Become a Battle

Rope Expert!

Battleropes.org
Aaron Guyett
 Contents

Why Battle Ropes 4

Why Battle Ropes with Onnit 11
Master Coach Aaron Guyett?

Who is this e-book for? 13

Where to Start – Size/Weight? 15
Anatomy of the Battle Rope 17
Ensuring Safe Training 19
Sample Exercises 21
Challenges and Solutions 30
Motivation to Get Started Today! 31
Where Do You Go From Here?
32
Quick Reference Guide
37

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 Become A Battle Rope Expert

with Aaron Guyett, Onnit Academy Master

Coach & Founder of Innovative Results - The
Fitness Playground

This is a Battle Rope E-book that teaches coaching concepts,

metabolic pathway/energy system programming, and
movement principles to improve every coach and trainer with
one of the most versatile tools in any gym.

3
Why Battle Ropes?
As far back as 3500 to 4000 B.C. in ancient Egypt, humans have used
rope to improve their quality of life – helping to pull, haul, carry, drive,
push, and lift people, vehicles, and equipment.
Revered as one of the greatest inventions of its time, it’s still in use
today as a prominent implement for the same uses. Only recently have
ropes become a direct way to improve someone’s quality of life through
human optimization both physically and mentally.

John Brookfield was the first to implement ropes into the human
physical training methodology. Since his incredible impact in the fitness
community, ropes have been found in almost every fitness center
around the world.

However, most people do

not know how to use this
tool to produce improved
quality of life effectively.
The following information
answers why we should
train with Battle Ropes.

A. Ropes Provide a Dual-force Dynamic Effect to Improve

Physiological Response

Ropes are significant in that they create a dual-force dynamic effect, one
that uses the force of gravity and the force created by rope waves to
amplify, and improve all of the human systems physiological response.

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Ropes are significant in that they
create a dual-force dynamic effect,
one that uses the force of gravity
and the force created by rope
waves to amplify, and improve all of
the human systems physiological
response.

Most of the implements people use

today amplify the effects of gravity
on the body, creating physiological
response in the systems the trainer,
student, or person is trying to
improve or build adaptations.

For instance, if a body builder is

trying to grow adaptations in his or
her musculature, he or she will
create moderate to excessive load
on the musculature (as well as
cardiovascular, pulmonary, and
nervous systems) day after day and
week after week using gravity-
based implements (i.e. barbell,
dumbbell, etc.), and it works.

If a runner is trying to improve his aerobic capacity or endurance, he will

run (gravity-based load and exercise) day after day and/or week after
week to build adaptations in the muscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary,
and nervous systems to improve aerobic capacity/endurance.

5
In this way, ropes are significantly different. The coach, student, or
person is able to amplify load in two directions: gravity (and the many
ways we know how to leverage gravity because of the lifters, coaches,
and trainers that came before us) and wave force (which is a new field
of physiological pursuit, providing myriad ways to improve our body’s
adaptation response).

B. Less Injuries and More Results in Power, Strength and Endurance

The dual-force effect and contralateral movement common to rope use

can accelerate adaptation in the body, while curbing injuries because
each person is limited by their own force production. Much like jumping,
if we cannot create enough force to get off the ground, or our nervous
development disallows proper timing and sequencing for us to get off
the ground, it will be hard to get injured.

6
We cannot create enough force through jumping or landing to be
injured (note: most people injure themselves landing in the jump
sequencing, because their focus is only on the first part of the
movement–the jump, but that is a topic for another time).

With battle ropes, it is far less detrimental, because there is a constant

connection to the two force producers (rarely in battle ropes training is
the athlete off of the ground or disconnecting the chain of force and
then reconnecting with it at high level forces), and it can be as explosive
or dynamic as the athlete is able to produce force, thus creating the
opportunity to grow endurance, strength, power, and skill without a
ceiling.

Whereas if an athlete runs out of an external load such as dumbbells to

provide the adaptation effect, you would have to purchase another
dumbbell with a higher load, or figure out a way to leverage gravity in an
increasing way. This will hardly be a problem with the ropes as the force
is self-inflicted.

