You have hit the gym and those huge battling-ropes are intimidating you. Surely you must be wondering, why are these heavy battle ropes at the gym?

Consider yourself lucky that you are not in the military or else you would have had to climb them —but trust me there are plenty of killer battle rope exercises you should try instead.

Battle ropes provide a killer workout to strengthen your abs, arms, and shoulders, and also engage your legs. An important study was conducted by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in which mean oxygen consumption was measured for various exercises. In the study it was found that the greatest oxygen consumption was used during battle rope training followed by the burpee. In fact, working out with a battle rope burned an average of 10.3 calories per minute.

Let’s take a look at a few battle rope exercises for beginners

Double Wave

Stand facing the anchor with feet approximately shoulder-width apart. Grab one end of the rope in each hand and make sure that your palms face each other. Bend your knees slightly, tighten your core, and start moving both arms up and down slowly – then increase the speed gradually. Perform this routine for 30 seconds and then rest for 60 seconds and continue.

Alternating Wave

Maintain the same stance and posture as in the Double Wave exercise. From this position, initiate a whipping action using both hands alternatively, creating a wave-like movement along the length of the rope. Try making rapid movements without losing form.

Low Alternating Wave

Now, this particular routine is exactly similar to the alternating wave routine listed above. The only difference is that this version engages your lower body too. Try bending your knees to attain a squatting position, keep your core engaged, and finally move your arms in the same manner as directed for the Alternating Wave.

Shoulder Circles

This routine puts your shoulders to work! This move might look simple, but it requires serious shoulder strength. Stand with your knees bent slightly and feet shoulder-width apart. Get a proper grip on the rope with your palms facing down. Lift your arms above your shoulders, and move them in a circular pattern. Perform clockwise rotations for 30 seconds, then anti-clockwise for the next 30 seconds.

Snakes On The Floor

This routine will put your shoulder muscles to the ultimate test. Face the ropes and place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, holding the ropes to your sides. Get into a squat position and spread your arms wide while keeping them parallel to the floor. Move your arms in and out to make the ropes look like two crawling snakes on the floor.