Go to war on body fat

Get to grips with battle ropes for supreme upper-body conditioning

Battle ropes are among those items of training equipment that look really cool – if you know how to use them. If you don’t, you’re more likely to end up doing something that leaves other gym-goers doubled up in stitches. As ever, we’re here to help you stride on to the gym floor with confidence by giving you an expert guide on how to use them. But first, let’s look at why you’d want to, because “it looks cool” doesn’t count as a legitimate training reason.

”For any sport that demands upper-body conditioning, like rugby, MMA or CrossFit, ropes are a very useful tool because of the amount of conditioning you can get from them,” says top personal trainer Tom Eastham (@EasthamsFitness). “For maximum effect, focus on maintaining the intensity of the motion from start to finish, no matter how much it burns.”

In fact, if it’s upper-body conditioning you want, battle ropes are the best tool. “It’s hard to get it from anything else without serious fatigue,’ says Eastham. “Sure, you can max out on press-ups and suspension rows, but you won’t be working for very long. The ropes will fatigue your cardiovascular system before your muscles give in.”