C. Making Weak Body Parts Strong

Through the dual-force dynamic the areas, which tend to be weak, are
strengthened: your grip, shoulders, core, hips, knees, feet, ankles, and
mind. Your grip strength and grip endurance must increase as your
ability to produce higher force in your waves increase.

Just like loading up more weight on a barbell, as your waves increase in

size, speed, distance, or duration, they increase the force through the
rope, requiring a stronger grip in order to not let the rope slip out of
your hands.

The shoulders should stay in a fairly “packed” position, with your elbows
lower than your shoulders, and tight to the sides of the body when first
starting with rope waves (it should go without saying that the athlete
will have neutral spine and the shoulders down and back – think big
chest)

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This not only prevents injury, but it does wonders for the shoulder
strength and stability. Innovative Results has been known to use the
ropes as a way to prehab and rehab shoulders back to their fully
optimized state.

The core (or torso to include shoulders and hips) is mobilized, stabilized,
and strengthened through repetitive rotation and anti-rotation involved
in the basic battle rope alternating wave. This is a contralateral
movement (left lower limb moves in sequence with the right upper limb
and vice versa), which is how the body works when walking, running,
crawling, swimming, and cycling, only instead of just a gravitational load,
the body experiences the load of the wave as well.

This is how the hips are strengthened as well. The hips can also be
strengthened in all other planes of motion through changing the way
the wave is produced. The knees, foot, and ankle are strengthened
because the body is working with gravity to leverage wave output
through the upper body (torso, shoulders, and arms).

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Every wave produced from the upper body, has been a chain of
movement that uses our body’s relationship with gravity and the ground
through the foot, ankle, knees, and hips. Just like a punch, the athlete
creates a timed sequence to produce a force through the rope to where
the rope is connected to an anchor.

All of these body improvements in the weak areas produce a more

confident, healthy, and tough mind (toughness will be generated by
pursuing higher volume, or power –greater single wave output, which is
simple, but simple is not easy).

D. Mobility

As in all areas of fitness mobility must come before stability, and stability
before endurance, strength, and power. Any mobility sequence from
Onnit or Innovative Results will suffice, but the athlete should focus on
the above weak areas. As the mobility in the grip, shoulders, core, hips,
knees, foot, and ankle increase, the athlete will see a dramatic
improvement in his or her performance.

Start the training session with

dynamic mobility (stretching
through movement), and end
the sessions with either more
dynamic mobility or static
mobility (stretching in one
position for a prolonged time).

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E. Stability

Whether you are creating waves,

pulling the ropes, or lifting the
ropes stability is generated. Think
of the ancient sailor on a ship,
pulling, lifting, wrapping, and tying
ropes (they are actually referred to
as “lines”) all around the ship as a
means to an end. You probably are
not thinking of an unstable, off-
balance character.

Through these repetitive

movements the sailor becomes
very stable and very strong, in both
his lower body and his upper body.
We experience this same level of
stability as we continually put the
dual-force dynamic through all of
our physiological systems (nervous,
cardiovascular, pulmonary, and
musculo-skeletal).

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Why Battle Ropes with
Onnit Academy Master
Coach Aaron Guyett?
Normally we use tools that just amplify gravity’s effect on the body, so
we can create nervous, muscular, and soft tissue development. With the
Battle Rope, we can use its frequency (waves), or lack of frequency
(static rope or rope pulls) to create a new force load through the
nervous system, muscular system, and soft tissues of the body, thus
amplifying results and allowing for innovation in programming.

If you are looking to increase your understanding of energy system

development, cutting edge program methodologies, an innovative tool
with endless possibilities, and the principles to total human
optimization, upgrading to the Battle Ropes Specialist certification is for
you.

As a bonus, the teacher will

deliver unforgettable
stories and training
scenarios to help solidify
the programming,
methodologies,
development, and
optimization techniques
and skills, helping you
become the hero of your
own story.

