Rope workout lives its renaissance since the functional training boom, and swinging a battle rope has intertwined with power and conditioning. In this review I outline what factors make the best battle ropes to buy, so you can decide if it lives up to your expectations, whether you plan to swing a rope in your living room, outside in your backyard, or in a garage gym.
The widespread use of battle ropes within martial arts, the military, and firefighters prove how effective this tool can be, to build power, endurance, and retain muscle mass. Even better, you don’t have to be a badass to reap these benefits. Using a battle rope is beginner-friendly, hence a popular tool for home workouts, though with such a wide selection it can be daunting to pick the right type.
In this review, I line up 3+1 battle ropes each representing utmost quality, though the XGEAR heavy battle rope is my top pick featuring all the important aspects that matter in this category.
- #1 XGEAR Heavy Battle Rope
- #2 Rogue 45′ Conditioning Rope
- #3 Rogue Manila Conditioning Rope
- #4 Hyper Rope Battle Rope by Hyperwear
REVIEWS
#1 XGEAR Heavy Battle Rope
| Material | PolyDacron |
| Diameter | 1.5 inches |
| Width | 30-40-50 feet |
This battle rope by XGEAR gave up the lesson to the others, setting old new standards. It kind of reminds the crowd how a battle rope should function and look. No fluff, but tried and tested design, and ideal dimensions. You can even choose from two colors and three different length options, 30, 40, and 50 feet.
If you like swinging a battle rope and that’s the only purpose you buy a rope for, this piece will be on par with your expectations.
The only downside is that, if we look at the wider use of battle ropes such as pulling and climbing—in which case they are referred to more precisely as exercise ropes—, natural materials like hemp, or manila are superior in terms of grip.
PROS
- Very durable, a mix of polypropylene and Dacron.
- 1,5″ inches diameter is the best for battle roping.
- 8 strand braiding is more flexible than simply twisted braids, thus provides direct, smoother rope action, with better visual feedback.
- Heat shrink plastic handles have an ideal length (not short, not long, perfect middle ground)
- Two protective sleeves prevent fraying at the critical point where the rope rubs against the anchor.
- Further included are two anchor straps with a carabiner as an option to attach the rope to the anchor hook, not only for protection but to gain more freedom in dynamics.
- A wall mount D ring with dowels is also included
CONS
- For a multi-functioning exercise rope, products with natural fibers tend to provide a more secure grip, though this is highly up to individual preference (read later).
#2 Rogue 45′ Conditioning Rope
| Material | Polypropylene |
| Diameter | 1.5 inches |
| Length | 45 feet |
As its name implies this Rogue conditioning rope has an all-weather protective layer covering it in its whole length.
The up is that you can leave it outside, UV or rain is not going to harm the polypropylene body. The down is rather subjective, I prefer ropes without sheets, so it doesn’t affect the inner rope movement at all.
Rogue bravely breaks the habit and instead of using the traditional heat shrink plastic handle at the two ends of the rope, they extended the covering sheet to form a loop handle you can firmly grab.
All-in-all this battle rope puts a unique twist in this category, but as usual from Rogue, features high-end quality.
PROS
- The protective sheet makes this rope weatherproof, so you can workout and leave it outside, in your backyard.
- No fraying or shredding rope pieces
- Looped handles give you a firm grip even when your hands are fatigued.
- Premium quality
CONS
- The cover sheet is divisive; some prefer it, some don’t.
- Attachment anchor is not part of the package
#3 Rogue Conditioning Rope
| Material | Manila |
| Diameter | 1.5 inches |
| Length | 50 feet |
If you remember back in the days at physical ed you probably used a natural rope like this, made of manila. As old-school as it is, manila is still a very reliable material for its tensile strength and durability, hence often used for climbing ropes and conditioning ropes alike.
Also, as far as exercise ropes are concerned, manila and natural fiber, in general, are more flexible than synthetic ropes. No wonder they still use it for marine purposes and boating, it’s easy to tie them and make knots. This is a definitive advantage when it comes to battle ropes, as they have a more direct response, and just flow more naturally. You’ll see it in the rope dynamics, as it instantly responds, and works much like an extension of your arm.
