Ramp Up Your Cardio Routine With This Battle Rope Exercise

No doubt you've seen these heavy ropes in your gym. They may look intimidating, but don't pass them by! Whipping, waving, and slamming battle ropes targets muscles that are left out of standard strength and cardio training, says Heidi Jones, a personal trainer at Performix House in New York City.

That's right: Battle ropes pack a double punch. They're a great tool for building total-body muscular strength, a recent study by the American Council on Exercise found. And 30-second bursts followed by 60 seconds of rest will boost your cardio capabilities as well as your metabolism, according to research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

Jones regularly programs battle-rope exercises like the Burpee Slam into her clients' workouts for a full-body burn. Add the move into your own routine—and check out the complete workout in the video above.

Burpee battle-rope slam

You probably already know and love (or hate!) burpees—here's a battle-rope twist on the classic move to make it even more fun. You're welcome.

1. Stand with knees slightly bent and feet hip-width apart. Hold the end of a rope in each hand at arm's length in front of hips with hands shoulder-width apart. Raise both arms up, then slam the ropes into the ground.

2. Drop hands to floor, kick feet back, and lower chest to floor.

3. Push up on hands and jump feet forward toward the ropes. Stand up and repeat. (Add a jump after standing for more of a challenge!).

This article originally appeared in the May 2020 issue of Health Magazine. Click here to subscribe today!