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The Battle Ropes teaches participants to:

§ Manipulate force through the body to create mobility,

stability, strength, power, and endurance gains/adaptations.
§ Use gravity and frequency changes to increase nervous,
muscular, soft tissue, and bone development and
adaptations.
§ Systemize your program development for increased results
and decreased injuries.
§ Design innovative approaches to movement and total
human optimization.
§ Use this low impact methodology with high impact results
for power, strength, endurance, and stability.
§ Train for improvement in functional movement patterns,
while improving brain function and cognitive awareness.
§ Apply mental awareness and positive approaches to your
inner dialogue, daily habits, personal development, and
professional achievements.
§ Use unforgettable stories and language in your daily
interaction, to help optimize your life.
§ Understand ways to best employ the Battle Rope in your
training sessions for improved physical and mental
development.

#ForceThroughFrequency

Force is most normally associated with gravity, and its amplified effect
through traditionally weights and weight lifting techniques.

This completely changes as we create a new force through rope

frequency or waves. The force through frequency of the Battle Ropes
allows the user to develop a completely new realm of exercises and
movement patterns to develop power, strength, endurance, efficiency,
stability, mobility, and the list goes on.
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Who is this E-BookFor?
Become a Battle Ropes Expert is perfect for:

• The coach, athlete or person not satisfied with boring and stale
workout regimens.
• The human that has become stagnant in their physical and mental
transformation, and truly desires improvement.
• The trainer or coach that wants to deliver dynamic and fascinating
training programs that deliver results to the highest level client or
gym member.
• The person that has not moved well in years, and spent far too many
hours on the computer, couch, car, and chair.

If you are a beginner to both fitness training and Battle Ropes:

If you are a battle ropes and new fitness trainer, you will understand
clearly how to leverage the battle ropes full potential, building a
foundation of training intelligence, power, strength, and endurance.

If you train regularly, but are new to Battle Ropes:

If you train regularly, but are new to Battle Ropes, Become A Battle
Ropes Expert will open your eyes to training for power, strength,
endurance, and/or mindset improvement in reinvigorating, dynamic,
and completely different way, while still improving your results.

Maybe you are looking for a change, or your current training programs
have become stagnant, adding Battle Ropes with ignite a new fire for
you and your clients’ lifelong goals and visions in fitness.

13
If you are experienced with Battle Ropes:
If you have been training with the ropes, but have not experienced
Aaron Guyett’s Battle Rope training methods and education, this e-book
will deliver simple, principle-based training methods to overcome any
fitness challenge. This will allow each attendant to feel competent and
confident in creating their own programming and training. Giving
support to grow and learn, while aiding in the freedom to discover your
own style and approach to your training results.

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Where to Start – What
Size/Weight?
Because of the ropes lightweight, portable, and variable characteristics,
you can begin seeing results right away with a 50 foot 1 ½ inch Battle
Rope.

If you are using the battle ropes in a wave-like method, the motivation
and desire should be to reach the anchor with your waves. This is how
you will know if you are progressing in power, strength, and endurance.

If creating waves becomes too easy, merely take a step or two forward
toward the anchor and see how much more force you need to generate
to make the frequency (waves) reach the anchor.

This is perfect for progressing or regressing your Battle Rope training or

programming.

• If the waves do not reach the anchor, either step back, or keep up
your weekly training until they do reach the anchor.

• If the waves reach the anchor for the entire training set(s) or time(s)
or rep(s), you know you can either move forward toward the anchor,
add set(s), time(s), rep(s), or use a thicker/longer rope.

15
A few body cues to keep in mind, and remember, whether you are
throwing waves, pulling the rope, or performing static rope
exercises:

• Long Spine
• Proud Chest or Wide Chest
• Ribs Down with abs engaged.
• Head up and Eyes forward
• Shoulders Down and Back

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Anatomy of the Battle Rope
Rope- A tool used to create load through static and dynamic movement
patterns and body positions. Most commonly used for wave-loading,
but also used in static exercises and pulling exercises.

Anchor- This is what you tie the rope off to, or wrap the rope around for
static, wave, or pulling rope exercises.

Handles or Ends- At the end of most ropes there is a taped or

rubberized materials to grip for wave or static exercises.

