray into the Battling Ropes workouts. Brilliant. - Battling Ropes Pole System (DVD)
Ready to build your strength endurance? Grab this. - Hurricane Ingrid : The Workout (DVD)
Looking to crank it up a notch? Make Ingrid your friend.
Final thought on training with the Battling Ropes
If you thought you were in pretty good condition before, try the Battling Ropes. That’ll really crank things up a notch.
Love ’em.