Also if you’re looking for an all-purpose rope to cover more exercises other than battle rope swings, the Rogue manila is more than capable of providing a whole-body conditioning rope workout.
PROS
- More flexible than synthetic ropes, and has a more direct response.
- Gives better visual feedback on movement efficiency.
- Natural, doesn’t emit any harmful substance.
- You can tie this rope around a pole and do all kinds of pulling exercises, the grip is fantastic, better than polypropylene.
CONS
- Manila sheds so it’s more convenient in garages, or outside where you don’t need to clean up after every rope workout.
- Some users report issues with the handles sliding off. Personally, I think manila and natural ropes have the best grip of all the battle ropes, so grip-wise it’s even better this way. Too bad the single twisted rope would come loose.
+1 Hyper Rope Battle Rope
| Material | Polyester shell, metal core |
| Diameter | 1 1/4 inches |
| Length | 20 & 25 feet |
Whatever I say in this article about short ropes…there are situations when you just can’t have a 50′ anaconda lying in your living room. The guys at Hyperwear had the answer and they crafted this battle rope for home workout specifically.
This short battle rope has a flexible metal core that keeps it in place, so you don’t even need an anchor to attach the rope to, the middle-end should stay in place. Even when swung vigorously or sideways, it’s so light, that placing a small sandbag should secure the rope halfway its length.
The Hyper rope is very quiet, it almost makes no noise when it hits the floor, which is a factor if you have neighbors. This rope was designed to be used indoors, in small apartments, a very handy tool for those who lack gym space.
PROS
- Braided polyester, very flexible, ideal for smooth waves. This somehow compensates for its short length. It also makes it more durable than twisted battle ropes.
- Space-efficient, with two length options, 20′ and 25′.
- No anchor needed, just throw it down the floor, you can start your rope workout right away.
- The metal core makes it as heavy as 50 feet long, 1,5″ thick ropes, don’t be fooled by the tiny look.
- Soft, ribbed handles are very comfortable to hold.
CONS
- Its short length is divisive, if you’re into making long waves, you are better off with a 50 ft long rope.
- The unanchored design is less stable than wall attached versions. You might still need to fix it after all with some object like a sandbag or loop it around a kettlebell.
- Expect to dig deep in your pocket.
How to Choose the Best Battle Ropes
Material
What’s the best battle rope material? The majority of ropes are made of synthetic material, as they are more durable than natural fibers. However, jute or manila workout ropes are just as good in terms of action and training outcome. As mentioned already, for an all-purpose rope workout, natural fiber is easier on the hands offering a better, natural grip, although not as convenient as synthetic ropes in terms of durability.
The most common synthetic battle rope material is Poly Dacron, a combination of polypropylene and dacron (polyester). Polypropylene is cheaper, a tad bit lighter, and not as durable as Dacron hence workout rope manufacturers often braid the inner fibers with this material while using Dacron as an outer shell for its abrasion-resistant.
The capital letter for Dacron is because it is an improved type of polyester trademark of the Dupont company. “Dacron is a hypoallergenic polyester that isn’t absorbent, making it resistant to mildew, mold, and stains since it cannot retain water or other liquids. That’s why Dacron is the preferred choice for household textiles.” (3) And apparently battle ropes at home.
Battle rope anchor and protection
Abrasion is a common issue with battle ropes, usually, the fibers loosen up and molder at the part that is most exposed to wear and tear the anchor point. An extra cover sheet is often used to protect the rope either through its full length or just at the anchor point.
I’m not a big advocate of exercise ropes fully covered with such a sheet; it’s perfect for protection, but it also somehow affects movement smoothness and wave action as it slides around the rope adding unnecessary traction.
However, if you are very concerned about the longevity of your battle rope, use an anchor strap as an attachment point, that way the rope itself is not in direct contact with a pole or whatever you loop it around. If you do so, make sure to keep that strap tight pulling the rope very close to the attachment anchor mount. That’s because, for certain movements, such as a lateral double wave, an extra flailing loose end can be very annoying and adds unnecessary length to the rope, again negatively affecting its action.
Also, don’t forget there are a host of other exercises you can do with a workout rope, like horizontal pulling, when you take advantage of the full-length one pull after the other much like a climbing rope. In this case, the extra sheet just makes squeezing the rope harder and decreases efficiency.
