My New Fitness Crush: The Rope

With a little plyo action, this thing is
Kill.Ler.

Shhhh… Don’t tell the Bosu, but I’ve got a new fitness crush:  The rope. 

I’m not talking about the ubiquitous jump rope that we’ve all known since childhood, I’m talking about, The ROPE!

Fitness rope, undulation rope, heavy exercise rope, battling rope (my favorite – how tough does THAT sound!) ….  Known by various names, the rope is another ingeniously simple item that has emerged as a seriously effective and satisfying piece of workout equipment.

Serious core workout!

I caught wind of this serpentine sensation about a year or two ago and have been interested in trying one ever since.  I wanted to do a test drive to see if it would be a worthwhile purchase but never ran across any ropes to try.  My interest in them spiked when I started my park boot camp class but I still hesitated on committing to a buy until a recent incursion of lower-body injuries among my boot campers and friends – plus myself! – made it a necessity.

While my boot camp classes are a diverse mixture of activities, they almost always include some sort of running, hopping and/or burpeeing.  However, this suddenly was not a safe option for many of us, so I knew we needed another alternative. 

Hence my impulsive leap into rope training territory.  Actually it wasn’t that impulsive.  I’d seen a ton of videos and had been mulling it over for some time, so I just went for it!

And, WOWEEEE WOW WOW, am I glad I did!  This thing is awesome!  We played around with my new rope (it’s 50-feet, 1.5 inches) at boot camp and since then I’ve created some kick-ass (hey - ass is in the Bible) workouts at home and can’t wait to keep unfurling more of this slinky sweetie’s secrets.    I love how it’s about as uncomplicated as workout equipment gets, yet can effectively work the body out from head to toe.  It has a primitive, old-school-tough kind of feel to it, yet it’s refreshing, invigorating and accessible to most everyone – even those with lower-body ailments!

So I guess I suffer from gym equipment infidelity.  Just when I think I’ve got enough fitness goodies to keep me satisfied, something else comes along to entice me and test my loyalty. Trust me, I am picky.  I don’t just let any ol’ thigh master or ab roller-type seduce me… and I still love you, my dear Bosu.  You will always hold a prominent position in my workouts.…  It’s just that I think there’s plenty of room in our relationship for this new rope….  Ooooo, and maybe one of those land paddleboards (a.k.a. skupboards) I saw someone on the other day….