Q&A: What Do These Ropes Do?
Battling ropes are popping up at more and more training facilities these days.
Since we got them at our facility at FocusNYC, just about everyone who walks through the door wants to know what they’re used for. Here’s the answer:
A. Battling ropes were developed by a man named John Brookfield, and their biggest benefit (and intended use) is that they can improve the ability to sustain velocity: The user must produce and maintain a quick and powerful wave with the ropes for a given duration of time.
Keeping in mind that Power = Force x Velocity, the ability of the user to keep the wave going is determined not only by his or her ability to produce force (strength), but by his or her ability to maintain the velocity (speed) of the rope over time (endurance). Therefore, battling ropes are great tools for testing and enhancing speed, power and muscular endurance – all at the same time.
Battling ropes can also be used for conditioning among athletic and non-athletic populations alike (this is how you’ll see them used in boot camp classes and more conventional gym settings). You can incorporate them in circuits or use various interval protocols to improve aerobic and anaerobic capacity, as well as torch calories and accelerate fat loss. Aside from getting you gassed, they’re also taxing on the arms because they provide a natural mechanical disadvantage for the user: A 50- or 100-foot long rope makes an awfully long resistance arm!
Check out this killer battling ropes workout using Workout Muse:
Filed under: exercise instruction, exercise Q&A
Remember that time I yanked the rope anchor out of the wall during one of our Focus workouts. That was awesome.
Ha, yes, that was awesome. You should be on the next commercial for Planet Fitness. “I lift things up and put them down…and pull stuff out of walls.”
I am definitely one who walked through the doors wondering the benefits of those heavy ropes. This is my least favorite fitness activity but its probably because its extremely difficult. Maybe 1 day I’ll learn to appreciate them like the dude in the video. Although I think the ropes he is whipping around may be half the the weight of the ropes in the focus gym…jk. Most of the junk food I eat seem to accumulate in my upper arms so maybe this activity will help me there. Thank you for the post.
Thanks for the comment Helen! Hope you understand the benefits now
. If not, keep coming to class and they’ll speak for themselves!