Length
Most battle ropes are either 30, 40 or 50 feet in length. In order to calculate the required space, you need to half the length at the anchor point where you fold the rope in half and drive it back. So a 50′ long rope will take 25 feet, a 30′ long one 15 feet of mostly linear space.
In my opinion, the best length for battle ropes is 50 feet. Naturally the longer the rope, the heavier it is to move. On the upside, the longer length allows a smoother action and control through longer diminishing waves that also give good visual feedback on movement mechanism and efficiency.
Grip
You can hardly find a battle rope nowadays without any end cap solution to offer better control and grip over the rope. Heat-shrink plastic handles are used not just to prevent the unraveling of the braid, but to allow a stronger whip effect.
While some manufacturers put a longer plastic layer on the handles, I like shorter ones, as a long grip makes it heavier to lift the rope putting more strain on the wrist. Anything much longer than 10 inches is overkill. As a downside, the plastic grip can become slippery once your hands get sweaty.
Also, as stated above, if you plan to use your exercise rope for repetitive pull-throughs, climbing, pull-ups, etc. natural fiber ropes like manila are my preference for best grip as it absorbs sweat and has a rougher non-slip surface compared to synthetic battle ropes. Nylon, even when dry have too smooth of a surface and can be slippery, especially if it’s single twisted.
Thickness
The most common battle rope diameter is 1,5″, but there are fat ropes with 2″ and even 2,5″ in thickness for guys with superpowers. However, to fully reap the benefits of battle roping, a 1,5 inches thick rope is the best choice, as it provides the best of both worlds, power, and endurance. It still has plenty of resistance, but not as heavy as a 50 feet long 2″ rope.
This lays another aspect to take into account, that is length to thickness ratio. A thick rope with a short length will be anything but smooth, will impair the effectiveness, and cast a shadow on the real benefits.
How Battle Ropes Take Effect?
The best use of battle ropes is through high-intensity interval training, which is basically an alternating series of short but intense (≥85% max heart rate) bouts of strenuous physical activity interspersed with complete rest or active recovery periods. HIIT training is often compared to steady-state cardio, but, contrary to popular beliefs, none of them are by miles superior to the other when it comes to common physiological effects.
Both regimes have their fair share of benefits, and their differences only become substantial when you take them to their extremes. For example, go for an hour-long low-intensity run for 8 weeks 4 times a week and enjoy superior cardiovascular fitness. Or choose the weight room, for more intensity with kettlebells, treadmill sprints, barbell exercises you name it, and train in intervals anywhere in between 10 seconds up to 4 minutes and enjoy your winning knockouts in the 12th round due to explosive endurance. The expected results all come down to the workout duration and intensity you choose.
That being said, the real reason why HIIT workouts enjoy all the attention is mostly due to convenience aspects, particularly their potential to save time. One study found that a 12 minute total duration sprint training with 30 seconds intervals (4-6 Wingate tests) had similar results as 40-60 minutes of cycling at 65% of max intensity with regards to reduced aortic stiffness, increased insulin sensitivity, and muscle capillarization. Does that mean the sprint guys can beat the cardio guys’ performance? Certainly not, but this study as well as most HIIT studies well illustrate that with high-intensity interval training, significant improvements can be achieved in both worlds; in aerobic and anaerobic endurance.
In some cases, HIIT can also increase VO2 max to an even greater degree than traditional cardio. VO2 max is a good indicator of your body’s ability to transfer oxygen to the working muscles, the more being the better. Also, similar to strength training and unlike low-intensity cardio, HIIT increases testosterone production and post-workout calorie burn.
Cutting to the chase, high-intensity interval training is like a jack of all trades, blending power and endurance in a short and effective session. When it comes to the most popular question of beginner fitness enthusiasts, whether the time invested into training is up to par with the expected outcome, HIIT proves to be a proven success story, a protocol used by the military, firefighters, special forces, Crossfit.
This is where exercise ropes come into the picture, an iconic tool whose name is intertwined with interval training, though one if not the most simple conditioning gear of all the home gym equipment.
Who can benefit from battle rope training?
Fighters, soccer players, wrestlers, military, basically any sport or profession that relies on sustaining velocity, or average gym-goers who want to function as good as they look.
