There are several exercises you can pair with battle ropes to give yourself a great full body workout.
The “key” to a great battle rope workout is to incorporate a list of exercises that work your legs, arms, back and abs.
Battle ropes are going to generally work your shoulders, upper back, chest and forearms.
Mix in exercises like squats, planks, sit ups and lunges.
The more challenging the battle rope workout, the more muscle you will put on over time, the more fat you will burn and more endurance you will gain.
Pair this list of 10 exercises with your next battle rope workout.
Exercises to Pair with Battle Ropes
1. Squat Hops
While you’re continuously waving your arms and the battle ropes up and down, add a squat hop to the mix.
The squat hop is an easy exercise to mix with the battle ropes and it helps you develop your quads, hamstrings, calves and glutes.
Make to use good form and land softly.
2. Side Lunge to Curtsy Lunge
A side lunge and curtsy lunge is a great exercise to develop your inner and outer thighs and glutes.
It’s easy to pair with the battle ropes because of the smooth transition from one side to another.
Mix these 2 exercises together for a great full body workout.
3. Sit ups
Adding some sit-ups to your battle rope workout is the perfect way to give your core some added benefit.
It can be hard keeping your arms moving while sitting up and down but put a couple of dumbbells over your shoes and the sit-ups will become easier.
Strengthen your core and burn calories with this great hiit workout.
4. Lunge Jumps
Lunge jumps are going to make help make your battle rope workout more challenging.
They will work the entirety of your legs and will pair nicely with the battle rope exercise.
If you can’t do the lunge jumps just stick to reverse lunges.
Also try split squats for an added challenge.
5. Jumping Jacks
One way to improve your endurance and work your shoulders, calves and outer thighs is with the jumping jack.
The jumping jack will improve our heart, lung and blood health.
They are also great for warming up and cooling down.
6. Planks
One exercise you may not think pairs well with the battle ropes is the plank.
Make it more challenging and add a one arm plank to your workout while you wave the battle rope with your other arm.
Do this over a long period of time and your abs and shoulders will end up on fire.
7. Reverse Flies to Chest Flies
Instead of just doing the standard battle rope wave, swing the ropes across your chest and back outward squeezing your rhomboids together.
You will give yourself a great pectoral and upper back workout.
Do a few sets of these and your upper body will be on fire.
8. RDL’s
A great exercise to pair with the battle rope is the RDL.
Kind of like a good morning, doing and RDL with the battle ropes will especially work your back, glutes, and hamstrings.
The entirety of your posterior chain will get a challenging workout.
9. Ski Hops
Get ready for your next ski trip by pairing the battle ropes with ski hops.
Keep your legs close together and hop side to side.
Your quads will really start to feel it over time, along with your shoulders and glutes.
10. Sumo Squats
The last exercise that you can pair with a battle rope workout is the sumo squat.
The sumo squat will work the entirety of your legs but will more heavily target the quads and inner thighs.
Try holding the sumo squat down at the bottom for an added challenge.
A great way to challenge yourself even further is with the use of a weight vest by Prodigen.
This particular vest comes in 8, 12, 16, 20, 25, or 30 pound increments.
Made to last and backed by rave reviews, this vest is a perfect way to make your workout more difficult.
Summary: Exercises to Pair with Battle Ropes
Next time you think about breaking out your next battle rope workout, make sure you incorporate other exercises that develop your legs, abs and back at the same time. Pair a battle rope workout with ski hops, lunge jumps or jumping jacks. Not only will this make your workout more interesting, but it will keep your mind off the grueling workout your arms and shoulders are currently going through. The combination of these exercises will help develop lean muscle, burn calories, and give you a body you can be happy about.
A great set of battle ropes you can find is these Training Ropes by GSE.
Made with braided high tenacity polyester, these 3 strand twisted battle ropes are an excellent tool for improving grip, building muscle, and burning fat.
These ropes come in 30, 40 or 50 feet lengths.
Don’t forget to check out my article: 9 Exercises to Pair with Box Jumps