Wave- Continuous movement of the rope in a steady frequency,

creating a wave-like pattern from the person exercising toward the
anchor.

Wrap- When the rope is wrapped around the anchor for static, wave, or
pulling exercises. More wraps during pulling exercises increases friction,
force, and load for the person exercising.

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Pulling Exercises- Using rope wrap(s) around an anchor to create varying
loads of force through the body, in various movement patterns and
body positions.

Static Exercises- Using a static rope to engage the body isometrically or

dynamically in a differing line of load than gravity.

Wave Exercises- Using waves to move the body through various, simple
or complex ranges of motion and planes of motion. Increasing or
decreasing wave speed, wave size, wave length, rope thickness, and
rope length will increase or decrease the force generated and load
through the movement pattern(s).

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Ensuring Safe Training
Wave, Static, and Pulling Exercises - Should be performed in functional
ranges of motion, understanding there is significant load being
processed. Because the rope adds a new directions of tension through
the body, that is different from gravity’s normal or amplified load, the
person exercising should engage with full body awareness, and begin
slowly, progressing their intensity as the beginning session continues. A
common mistake is raising the hands above the shoulders to produce
waves, which puts too much strain through the traps, neck, and deltoids
of the wave-producer. Also hunching over in a human-cashew-like
position, which will be explained next.

Long Spine- Whether on the ground in quadruped, standing tall on two

feet, or hinging forward at the hips, each person performing Battle Rope
training must keep an actively engaged vertical core that create a long
spine from the tail bone through the crown of the head.

Wide Shoulders- If the spine is long, but the shoulders collapse forward
too much, or draw up to the ear too far, it reduces force production
effectiveness, and can create or exacerbate shoulder, neck, and upper
back injuries. Think wide shoulders and proud chest with the shoulders
and spine in a safe, neutral position.

Abs engaged- Engaging the abdominal muscles, will help protect the
lower back from taking too much of the increased load, and make for
stronger vertical core. Think ability to take a punch in the gut while still
breathing. Think ribs down and pelvic bone drawn up toward the
sternum

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Head is up and tall- Aside from
having more spatial awareness for
safety in the area you are
performing exercise, keeping your
head up tall, with your chin slightly
tucked, and your eyes forward will
help you generate more force
through the transverse, sagittal, and
frontal planes of motion.

Athletic Stance-If you are standing

on two feet, most of the exercises
will be performed in an athletic
stance with your feet at hip or
shoulder width apart, with a soft
ben in your knees and hips.

If you are performing an exercise

using the full length or partial length
of the rope that is static or wave,
ensure you tie the rope off with a
non-slip knot. I personally use a
figure eight knot to keep me safe
while I exercise with the Battle
Ropes.

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Sample Exercises
1. Vertical Waves with full length single rope:

Description: Tie off one end of the rope with a good figure-eight knot,
and grip the other end with both hands. Walk forward to create some
slack in the rope, and then using your whole body in good form, create
vertical waves all the way to where the rope is anchored.

Coaching Cues: Move toward the anchor to feel more load/intensity.

Maintain long spine, wide shoulders, with a proud chest. Use your feet,
legs and hips to power the ropes vertical waves, almost like you are
jumping up and down. Accelerate the waves by speeding up the up and
down motion with your arms. Grip enough to keep the rope from
slipping, but not too much, because it will reduce your performance
over time.

2. Lateral Waves with full length single rope

Description: Tie off one end of the rope with a good figure-eight knot,
and grip the other end with both hands. Walk forward to create some
slack in the rope, and then using your whole body in good form, create
lateral waves all the way to where the rope is anchored.

Coaching Cues: Move toward the anchor to feel more load/intensity.

Maintain long spine, wide shoulders, with a proud chest. Use your feet,
legs, hips, and torso to power the ropes lateral waves. This will be a
rotational motion for your hips and torso, and a lateral motion for your
legs.

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Accelerate the waves by speeding up the rotational movement while
maintaining a proud chest and tall, long spine. Grip enough to keep the
rope from slipping, but not too much, because it will reduce your
performance over time.