There are a lot of strong guys who can move a battle rope really fast and explosively, but then “hit the wall” and gas out in less than a minute because they lack explosive endurance.
In soccer, you need to be fast, even towards the end of a 90-minute game. In boxing, there are twelve rounds and no one cares that you were fast in the first 3 if in the 10th round you are knocked out because you weren’t fast enough to avoid being hit.
Battle Rope Advantages
The key characteristic and how a battle rope takes effect is based on creating constant velocity. In other words, you can’t do battle roping slowly. The deadweight of the rope forces you to move it quickly otherwise there’s no movement. Sure a barbell with plates on it is a dead weight too, but you can scale the amount of speed with which you are lifting it. With ropes, you are either quick, or don’t move at all, or move it slowly, but then there’s no training effect.
The rope forces a continuous movement, a back and forth acceleration that necessitates full-body tension, a pivotal problem for most beginners who lack sufficient strength.
Those who just start out with strength training usually have a weak core and are not able to integrate their body parts as a unit to create force. Instead, their limbs flop all over the place. In this case, a light battle rope with short intervals is a great method to have them feel whole body tension and teach them to tense up with near max voluntary effort, without using heavy weights, or highly technical skills risking injury.
Low impact
Swinging a battle rope is a very low-impact and joint-friendly exercise compared to other modes of training, where either the compression/shear forces of heavy weights or stress microfractures of long-distance sports take a toll on the skeletal system.
Transfer effect to sports
As harmless on the joints, as it is, however, through high voluntary effort, the battle rope still allows the development of power, maximum velocity, and endurance. And that transfers very well, typically to field sports or any activity that requires athleticism and quickness.
No soreness
If you like to be sore the next day of your workout, you won’t like battle ropes. The battle rope is the opposite of exercises that benefit from a slow negative (eccentric part) phase of muscle contraction. The slow phase when your muscle is lengthened under contraction is what causes a greater amount of soreness and muscle damage, which would trigger muscle growth. While conditioning rope routines lack this effect due to their quick nature, this aspect is more than made up by superior nervous system involvement, and anabolic hormonal response.
Easy to learn
Battle rope training does not have a steep learning curve, after a couple of sessions you get the hang of the basic moves, unlike a kettlebell snatch. What’s good about the power rope is you can reap all its benefits with the basic moves like the single wave or double wave, while advanced ones are for special purposes; like outer circles to rehab a rotator cuff injury.
Builds muscle
Battle rope routines improve strength, build and/or retain muscle mass, because of the same underlying principle why sprinters look jacked unlike marathon runners; it’s high intensity. If for any reason—like many during this pandemic—you find yourself without weights, don’t panic; uphill sprint intervals or any means of sprinting really, battle rope swings, high jumps, broad jumps, shuttle runs, etc. will not just prevent muscle loss but build functional muscle mass depending on the training frequency and effort.
Disadvantages of Battle Rope Workout
As already mentioned, the best use of battle ropes is HIIT training, which is nothing short of a balls-out effort. The relatively lightweight of a battle rope compared to weight equipment—such as dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells—is ideal for this type of training, and even beginners can enjoy all of its benefits. Its advantage can easily become its disadvantage, namely the central nervous system (CNS) fatigue. The lack of soreness you feel the next day might be too encouraging for some to repeat their battle rope workout, which might result in overtraining. Therefore to stay on the safe side, it’s best to leave around 2 days between your power rope sessions to give a rest to your nervous system—provided you really went hard with your HIIT training…as you should have.
How to Use a Battle Rope for Different Purposes
While continuous battle roping world records are around an hour-long, battle ropes are most commonly used for high-intensity interval training. So I found it appropriate that quote from maybe the most representative source in the topic, the Science and Application of High-Intensity Interval Training by Paul Laursen and Martin Buchheit. I quote selectively, intentionally leaving out certain parts for the sake of relevancy to battle ropes workout and to provide a simpler picture for those new to the topic.
What needs to be clarified right away though, is that the parameter ranges I refer to below, are much simplified versions compared to the number of possible varieties and fine-tuning potential of HIIT programming—the authors otherwise well tap into.
