FOR NEW MUSCLE, KNOW THE ROPES

The ROPE CLIMB is a CrossFit staple for a reason. This upgrade builds extra functional strength in your upper body and core. Up and at ’em

It’s a move that’s reminiscent of climbing trees. If you could do it as a five-year-old, how hard can it be? Well, as your inability to deep-squat like a toddler will attest, very – that is, unless you have the right technique. “Your form will make or break each rep,” says PT Chris Jillard. “This rope climb will challenge your coordination, strength, endurance and grip.”

Your goal is to make each rep as efficient as possible. “When you start, it’ll feel like a strength exercise,” says Jillard. “But once you get more comfortable, you can use it as a conditioning tool within workouts.”

The key to this variation is using your feet on the way up, but then switching to an L-sit for the descent. Calling in the support of your powerful lower body helps you to push through more reps for a heightened calorie burn; lowering legless lights up your arms, back and core. Once you’ve mastered the technique, you can incorporate it into a workout of one rope climb, seven burpees and 5kcal on a stationary bike. Rest for 60-90 seconds, then repeat four to five times.

02 HOOK ON Pull your legs up towards your hands. Move your right foot on top of your left and push your right foot down, clamping the rope between your feet. This is your J-hook. Straighten your legs to stand in the air. Stand with your feet at either side of the rope. Grip it with one fist above the other. Position the rope so that it’s behind your right foot but in front of your left shin, touching the outside of both feet. Now that you’re off the ground, reach up as high as you can, secure your grip and pull yourself up. As you lift, raise your feet and reattach them in a J-hook. Push through your legs. Repeat to the top of the rope. Gripping tight, release your legs and crunch your knees towards your chest, then straighten your legs out in front into an L-sit. Work your hands back down the rope, one fist under the other, until you reach the floor. 01 03 04 LACE UP BIG REACH SIT DOWN

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