3. Gunslingers with full length single rope (alternating right and left
hand)

Description: Tie off one end of the rope with a good figure-eight knot,
and grip the other end with both hands. Walk forward to create some
slack in the rope, and then using your whole body in good form, create a
singular and pulsating vertical wave all the way to where the rope is
anchored.

Coaching Cues: Move toward the anchor to feel more load/intensity.

Maintain long spine, wide shoulders, with a proud chest. Use your feet,
legs and hips to power the ropes vertical waves, almost like you are
jumping up and down. Grip enough to keep the rope from slipping, but
not too much, because it will reduce your performance over time.

22
4. Full Body Circles (alternating clockwise and counter-clockwise)

Description: Tie off one end of the rope with a good figure-eight knot,
and grip the other end with both hands. Walk forward to create some
slack in the rope, and then using your whole body in good form, create
clockwise, or counter-clockwise circles all the way to where the rope is
anchored.

Coaching Cues: Move toward the anchor to feel more load/intensity.

Maintain long spine, wide shoulders, with a proud chest. Your lower
body will be performing a squat-like and hip hinge-like movement
pattern, while your torso rotates to create the circular movement of the
ropes. Accelerate the waves by speeding up the circular pattern, but try
to maintain the largest range of motion possible for the circles. Grip
enough to keep the rope from slipping, but not too much, because it will
reduce your performance over time.

23
5. Doubled Rope Slams

Description: Double the rope with the middle section of the rope held
fast by an anchor, and grip the ends or handles with both hands. Walk
forward to create some slack in the rope, and then using your whole
body in good form, create vertical waves all the way to where the rope
is anchored.

Coaching Cues: Move toward the anchor to feel more load/intensity.

Maintain long spine, wide shoulders, with a proud chest. Use your feet,
legs and hips to power the ropes vertical waves, almost like you are
jumping up and down. Accelerate the waves by speeding up the up and
down motion with your arms. Grip enough to keep the rope from
slipping, but not too much, because it will reduce your performance
over time.

24
6. Doubled Rope Lateral Waves

Description: Double the rope with the middle section of the rope held
fast by an anchor, and grip the ends or handles with both hands. Walk
forward to create significant slack in the rope, and then using your
whole body in good form, create lateral waves all the way to where the
rope is anchored.

Coaching Cues: Move toward the anchor to feel more load/intensity.

Maintain long spine, wide shoulders, with a proud chest. Use your feet,
legs, hips, and torso to power the ropes lateral waves. This will be a
rotational motion for your hips and torso, and a lateral motion for your
legs. Accelerate the waves by speeding up the rotational movement
while maintaining a proud chest and tall, long spine. Grip enough to
keep the rope from slipping, but not too much, because it will reduce
your performance over time.

25
7. Doubled Rope Outside Circles

Description: Double the rope with the middle section of the rope held
fast by an anchor, and grip the ends or handles with both hands. Walk
forward to create some slack in the rope, and then using your whole
body in good form, create outside circles all the way to where the rope
is anchored.

Coaching Cues: Move toward the anchor to feel more load/intensity.

Maintain long spine, wide shoulders, with a proud chest. Use your feet,
legs and hips to power the ropes outside circles, almost like you are
jumping up and down. Accelerate the circles by speeding up the
outward circular motion of your arms, shoulders, and scapula. Grip
enough to keep the rope from slipping, but not too much, because it will
reduce your performance over time.

26
8. Doubled Rope Alternative Waves

Description: Double the rope with the middle section of the rope held
fast by an anchor, and grip the ends or handles with both hands. Walk
forward to create some slack in the rope, and then using your whole
body in good form, create alternating waves all the way to where the
rope is anchored.

Coaching Cues: Move toward the anchor to feel more load/intensity.

Maintain long spine, wide shoulders, with a proud chest. Use your feet,
legs, hips, and body rotations to power the ropes alternating waves.
Accelerate the waves by speeding up the up and down motion with your
arms, rotational motion of your hips and torso, and/or up and down
motion of your lower body. Grip enough to keep the rope from slipping,
but not too much, because it will reduce your performance over time.

