Front delts exercise
Battle Rope WavesHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Front delts, Cardio
- Also works
- Abs, Forearms
- Equipment
- Battle rope
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
How do you do the Battle Rope Waves?
- Hold one end of the rope in each hand and step back until the rope has a little slack.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and sink into a quarter squat.
- Snap one arm up as the other drives down, then switch, over and over.
- Keep the waves flowing all the way to the anchor.
Cues
- Stay low with your chest up.
- Elbows close to your sides.
- Send the waves to the anchor.
Common mistakes
- Standing up tall: keep your knees bent and hips back the whole time.
- Pulling the rope tight: keep your hands the same distance from the anchor.
- Tense, high arms: relax your shoulders and keep the movement quick and short.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
Alternating waves: one rope end in each hand, the arms move up and down in turn so the two ropes make out-of-step waves, legs held in a quarter squat. ACE's library entry teaches this version; the double-arm wave (both arms together) and slams are separate moves.
Starting position
A heavy rope (about 38 mm thick, 12–15 m long) looped around a fixed anchor at floor level so the two halves run parallel. Face the anchor, holding one end in each hand with an overhand (palms down) grip, standing far enough back that the ropes have a little slack on the floor. Feet shoulder width apart, knees and hips bent into a quarter squat, chest up, back flat. Elbows bent and close to the sides, hands in front of the hips about shoulder width apart.
The movement
Snap the right hand up to about chest height while the left hand drives down to hip height, then reverse, continuously. The hands move mostly up and down in front of the body, with a slight forward push so the force travels along the rope towards the anchor. The waves run smoothly to the anchor. The legs, hips and torso hold the quarter squat; the hands stay the same distance from the anchor.
Breathing
Quick, rhythmic breaths; keep breathing and do not hold the breath.
Tempo
Real sets: 15–30 s hard work, longer rest.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
- Waves rise 20–40 cm off the floor near the hands and shrink towards the anchor.
- Head and torso still; no bouncing of the hips.
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Battle Rope Waves is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