The suggested interval methods below rather provide a framework within which coaches and individuals can further manipulate the parameters to meet more specific goals. It should also be noted, that it is rather the combination of training means that bring optimal results for the desired outcome, as opposed to applying a single training method.
Another thing to take into account is that, although you can combine battle roping with lower body drills to add fun and intensity, rope training predominantly stresses the upper body, which should be taken into consideration when customizing HIIT protocols.
Finally, a not less important factor with battle ropes is the interval intensity. As mentioned above, swinging a battle rope is like an on/off switch; you move the rope fast or it won’t move at all. Intensity and speed are not as scalable as with running for example. So I find it unpractical to give intensity suggestions for battle roping, a rule of thumb to keep in mind though is the inverse relationship of intensity and fatigue. Naturally, the more intense you perform an exercise the shorter the interval duration will be. If an interval lasts several minutes, you’ll need to experiment and find the intensity that you can keep up constantly for the desired time.
In connection to intensity, it’s worth noting that, the “magic” of interval training lies within its repetitive nature. The desired training effect is achieved as the intervals and thus fatigue gradually adds up. Don’t be surprised if the first interval feels easy, battle rope HIIT despite its name, is rather a “slow killer”.
Different HIIT target types
The 6 target types represent a combination derived from the 3 basic physiological responses:
- aerobic metabolic,
- anaerobic metabolic,
- neuromuscular.
Type 1: “aerobic metabolic, with large demands placed on the oxygen (O2) transport and utilization systems (cardiopulmonary system and oxidative muscle fibers)”.
Type 2: “metabolic as type 1 but with a greater degree of neuromuscular strain”.
Type 3: “metabolic as type 1 with a large anaerobic glycolytic energy contribution but limited neuromuscular strain”.
Type 4: “metabolic as type 3 but a high neuromuscular strain”.
Type 5: “a session with a limited aerobic response but with a large anaerobic glycolytic energy contribution and high neuromuscular strain”.
(Laursen & Buchheit, 2018, p. 12)
Training means to achieve HIIT target types
The suggested intervals below should serve to set rough lines, and not substitute a personalized battle rope workout plan.
Long intervals (used for type 3 and 4)
- Work: > 60-sec intervals, basically anything in the range of 1-5 minutes. Less-trained individuals should choose lower-intensity but with longer intervals.
- Recovery: 1-3 min passive if the work duration is on the shorter end, and 2-4 min low-intensity active recovery if the work duration is longer.
- Duration: for best results, work intervals added up should be around 6-14 minutes total.
- Examples: 6×2 or 5×3 or 4×4 minutes
Short intervals (type 1-2-3-4)
- Work: < 60-sec intervals, anything in the range of 10-60 s.
- Recovery: 10-60 sec
- Duration: total work intervals 6-14 min.
Repeated sprint training (type 3 and 4)
- Work: 3-10 sec all-out efforts
- Recovery: 15-60s, the majority between 30-45 sec
- Duration: total work intervals around 2-3 minutes (2-3x~6 sprints)
Speed endurance training (type 5)
- Work: 20-30 sec all-out effort
- Recovery: 1-4 min passive
- Duration: total work intervals around 2-5 min. (6-10 reps)
(Laursen & Buchheit, 2018, p. 111 & pp. 215-217)
A word about energy systems
Energy systems are the different underlying mechanisms through which our body utilizes fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Everything comes down to energy systems as every movement and human function depends on them. The 3 energy systems work in synchrony, but depending on the intensity and duration of the physical activity, some play a more prominent role than the other.
Aerobic energy production, aka oxidative metabolism (think of long-distance runners or most daily low-intensity activities): This pathway relies on oxygen supply and utilization to break down fats and carbohydrates to create energy. It uses more complex chemical processes and therefore is the slowest method of the 3 types to supply energy, however, it can do so for several hours. Aerobic metabolism is the predominant process for low-intensity activities and is the only system that’s able to utilize fats for energy.
Anaerobic energy production—alactic system (100 m sprinters): This process is the fastest energy system because it uses right away the readily available molecule in the muscle Adenosine-triphosphate (ATP) When this system is dominant during very quick and powerful energy productions, it doesn’t need to break down/convert fats or carbohydrates to ATP in a long and complex process, nor does it need oxygen, but it can tap into the already available ATP of the muscle only for about 2 seconds. Then it can restore ATP for another 8-10 seconds from Phosphocreatine, but once this substance is gone, and the need for high power production is still there, the body needs to rely more on another slower energy system, the anaerobic lactic system.
