Ropes

Have you seen ropes at the gym or on TV?  Are you trying to figure out why people would be using ropes as part of their workouts?  Here are some ideas on ropes and why they might be a good addition to your training program.

John Brookfield is the creator of the battling ropes system and the individual who trained professional sports teams with ropes.  After the media, other trainers and athletes started noticing the great workout potential they had, ropes took off. There are now certifications, weekend trainings and whole studios devoted to working out with ropes.

Ropes can offer a unique blend of strength and explosiveness while having fun.  With the ropes you can push, pull, work on range of motion and cardio all at the same time.  There are also a lot of different exercises that work your entire body in as little at 20 seconds.

Ropes can be modified to work with just about anyone.  You can use light, moderate or heavy ropes, the speed of movement can also be modified to work with anyone.  If you are experiencing pain from other injuries it is important to talk with your physician or physical therapist before beginning such a different routine.

Make sure to start off slow and small when using them.  Because you are using so many muscles and in a unique way it is important to not over do it.  A common mistake I see a lot of people do when starting ropes is to bend and arch their back.  In the video below you will see that great back alignment is kept while he is doing the entire exercise.

If you have any questions on ropes and if they are for you let us know.  If you have blog requests make sure to let us know as well!

Here is a good example of some different arm exercises you can do with ropes.