Spotted those big, heavy ropes at the gym, but not sure how to use them? Meet the full-body fat-burning tool that’ll reshape your body in no time! Four-legged gym buddy optional
It’s that time of year, when New Year’s resolutions are fresh and gyms are packed. Don’t let crowds put you off achieving yours. This workout uses just one piece of equipment so you don’t have to be that creepy weirdo staring at fellow gym-goers, willing them to finish with that next machine you need.
Waiting for the leg press machine like…
What’s more, battle ropes — those big, heavy things coiled up in the corner — are among the least touched bits of equipment in the gym. They’re fairly new to the average health club, so even regulars find them a bit intimidating. And of those who are willing to give them, most don’t hog them for long because they don’t realise how much you can actually do with this one thing.
READ MORE: 9 Ways You Can Tone Your Entire Body Using Just A Rope
Cardio And Strength In One
You get different gauges of battle ropes. Thicker ones are heavier, but they’re all heavy enough to give you a decent toning work. Expect to feel — and see — it most in your shoulders and arms, but your back and chest will also get in on the action. Your abs are getting a workout because they’re keeping you stable and helping you generate power. And if you include squats and lunges, that’s your legs and butt taken care of as well.
Everyone’s like, gotta shed that holiday weight…
Now, back to that power business. You’re going to need a lot of it to move the rope. Sustain that for even a few seconds and you’ll feel your heart start to pound and your breathing getting deeper just like it does when you do traditional cardio, like running. And because you’re working in bursts of intense effort, you’re essentially doing high-intensity interval training, which has been shown to be most effective for fat burning. Hooray!
READ MORE: “I Tried HIIT Training For 3 Months — Here’s What I Learned”
Your Battle Rope Workout
This workout, by WH How-To Guy and Men’s Health cover guy Johry Batt, co-owner of Huba Fitness, is designed to work your whole body using only a set of battle ropes and a timer. Before you start, warm up your shoulders with two minutes of arm circles, front and back, your ankles with a minute of ankles circles each side and your hips with two sets of 10 body-weight squats.
Watch the video…
Do the moves in order, completing eight rounds of each move before moving on to the next. For each round, do as many reps as you can in 20 seconds, then rest for ten seconds. Once you’ve done that eight times, rest for a full minute before moving on to the next move.
Fallen off the diet wagon already? Burn the cake off with this at-home, post-cheat-day workout.
