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Exercise guide

Battling Ropes

How to do the Battling Ropes with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.

CompoundOtherBeginnerPush
Primary muscles

Shoulders

Secondary

Chest, Forearms

Equipment

Other

Step by step

How to do the Battling Ropes

  1. 1

    For this exercise you will need a heavy rope anchored at its center 15-20 feet away. Standing in front of the rope, take an end in each hand with your arms extended at your side. This will be your starting position.

  2. 2

    Initiate the movement by rapidly raising one arm to shoulder level as quickly as you can.

  3. 3

    As you let that arm drop to the starting position, raise the opposite side.

  4. 4

    Continue alternating your left and right arms, whipping the ropes up and down as fast as you can.

In Ascend

Log it, see it on your body.

Every Battling Ropes set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap — so your shoulders volume is visible at a glance — and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.

Related

More shoulders exercises

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