Shoulders · Battle Ropes
Battling Ropes
How to do the battling ropes, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Battle Ropes
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Isometric
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Anchor a pair of heavy ropes and grip one end in each hand, standing in a quarter squat with your core braced. Drive alternating waves down the ropes by rapidly raising and lowering each arm, keeping your hips loaded and breathing in rhythm.
- 1Feel your shoulders and arms driving the waves
- 2Keep your core tight and hips slightly bent the whole set
- 3Stay athletic and breathe in a steady rhythm
Common mistakes
- Don't stand fully upright and let the waves die out
- Avoid using only your arms while your core goes soft
- Don't hold your breath through the intervals
Muscles worked
The battling ropes mainly works the forearms, with the upper abs, front delts, biceps, triceps, lats, lower back, upper traps, mid traps, lower abs, obliques, quads, side delts, and rear delts assisting.
- ForearmsPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- BicepsSupport
- TricepsSupport
- LatsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Mid TrapsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- QuadsSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- Rear DeltsSupport
- Mid ChestMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- GlutesMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- CalvesMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the battling ropes for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More shoulders exercises
- How to do the battle rope alternating waves
- How to do the arm circles
- How to do the arnold press
- How to do the resistance band front raise
- How to do the resistance band lateral raise
- How to do the resistance band overhead press
Last reviewed June 2026.