When you think about doing cardio, you think about endless rows of cardio equipment. Or you think about going outside for a run or ride.
But what if you find these workouts, well, boring?
Ok maybe you turn to some bodyweight interval sessions.
However, even many of these are very lower body focused.
Or they include a ton of jumping.
And it can be hard if you have a lower body injury to find options to work around!
So how can you get in a killer cardio workout that even targets your UPPER body more while allowing you to work on everything from building power to your aerobic capacity and conditioning?
The answer?
With BATTLE ROPES!
Battle ropes are the perfect way to work your entire body with lower impact moves or even take your cardio training up a notch.
You can use them for longer intervals of work to improve your aerobic base or you can use them to build explosive power.
They can be great to target literally every muscle of your body, whether you choose a basic wave to just work your upper body, a plank variation to target your core or even a full body movement including shuffling, lunging or squatting.
Learning To Use Battle Ropes:
So how do you do the basic battle ropes alternating arm wave?
A fundamental wave to learn on the battle ropes is the basic alternating arm wave. To do this movement, hold a handle in each hand and walk back so there is some slack in the rope but they are pulled out straight. You do not want them stretched tight.
Holding a handle in each hand, pull one hand down toward your hip as you raise the other hand up. Then quickly alternating, swinging the other arm back as you raise the other arm up.
You can play around with a straighter arm movement or slightly more of a bicep curl.
There are also multiple ways to create this basic wave based on how you want to isolate and work areas. You can make it super arm intensive, holding a very still body and doing more of that curl.
You can also use rotation a bit more swinging from your hip. This is more of the “gunslinger” wave allowing you to use rotation to power the movement more.
You can also do more of a Frankenstein movement, slightly marching in place as you create the wave with straighter arms.
All of these can be used based on how you want to target areas so even play around with them!
But make sure you aren’t just shrugging as you create the waves, feeling your upper traps really becoming overworked.
Think quick fluid movements allowing the waves to push each other down over trying to lift the entire rope up and down each and every time. It’s why you want a bit of slack in the rope.
Make sure too you’re standing tall with your chest pressed out and focused on moving as quickly as possible.
Once you’ start using the basic alternating arm wave…How can you spice things up a bit?
Battle Ropes Modifications And Progressions:
Not only are there different waves you can create, from the double wave to sidewinders to rainbows, but you can even vary up that basic alternating arm wave exercise by the posture you perform the movement in and the involvement of your lower body.
You could add in a side shuffle as you perform the alternating arm wave, side to side lunges or even a reverse lunge.
If you need to modify around a lower body injury, you could even do the movement seated on a bench or on the ground.
With any of the waves you can really implement different postures and movements to work your entire body and work around lower body aches and pains.
You can do a single arm wave from a plank position if you wanted to work your core more and get in an anti-rotational movement during your conditioning workout.
Or even the rainbows balanced on your butt to work your obliques more.
If you want to add in impact and work on explosive power, you could combine a double arm wave even with a squat jump.
Battle ropes are simply a great way to target not only your upper body but adjust to meet your conditioning needs for that day and work a variety of muscle groups!
But now that you have all of these options, how can you create a workout?
Battle ropes are a great tool to use whatever energy system you want to target.
You can include them in an interval workout, whether you want a quick high intensity interval session for something quick, like 30 seconds on, 10 seconds off or you want to work on your aerobic conditioning and perform longer intervals of work on the ropes, even up to 10 minutes straight.
You can honestly even include them in a lifting session if you wanted the workout to be more metabolically focused. You could include even something to work on your strength and power by doing reps of the Snake wave or outward circles during your chest, shoulders and tricep session.
Just remember, you want to include tools in a way that matches your needs and goals. We don’t just want to put things in to feel more worked and train harder!
But if you’re looking for a way to improve your conditioning and create a new progression, give battle ropes a try!
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Whether you need an amazing workout to do at home or you want to stay on track while traveling, this 30/10 Cordio Workout is a must-do routine!
It’s one of the fun interval workouts in my Bodyweight Blast, included in my Macro Hacks Challenge!
The 30/10 Cordio
WORKOUT: Set a timer for 30 seconds of work and 10 seconds to rest and transition between moves. Complete 2-4 rounds through each circuit without resting extra between rounds. (You may add an extra 40 seconds between rounds if needed so that you don’t have to pause or rest during the 30 seconds of work.) Rest 1-2 minutes between circuits.