9. Standing Rope Pulls Backward-

Description: Wrap the rope (more wraps for more tension, and less
wraps for less tensions) around a pipe-like anchor. Establish a standing
biped position that is as isometrically engaged as possible, and then pull
using an alternating pull pattern with left and right hand, or with a single
side asymmetrically, depending on the workout. Once the rope is pulled
all the way through re-wrap and repeat for the time, reps, sets, or
rounds desired.

Coaching Cues: Maintain an athletic stance, with long spine and proud
chest to pull the rope from the anchor toward your body. You can keep
the hips and shoulders as square and still as possible for an isometric
style pull, or you can use rotations to accelerate your body’s force with
the pulls. Stay tall, and keep your head up and eyes forward.

27
10. Standing Rope Pulls Forward

Description: Wrap the rope (more wraps for more tension, and less
wraps for less tensions) around a pipe-like anchor. Establish a standing
biped position that is as isometrically engaged as possible, and then pull
using an alternating pull pattern with left and right hand, or with a single
side asymmetrically, depending on the workout. This will be a hip hinge
movement as the rope is going to come from the anchor, through your
legs, and pile up in front of you. Once the rope is pulled all the way
through re-wrap and repeat for the time, reps, sets, or rounds desired.

Coaching Cues: Maintain an athletic stance, with long spine and proud
chest to pull the rope from the anchor through your legs and landing in
front of your body. You can keep the hips and shoulders as square and
still as possible for an isometric style pull, or you can use rotations to
accelerate your body’s force with the pulls. Stay long through your
spine, hinging only at your hips, and keep your head up and eyes
forward.

11. Plank Rope Pulls Backward

Description: Wrap the rope (more wraps for more tension, and less
wraps for less tensions) around a pipe-like anchor. Establish a
quadruped plank position that is as isometrically engaged as possible,
and then pull using an alternating pull pattern with left and right hand,
or with a single side asymmetrically, depending on the workout. Once
the rope is pulled all the way through re-wrap and repeat for the time,
reps, sets, or rounds desired.

Coaching Cues: Engage your quads, glutes, and abs in a long spine and
proud chest plank position. Pull the rope underneath the centerline of
your body from above the head toward your feet. Keep the hips and
shoulders as square and still as possible.
28
12. Plank Rope Pulls Forward

Description: Wrap the rope (more wraps for more tension, and less
wraps for less tensions) around a pipe-like anchor. Establish a
quadruped plank position that is as isometrically engaged as possible,
and then pull using an alternating pull pattern with left and right hand,
or with a single side asymmetrically, depending on the workout. Once
the rope is pulled all the way through re-wrap and repeat for the time,
reps, sets, or rounds desired.

Coaching Cues: Engage your quads, glutes, and abs in a long spine and
proud chest plank position. Pull the rope underneath the centerline of
your body from approximately the hips to above the head (or the range
that is safe for your shoulders, neck, and upper back). Keep the hips and
shoulders as square and still as possible.

29
Challenges and Solutions
Some of the challenges you will face are:
• Not getting the waves all the way to the end
• Not being able to grip the rope for the full training session
• Many small stoppages due to fatigue and frustration

How to overcome these challenges:

1. Not getting the waves to the end provides a reminder that we are all
in process, and power, strength, and endurance in Battle Ropes training
(just like in life) is earned, never given. We must earn our physical and
mental change while we inhabit this earth. The raddest part of that, is
through consistent and progressive training cycles we will do just that--
EARN IT!

2. Not being able to grip the rope for a full training session, will remind
us to perform our complete decompression, as well as stay consistent
with excellent recovery techniques and tactics. Healthy nutrition,
hydration, sleep, breathing, and durability-like movement in between
training sessions is crucial for continuous improvement and health.

3. Many mini-stoppages because of fatigue and frustration is

synonymous with life. Failure isn’t final, unless we quit forever. Let’s
view failure from now on as a learning device to help us improve our
quality of life and create total human optimization.