Anaerobic lactic energy production—glycolytic system (400-1500 m running, hockey): So you need to keep up intensity whether it’s running, punching, cycling, but the alactic system above has slowed down after 12 sec., and the aerobic is way too slow, it cannot use oxygen fast enough to meet the ATP demands of the activity. This is when your body starts to break down blood sugar (glucose) or stored sugar (glycogen) but this time without oxygen. In the absence of oxygen, lactate builds up, hence the name “anaerobic lactic” system. This process, although not as powerful as the alactic system, can still provide substantially more power than the aerobic way. But power has its price, and in about 30 seconds, unless you slow down your tempo, performance decreases and by 60-90 seconds comes to a halt due to cellular changes and the brain down-regulating muscle action to prevent possible damage, and also itself and the heart to prevent serious oxygen debt. But even before that, the aerobic system would gradually take over depending on the level of intensity.
How to scale battle rope intensity
As I stated before, fine-tuning intensity is limited with battle ropes compared to running, or cycling, and nor is it that straightforward.
However, there are 3 distinct methods you can experiment with:
- Moving closer to the rope anchor point creates more slack in the rope which becomes harder to move with more effort spent on control. Moving away creates tension on the battle rope and gives you more direct control and decreasing intensity.
- Once you are familiar with the basic moves, you can add different elements, add extra footwork, jumps and hops, lunges, squats, move laterally, etc. These extra movements substantially increase intensity.
- After a few battle rope sessions you’ll see that in order to be able to sustain the intensity for longer, you have to spare energy somewhere. The most obvious is to relax, but how do you do that when the whole idea is to stay fast? I feel it’s best that I quote directly from the godfather of battling ropes, John Brookfield: “Many people try to use the ropes with way too much body tension. They’ll tense up as if they’re lifting a lot of weight. Instead, you want to move like the flow of water or like a whip would move. You want to be very explosive but you want your whole body to be quite relaxed.” (Harvey).
Best Battle Rope Exercises
This video well illustrates just how multifaceted a training tool a battle rope can be. It also proves a point that in order to best take advantage of exercise variety, a 1,5 inch rope is the best option in terms of weight, grip diameter, and sustained instensity. Thicker, fat ropes can’t be used for that many exercises, let alone the strength deficit of most beginners to rope workout.
Conclusion
If it’s strictly battle ropes you are after, the XGEAR Heavy Battle Rope is hard to beat. It combines all the factors that make the perfect power rope, the ideal length and diameter, durable PolyDacron material, and braided design. What’s more, all the accessories are included in the package, a wall mount anchor, extra straps for attachment, and protective sleeves. It’s so thought out I can’t really find a better deal, in my opinion, for the money, XGEAR has the best battle rope out there.
Runner-up is the exercise rope by Rogue. Made of natural manila it has stood the test of time and can not only serve as a battle rope but as a multi-functional exercise rope, to take advantage of the full potential of rope workouts. It provides excellent grip for pull-ups, climbing, rows, and even towing, where sweat absorption is crucial.
A battle rope is not to replace your home gym arsenal, but to complement it. Although put another way, if you only had a workout rope to train with, used smartly, you would be surprised by the great results that can be achieved with probably the most ancient and primitive tool, nowadays sold as fitness gear.
If you’re looking to add power, endurance, and variety to your home workout, the battle ropes reviewed in this article should more than suffice your expectations.
Have fun swinging! 😉
Reference:
- Laursen P., & Buchheit, M. (2018). Science and Application of High-Intensity Interval Training: Solutions to the Programming Puzzle. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
- Harvey, A. Why Battling Ropes? Original Creator Answers All Questions. Interview with John Brookfield [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.dragondoor.com/why_battling_ropes_original_creator_answers_all_questions_interview_with_john_brookfield/
- Zing, G. What is Dacron fabric, and is it different from polyester? [Blog post] Retrieved from https://whomhome.com/blogs/the-word/what-is-dacron