CIRCUIT #2: 30 seconds Tuck Jump to Plank Tucks 10 seconds Rest 30 seconds Half Burpee (with push up) 10 seconds Rest 30 seconds Diagonal Skaters to High Knees 10 seconds Rest 30 seconds Hops To Sit Thru 10 seconds Rest 30 seconds Frog Kicks 10 seconds Rest
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Switch Stance Burpee: To do Switch Stance Burpees, look straight ahead but rotate your body to the right so your feet are angled forward but facing slightly right. Stagger your back foot slightly forward of your front foot. Then squat down to about parallel to the ground. You won’t want to stand up at any time once you start but will just pop back up into this squat. From this squat position, place your hands down in front of you on the ground and jump your feet back into a plank so that you are now in a plank pointing straight ahead. Perform a push up with your body moving as one unit to drop your chest to the ground. Beginners can remove the push up or perform it from their knees. Push back up and as you come up to the top of the plank, jump your feet in so you can come into a staggered stance squat facing to the left. Pause just briefly to sit in the squat. Then jump back into a plank center, do a push up and jump into a staggered stance on the first side. Move quickly alternating staggered stance squats on each side.
Bear to Crab Crawl: To do the Bear to Crab Crawl, start on your hands and the balls of your feet with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Your knees should be just a few inches off the ground. Begin to crawl forward stepping one hand and the opposite foot forward. Then move the other hand and foot. Keep alternating sides, making sure the opposite arm and leg step at the same time. Crawl a few steps on each side (based on the space you have). Then lift one hand and kick the opposite knee under your body as you rotate your chest open toward the ceiling. Pivot on the foot and hand that is down so you can rotate into a tabletop bridge. You will place both feet flat on the ground with your chest pointing up toward the ceiling and hands on the ground down at about shoulder height. Begin to crab crawl, stepping one foot and the opposite hand forward. Then the other foot and hand. Your hands can be pointed out to the sides to put less stress on your shoulders. Crab crawl back to the start then flip back over, reaching your hand over your body toward the ground as you pivot on your feet to bring one knee back under and through to return to that bulldog position on your hands and the balls of your feet.
Oblique Twist High Knees: To do Oblique Twist High Knees, bend your elbows and bring your hands together at about chest height with your elbows flaring out to the sides. You want to think of your hands as a target to try and rotate toward your knee as you do a high knee run. Then begin to do a high knee run, tucking your knees up as high as you can. As you bring your knee up, rotate your torso to bring your hands across your body and toward that knee. Then as you straighten that leg out and run the other knee in, twist and bring your hands toward that knee. Keep your hands up at your chest with your elbows flared up and out. Move quickly twisting toward each side as you bring your knees up. To modify, march instead of running.
Inchworm Plank: To do the Inchworm Plank, set up in a forearm plank from your toes with your elbows under your shoulders and your body in a nice straight line down to your heels. Begin to walk your feet in toward your head, keeping your legs straight as you take very small steps forward. Your butt should go up in the air as you walk your feet in to pike up. Walk in as far as you mobility allows. Then jump both feet back out (beginners may walk back out instead). Do not let your hips sag toward the ground as you return to the forearm plank. Then repeat walking back in before jumping back out.
C-Sit Rotational Knees: To do the C-Sit Rotational Knee, sit on the ground with your feet flat and knees bent. Lean back and bring your hands together up at your chest with your elbows out. Engage your abs as you hinge back slightly. Then lift one knee and rotate toward that knee trying to bring your opposite elbow to touch your knee. Keep your elbows out and hands in together as you rotate. Place that foot back down as you lift the other knee to rotate the opposite elbow to touch it. Do not sit up at any time. Stay in that slightly hinged back position, making sure to brace your abs.
Tuck Jump to Plank Tucks: To do Tuck Jump to Plank Tucks, start standing tall before sinking to place your hands on the ground and jump your feet back into a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your feet a few inches apart. Brace your abs and don’t let your hips sag as you jump both feet in to bring your knees close to your elbows. Try to jump in so your knees are at least under your hips if not closer in. Use your abs to try to get them just a few inches from your elbows. Do not jump in so much that you sit back on your heels. Then jump back out into the high plank position. Do not let your butt go up in the air and keep your hands under your shoulders. From the high plank position, jump your feet all the way up to come back up to standing. As you come up to standing, swing your arms back and jump up, tucking your knees up toward your chest. Land with your knees soft and then sink back down to move back into that high plank position before tucking your knees in again. Beginners can do a squat jump or bodyweight squat instead of the tuck jump. They can also step back into the plank position and step one knee in at a time. And then extend one leg back out at a time to keep the move lower impact. You can also modify the plank and tuck by placing your hands up on a bench after the bodyweight squat if you can’t get down to the ground.
Half Burpee (with push up): To do Half Burpees, you can modify the move by removing the push up or advance the move by adding one in. To start, set up in the high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your feet about shoulder-width apart. Then jump both feet up and outside your hands so your in a squat position. Try to really jump all the way in to your hands. Quickly jump back into plank. Try not to let your butt go way up in the air as you jump from the squat back to plank. From here perform a push up with your body moving as one unit. You can go down to your knees as well to do the push up before moving back to a plank from your feet. Move quickly after the push up, jumping back into the squat position. Then repeat, jumping back out into plank. Do not let your hips sag or your butt go up in the air in the plank position. Again perform another push up then jump back in.