30
Motivation to Get Started Today!
What is keeping you from improving your quality of life and the quality
of life of your clients and community with the Battle Ropes?

Whether you or your clients are athletes or have been chilling on the
couch for the last ten years, the Battle Ropes are a low impact and high
return exercise tool with limitless application.

Start training with Battle Ropes today, and you will not regret it.

The rope’s waves are very symbolic of our life. When we start we create
small waves that do not reach very far, but as we continue to train day-
after-day, we can watch our waves reach further than we ever thought
possible, even to the point where it must be anchored. Once it is
anchored the waves reciprocate a force and tension back into our life
that helps us grow stronger, more powerful, and endure more.

Make your next wave your best wave, and know that our beginning will
turn into the example for someone who might of lost his or her way on
the journey of total human optimization and improved quality of life.

31
Where Do You Go From Here?
Ropes are in most gyms nowadays, and it seems like everyone is
creating simple wave patterns on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube,
but are they getting the most out of these incredible tools?

How do you add ropes into your training program correctly?

First, let’s start with what you don’t do…

• You don’t watch a youtube video of ropes exercises, and then

haphazardly do it, and call it training.
• You don’t add it to what you are already doing, and call it training.
• You don’t tell everyone it is awesome, but only for upper body
aerobic and endurance training.

If you are here taking this workshop, my guess is that you are into some
level of human optimization and improved quality of life for yourself and
others (clients, family, friends, coworkers, etc).

As a person who respects and upholds improved quality of life and total
human optimization as an important aspect of life (life is either
quality/optimized or it is not, right?) you MUST respect training.

Training is the key to improved quality of life and total human

optimization, and without it, we will only hope to be better in any area
of our life…so let’s get back to training for optimal physical ability and
how to put ropes in this training for the best return on your time spent.

32
First, we must understand that the ropes—just like a mace, heavy club,
barbell, dumbbell, kettlebell, etc—is a tool, and if we use this tool well,
we can see improvement in all areas of our physical output and
durability.

Second, we must understand that ropes put demand or force through

our bodies that we will adapt to over time and with proper increases in
force and proper recovery, we will get more powerful, stronger, more
endurance, and more durable.

Third, we must understand our own personal goals/client goals, and the
way to train to reach these goals. For instance, if I am trying to be a
more explosive jumper, I must have the power and durability to jump
and land well, and I must also train an explosive jump correctly: 1-
enough active jumping at peak performance to create a need for
adaptation, 2-not over-doing the jumps, which would increase the
chance for an injury or reduce the chance for adaptation to occur.

If your training program is complete (meaning a perfect mix of

stimulation and recovery), than adding ropes training will mean
removing one of your exercises or movements, keeping that perfect mix
of stimulation and recovery intact.

If your training is lacking a power, strength, endurance, or durability

component, than you can use ropes to fill the gap. (How do you know if
you are missing one of these?…Easy, you are not improving in one of
these aspects, even though you are trying to improve--assuming that
you are measuring performance and other biometric outputs).

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For instance, when I was training for the Kettlebell World
Championships in Dublin, Ireland, and I needed to add an
aerobic/endurance component to my kettlebell training, because I
wasn’t recovering well enough from running and my feet were taking a
toll (too much inflammation in the soft tissues of my feet, and a
reduction in my foot and ankle performance).

I added a progressing amount of different double battle rope wave

training to the time I was normally running. I incorporated a lot of legs,
core, and arms in my waves in varying planes of motion with varying
grips, and I progressed up to 40 minutes of ropes training, which
drastically improved my longer sets with the kettlebell, hence
improvement in my aerobic capacity, lactic threshold, and mental
toughness.

I have also helped collegiate and high school wrestlers become much
more explosive in their wrestling matches in several planes of motion
and movements by having them perform five to ten second explosive
waves with a single rope and double rope in varying planes of motion,
varying stances, and varying hand grips on the rope. Newport Harbor
high school wrestling recently had their most successful season in the
last six years by training with this rope addition.

