Are you losing interest in your cardio workouts?
By Gabriel Rivera
It’s a Monday, and it happens to be a cardio day. You’ve been lacking the zest needed to produce quality results. This could be because you’re tired of the same routine—a treadmill cardio workout. Though you know you need a change from the same old rut, you aren’t sure how to approach it. You may have reached a level of boredom that you never thought was possible. This may be attributed to the inability to engage in a diverse exercise.
Research shows that the more likely you are to enjoy your exercise activities, the more likely you are to continue your workout routine for the long haul. As a bodybuilder, you have no time to waste. To become a lean muscle machine, an effective cardio routine is crucial. Finding a diverse and engaging cardio workout can be a challenge, so let’s take a look at 5 powerful rope exercises for muscle-building success.
Rope Exercises
1. Shoulder Circles
Stand with your feet 6 inches apart, and with your knees partially bent, grabbed the rope, lift your arms above your shoulders, and move your hands and arms in circles. You will do this for 45 seconds, and then reverse the rotation for 45 more seconds. This hardcore resistance training exercise will impact shoulder strength and lean muscle so you can quickly enhance your physique.
2. Alternating Arm Tidal Waves
Another rope exercise involves one-arm alternative arm tidal waves for optimal strength and muscle results. Simply stand with ropes on each hand on the end of each rope, and make sure your knees are partially bent, and begin to swing your arms back and forth. This will generate a motion similar to a wave. It is important to execute the movement on each side for 45 seconds each for optimal results.
3. Rope thrusts
As a bodybuilder, power movements are a great way to build muscle quickly, and rope thrusts are an ideal exercise to intensify your training sessions. You can start by having your feet 6 inches apart, grabbing the ropes, then putting your hands and arms over your head, and powerfully crashing the ropes to the floor, while lowering your body as if performing a squat. You can repeat the process until fatigue sets in.
4. Single-Arm Rope thrusts
As with rope thrusts, you can also try single-arm rope thrusts, which utilizes the same type of motion. The only difference is that with the single-arm thrusts, you’ll only use one arm. You would just alternate sets and repetitions with each arm. For instance, you could do 4 sets of 20 reps on each arm, or perform 45 seconds with each arm.
5. Rotating Wave Squat Jumps
To diversify your workout, try to incorporate rope leg exercises such as rotating wave squat jumps. Start by alternating waves, then when you feel the rope is at an appropriate height, jump and squat forcefully. You can do this repeatedly as you try to keep the wave going consistently. This not only works your legs, but it also works your entire body, providing you with a full-body workout.
These powerful rope exercises are a great resistance training workout as well as a beneficial cardio exercise. As a fitness guru and bodybuilder, diversifying your training is crucial for optimal results. According to a 2013 study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, rope exercises bring forth higher metabolic demands. After intense strength training, rope exercises will help provide a calorie-burning workout to complete a powerful exercise session. You will be able to combine stamina with upper-body strength, so you can increase lean body mass quickly and effectively. By being creative during training bouts, you’ll be able to keep your workouts fresh, innovative, but most importantly, you’ll maintain quality workouts for the long haul. As a bodybuilder, that means bigger muscles and faster results.