Diagonal Skaters to High Knees: To do Diagonal Skaters to High Knees, start to one side and the back of the space you have as you’ll be jumping laterally and forward. Stand and shift your weight onto your outside foot as you swing your arms across your body toward that side. You will lift that inside leg and even let it cross back behind your standing leg. Bend the knee of your standing leg slightly and load that leg and glute, even slightly popping your hip out toward that side. Then jump laterally and forward at an angle to land on your other foot. Swing your arms across your body to help propel you further. Land on that other foot and quickly sink to load so you can jump diagonally forward and across to your starting foot. Do that again to land on the other side. Think about completing 3-5 diagonal skater hops based on your space! Once you’ve completed 3-5 lateral diagonal hops forward, high knee run backward or back pedal back to the start and repeat. To modify, keep your lateral hops smaller while still moving diagonally forward and even march back instead of running back with high knees.
Hops To Sit Thru: To do Hops To Sit Thru, start in the plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your legs together. Your body should be in a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Then, with your legs together, jump your feet in toward your right elbow, rotating so that your knees come outside your elbow. Jump back into the plank position with your feet back center and your body in a nice straight line. Then jump your feet back in, but this time toward your opposite elbow. Rotate to bring your knees toward the outside of your elbow. Jump your feet back out center, but not completely extended. Then rotate open toward the right and kick your left leg under your body and through toward where your right hand is. As you bring your left leg forward and through, lift your right hand. You want to rotate all the way through with your left leg out straight so that you are almost sitting with your left hand down to support you. You want to “sit through.” Then bring the left leg back through so you are back in the starting position position on your hands and the balls of your feet. Next rotate to the left and kick your right leg through and forward as you lift your left hand. Come back into the short plank and then perform the hops toward each elbow. In between the hops, jump fully back into a plank but then don’t jump all the way out after both hops are complete before you do the sit thrus to each side.
Frog Kicks: To do Frog Kicks, lie on your back with your hands behind your head and your legs out straight on the ground in front of you. Bring your heels together while turning your toes out. You can then slightly crunch your upper body up to help press your lower back into the ground or you can fully relax your head down. Lift your legs up off the ground so your heels are about a foot off the ground. Keeping your heels together, bring your heels in toward your butt. Your knees will bend out wide as you’ll keep your hips externally rotated. Letting your knees fall open, bring your heels in, keeping your lower back against the ground. Then kick your legs back out straight and repeat. If you feel your lower back, kick out and up higher. If you feel your hip flexors really taking over, play around with how much you let your knees go out wide as you tuck in.
When we get busy, have family obligations, don’t have easy access to a gym, we tend to make an excuse and skip our workouts.
And I get it.
All of these things make fitting in workouts difficult.
They give us an easy out and we take it because most of us really are strapped for time and pulled in a bazillion different directions.
The problem is…Once we skip one workout, it is very easy to start skipping more and before we know it, our routine and health and fitness goals are completely forgotten.
But we need to take care of ourselves!
That is why it is important to have quick bodyweight workouts you can do anywhere on hand. It helps eliminate the excuses and keep you on track even if it isn’t exactly what you’d be doing at the gym.
Remember, something is always better than nothing.
Plus, you don’t need an hour at a gym to get in a great workout.
Honestly, 15 minutes and your bodyweight is all you need to keep moving forward toward your goals!
So when life tries to get in the way and derail your progress, eliminate the excuses and make your fitness a priority with these quick workouts you can do anywhere!
#1: 1 Minute Max Out
Time: 15 minutes
Set a timer for 1 minute intervals. Complete 3 rounds of the circuit below. Do as many reps in that minute as you can. I recommend counting and recording what you do to not only try to beat it in the next round, but also so you have something to shoot for next time you do the workout!
Sometimes a workout can be simple, brutal and under 5 minutes. Here you go! Complete 10 reps of each of these 5 burpee variations. Try not to rest if you can and do them as fast as possible!
BURPEES:
10 reps Basic Burpee or modified without push up
10 reps Jack Burpee
10 reps Mountain Climber Burpees
10 reps Burpee Sit Thru
10 reps Side Arm Balance Burpee
Even when you are short on time, you can’t forget about workouts that will improve your mobility while building stability and strength. Honestly, the more you sit, the more workouts like this are key even though we want to skip them in favor of workouts that “destroy” us. Isometric workouts are challenging but in a different and IMPORTANT way!
Complete 3 rounds of the circuit below.
CIRCUIT:
30 seconds per side Warrior III
30 seconds Scapular Wall Hold
30 seconds per side Crescent Pose
30 seconds Handstand Hold (Downward Dog to modify)
30 seconds Banana
30 seconds Glute Bridge
