Rope training is serious business. From 6 year old’s on the playground to the military that’s guarding the countries we live in; rope training has its place in the form of fun, exercise and the ability to increase intense strength and endurance in professional athletes.
It can be as high of intensity of a workout as you want it to be and your total piece of equipment is a rope, a place to tie it, or a workout partner capable of holding on to the other end… and your motivation to make it move.
When you do rope training for even a few weeks it will help you to increase your endurance, build muscle and burn fat; and depending on your body type, burn fat at a rapid rate.
Rope Training Exercises
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters regularly use ropes as part of their training routine, along with kettlebells and sandbags amongst other things that we’ll get to in another report. All of these training methods help increase muscle strength and endurance while also helping to increase your speed and timing responses when in the ring.
Another popular form of rope training is the more traditional jumping with a rope. We wanted to include this here as it is a fantastic way to increase your fitness level and even a short time spent jumping can expend lots of calories.
Beginners Jump Rope Training
Remember when you were a child you probably jumped rope with your siblings and friends. This is still a wonderful exercise to do today. If you are short of time and money then jumping rope for exercise is one of the best ways to start getting healthier and losing weight.
As with any exercise when first starting out you want to take it easy and not over do it! There is no point in pulling a tendon or worse in the sake of getting fit. Slow and easy wins the race every time.
If you haven’t picked up a jump rope in years you should try jumping for approximately 30 seconds or around 50 repetitions; less if feel this is a bit much because some is better than none and you can always grow from wherever you are starting.
30 seconds and 50 reps would be classified as one set. Aim to complete three sets each time you workout. As this becomes easier for you increase the time to 60 seconds and then to 90 seconds and allow yourself only 30 seconds to rest before starting the next set. Work up to four or five sets three times a week.
As you become more advanced at jump rope then increase the time you spend jumping to 20 minutes each session. Your goal is to have each set last between two to five minutes completing five sets each workout. To get the best benefit try not to rest too long in between sets. Aim to do these five times a week.
Moving On to the Future…
Today rope training encompasses more than just jumping and makes use of different types of ropes. The ropes used are known as heavy or battle ropes and come in varying thicknesses and lengths.
Heavy ropes were traditionally used by men because of their weight, however today you will see more ropes being used by women as well. This is because this form of training is excellent for overall conditioning, strengthening and of course weight loss.
Basic Rope Training
There are many ways you can utilize ropes into your exercise routine. You can use ropes to make waves, for pulls, slams, climbing, jumping and even for dragging around. If you want to increase your lung capacity this is the perfect method to use. Your lungs will easily be burning after a workout.
When starting a rope training program you will come across hundreds of exercises with different terms. Below we have listed a few exercise moves that are commonly used in this type of training program.
- Shuffle Waves
- Hand Pulls
- Rope Twists
- Seated over the shoulder pulls
- Drag Pull
- Around the World
- Grappler Throw
Getting Started with Rope Training Exercises
All you need is one thick rope to get started and you don’t have to go out and buy a brand name sports training rope either. You can just visit your local hardware store and purchase a manila rope that is about 1.5 to 2.0 inches in diameter and 50 feet long. A manila type rope is very strong and sturdy and can take the excessive pounding that you are about to commence on.
You are also going to need a way to secure the rope so you can use both ends. If you have a large tree in your backyard this would be perfect. You can simply wrap the rope around the tree trunk. You may be able to work out with another person who can hold the rope in the middle, providing they are strong enough to hold onto it.
Whatever methods you choose ensure that the rope is secure and safe. Another idea is if you have a sturdy pole in your basement that you can wrap or secure the rope too.
Mind you we have also seen people use the ropes unsecured. You just lay out the length of rope and then start making waves with it. Just be careful that the end doesn’t flay around and whip someone or something.
Make Waves with Your Training Rope
Making waves with your rope is one of the easiest ways to get started. You simply hold onto the rope and start moving it up and down with your arms until you see the wave motion happening. Be sure to stand with your feet firmly on the ground about shoulder width apart. The more motion you make with your arms the quicker your heart rate will increase.
It is best to start out doing a timed session of about 30 seconds, doing this for a beginner is really going to tax your arms and your breathing. As your ability improves you can increase the duration of each session or increase your speed.
A slam move is similar to a wave other than you hold your arms high above your head before slamming the rope down. You can perform this move with both arms or alternate your arms. Again start with a short session and increase the duration over time.
If you are new to rope training or interested in learning more, see the “Benefits of Rope Training and Fitness Rope Choices” article. That article will help you get more out of your rope workouts and what type of rope you might want to be starting out with. Be sure to subscribe to the http://MyFitnessNut.com Newsletter To be kept up to date with the latest information on health and fitness.