Battle Rope Exercises: The HIIT Cardio King?

"I just had a nightmare!"

"What was it?"

"I was stuck walking on a treadmill for hours and hours and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get off."

When I wake up on a cardio day this is how most of my mornings start. While you marathon runners, tri-athletes, and cyclists can't wait for your next training session, most of us iron-addicts shut down our brains at the mere thought of cardio.

There is nothing worse than to place your water bottle into the holder of an elliptical, only to find that some alien-type sticky substance has not adhered itself to the plastic. And what about the noisy treadmill that sounds like a helicopter when you increase the speed past 4.2?

But, cardio plays a key role in your overall health, burning off those extra pounds of fat, and unleashing your abs in time for swimsuit season. This is why it's time to ditch the machines, pick up the battle ropes and get to work.

The Benefits of Battle Rope Cardio

If you've never heard of battle ropes, or wondered what they were, they are exactly as they sound: One big long rope used to burn calories in the cardio arena. And, when used correctly, can help torch that unwanted fat.

On average you will burn up to 10 calories per minute during a battle ropes session. This equates to the same caloric burn rate as running a 6 minute mile. When's the last time you ran a 6 minute mile? High school? Middle school? Never?

Since this exercise is fast and intense you will reach your max heart rate quickly, fire up your metabolism, and burn hundreds of calories in as little as 15 minutes. And, you will be activating muscles in your lower, mid, and upper body depending on how you use the ropes.

Incorporating squats, jump squats, or a Bosu ball into your ropes routine will help strengthen your glutes, calves, and core while developing endurance in your upper body.

Battle Ropes HIIT

HIIT is the now popular acronym for "High Intensity Interval Training." Battle ropes lead the way as a high intensity exercise tool.

As discussed above, burning those hundred of calories in a short amount of time is going to be accomplished through a HIIT session. HIIT training combines high intensity training with low intensity exercises or complete rest.

Compared to a steady state cardio session of 30-60 minutes at a slow or moderate stat you can get your heart rate up in a fat-burning state in 15 minutes or less. Get your battle ropes HIIT session started with 30 seconds on then 30 seconds rest for 15 minutes and the thought of a treadmill will never cross your mind again.

Fortify your fat blasting efforts with the Drop 6 Stack consisting of HPN M(6), Drop Factor and Yohimbine HCL. Buy now.

Battle Ropes: A Great Addition to Your Home Gym

Depending on the gym or fitness club you belong too you may not have access to battle ropes. Or, some of you may exercise at your home gym and are looking for something new to add to your equipment bundle.

The great thing about battle ropes is you can purchase a quality set for under $100 and set them up anywhere: your backyard, your garage, a local park. And, you can throw them in the car to take with you on a road trip or weekend getaway to stay on track with your cardio and strength routine.

Compared to getting yourself a new treadmill, elliptical or stair machine, you won't have to re-finance your home to get a piece of equipment that's going to help you reach your goals. With your own set of battle ropes you can wake up, roll out of bed, take two scoops of MTS Clash, and finish your HIIT cardio session before your morning pot of coffee is finished brewing.

Battle Ropes as an Upper Body Finisher

Not only are battle ropes the ultimate cardio alternative, they are an important tool used in strengthening your upper body.

I'm always looking for ways to change up my routine and so should you. Trying new exercises and routines allows you to fine tune your workouts and discover what works best for you and your body. Adding a battle ropes session to the end of an arm day or shoulder day is a great finisher for blasting those muscle groups one last time before heading home.

As a finishing exercise you don't have to hit the battle ropes as a HIIT session with short rest periods. You can rest 45-60 seconds between sets, as you would with resistance training, and focus on activating your arms and shoulders with each slam of the rope. you'll continue to build muscle and shred your upper body while shredding fat.

Final Thoughts

Battle ropes aren't just for MMA fighters or elite level athletes. They are an important tool everyone should integrate into their strength and cardio routines.

There's also something raw, something prehistoric, something savage about slamming two pieces of heavy thread into the ground. If you don't believe me, give it a chance. It's time to try something different and raise your hands in glory as you destroy your un-wanted fat on the battle rope battleground.