Gym Rope Training: a high intensity workout for everyone

As can be easily guessed, there is a clear difference between the two models in terms of grip effort, length and weight. And it is precisely these structural characteristics that affect the strength and the speed which are called upon when performing exercises with this equipment.

All exercises with the Gym Rope are in fact performed at the maximum intensity and require high execution speed for long enough to still allow fast and technically correct movements. In fact, if the person starts to break down with the posture and begins to slow down the swinging movements of the ropes, he or she must stop, rest and only then resume.

Performing exercises with the Gym Rope slowly and with incorrect technique is not only unprofitable in terms of training, but also dangerous for the health of the joints involved in performing them, particularly the shoulders, cervical spine, elbows and wrists.

Exercises that can be performed with Gym Ropes

The basic exercise consists of the sagittal swings with double gripby alternating the movements of the two arms. From these movements we can then create a whole series of variations that always maintain the basic oscillations and create different combinations of movements between the arms and legs. Then we can also have some exercises performed from the Prone Isometric Bridge position.

The starting point for each exercise with the standing Gym Rope is to hips flexed backwards in the sagittal plane (up to the correct eccentric activation of the posterior chain at the hip level, in particular the Ischiocrural muscles), stable trunk through the activation of the abdominal muscles, stable scapular girdle through the activation of the Grand Dorsal, maintaining the back-positioned shoulders and depressed, with the depressed shoulder blades.

From this position, the arms are flexed and the oscillations must be performed by the movement of the arms, which receive the neuro-muscular tension from the centre of the body (Core) and through the Great Dorsal, passing through the Scapular Crawl, reaches the upper limbs.

Qualities trained through Gym Rope Training

First of all the grip strengthespecially if you use the 50 mm model. Although having a strong and secure grip is fundamental for handling any object outside the body, both in sports activities (tennis, golf, baseball, fencing, sport climbing, throwing sports, combat sports, etc.) and in normal everyday activities, this is often a weak element of athletes and is also a source of joint problems in people who use hand and wrist movements with high frequency during their work activities (with the onset of joint problems that often also affect the nerve component, such as carpal tunnel syndrome).

Integrating the Gym Rope in one's workouts in the gym, is certainly a great help in enhancing grip strength, but not only. Performing movements at high speed, with a medium load (naval rope weight), leads to a rapid increase in theintensity during the training session, which makes it a perfect tool within interval circuits (Interval Training), being one of the stations with the highest intensity both aerobics (cardiovascular) that anaerobic (muscular lactacid).

With the correct postural set-up and adequate technical knowledge of the exercises, the Gym Rope becomes a excellent training tool for everyoneregardless of level and personal goal, both in group sessions and in personal training!

by Emilio Troiano

WTA International Functional Training Academy