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If you are wondering what other movements you could train and how
you could train them with the ropes you can watch some of the battle
ropes exercises here: https://www.instagram.com/battleropeexercises/.

For power and explosive applications of the ropes in your training, think
1-10 seconds of maximal effort (90%-100%) in movement variations that
mimic or reproduce the movements you are training to master in your
sport, activities, or your life. 1:5 is an approximate model of active to
rest ratio that is enough for the next repetition, round, or set. After
training this for 5 to 20 minutes, your systems may need a few days
before it has created the adaptations necessary to train this again.

For strength, lactic, and strength endurance applications of the ropes in

your training, think 10 to 120 seconds of sub-maximal effort in
movement variations that mimic or reproduce the movements you are
training to master in your sport, activities or life. 1:.5 through 2 is an
approximate model of active to rest ratio that is enough for the next
repetition, round, or set. After training this for 10 to 30 minutes, your
systems may need a few days before it has created the adaptations
necessary to train this again.

For endurance, aerobic, and durability applications of the ropes in your

training, think over 120 seconds of sub-maximal effort in movement
variations that mimic or reproduce the movements you are training to
master in your sport, activities or life. 60 through 2:1 is an approximate
model of active to rest that is enough for the next repetition, round, or
set. After training this for 10 to 60 minutes, your systems may need a
few days before it has created the adaptations necessary to train this
again.

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My predecessor for ropes training is John Brookfield, and he says that
ropes can be a complete tool for fitness, and I have used them
exclusively for months without seeing any loss in my previous gains with
traditional weight training. I actually improved in several aspects of my
power, strength, and endurance. If you want to further your knowledge
with ropes training, sign up for the next Battle Ropes Specialist
Certification.

So, if you are looking for a way to put ropes training into your clients
and your improved quality of life and total human optimization training,
do so with intelligence, knowing that the ropes can be a substitute or
the perfect addition that you are looking for to increase your power,
strength, endurance, and durability!

Enjoy your improved quality of life with Battle Ropes, and make your
next training session your best training session!

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Quick Reference Guide
Power (Alactic)

High Intensity (90% to 100%)

General rule: work time should always be five times less than your rest
times (at minimum, a 1:5 work to rest ratio). Total work volume should
not exceed 20 minutes.

Example:
5 seconds work/30 seconds rest for several sets or rounds;
10 seconds work/50 seconds rest for several sets or rounds;
3 reps with 20-60 seconds of rest
6 reps with 20-60 seconds of rest;

The output of intensity should always strive to be 100%.

Strength (Lactic)

Moderate to High Intensity (70% to 90%)

General rule: work time should always be equal to or less than your rest
times (a 1:1 - 1:2 work to rest ratio). Total work volume not less than 20
seconds or more than 40 minutes.

Example:
30 seconds work/30 seconds rest for several sets or rounds
40 seconds work/40 seconds rest for several sets or rounds
60 seconds work/60 seconds rest for several sets or rounds
20 seconds work/40 seconds rest for several sets or rounds
40 seconds work/60 seconds rest for several sets or rounds

The output of intensity will never be able to reach 100% nor should go
below 70% if the total work volume and work to rest ratios are built
appropriately.
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Endurance (Aerobic)

Low Intensity: 30% to 50%

General rule: work time is continuous with no rest. Work to maintain

consistent output for duration. Total work volume should not be less
than 2 minutes.

Example:
5 minutes
10 minutes
20 minutes

The output of your intensity will never go above 50% and will allow you
to move continuously if the total work volume and work to rest ratios
are built appropriately.

Moderate Intensity: 40% to 60%

General rule: work time should always be equal to or greater than rest
times (a 1:1, 2:1 or higher work to rest ratio). Total work volume should
not be less than 2 minutes.

Example (Continuous time):

3 minutes
5 minutes
7 minutes

Example (Intervals):
40 seconds work/20 seconds rest for several sets or rounds
40 seconds work/10 seconds rest for several sets or rounds
50 seconds work/10 seconds rest for several sets or rounds

The output of your intensity will never go above 60% if the total work
volume and work to rest ratios are built appropriately.
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