Battle rope power slams (along with battle rope double waves) are one of the most commonly performed battle rope exercises.
What Do Battle Rope Power Slams Work?
Battle rope power slams predominately work the shoulders, core, latts, triceps and forearms…
But
They are usually used more as a conditioning tool, as slams are a great way to elevate the heart rate. Battle rope power slams work great in a HIIT session as the exercise is so intense it doesn’t take long for the heart rate to elevate.
How to Perform the Battle Rope Power Slam
- Setup in a good athletic base position
- Feet shoulder width apart
- Knees slightly bent
- Both hands holding the rope with the handshake grip
- In an explosive motion
- Lift both arms overhead and perform a little jump
- Slam the rope to the ground as hard as possible landing in a squat like position
- Repeat
A few tips when performing the battle rope power slam
- Keep your core tight
- Use your whole body – especially the hips
- Keep a little bit of slack in the rope – make sure it’s not too tight
What Does the Science Say About Battle Rope Power Slams
There have been many studies on battle rope training, most of these which have been published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning.
Check out some of the references below!
- Calatayud, Joaquin; Martin, Fernando; Colado, Juan C.; Benítez, Josep C.; Jakobsen, Markus D.; Andersen, Lars L. Muscle Activity During Unilateral vs. Bilateral Battle Rope Exercises, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: October 2015 – Volume 29 – Issue 10 – p 2854-2859
- Chen, Wei-Han1,2; Wu, Huey-June3; Lo, Shin-Liang4; Chen, Hui4; Yang, Wen-Wen1,5; Huang, Chen-Fu2; Liu, Chiang1 Eight-Week Battle Rope Training Improves Multiple Physical Fitness Dimensions and Shooting Accuracy in Collegiate Basketball Players, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: October 2018 – Volume 32 – Issue 10 – p 2715-2724
- Langford, Emily L. BS; Wilhoite, Sydni BS; Collum, Connor BS; Weekley, Hunter BS; Cook, Jordan BS, ATC, CSCS; Adams, Kara BS; Snarr, Ronald L. PhD, CSCS*D, NSCA-CPT Battle Rope Conditioning, Strength and Conditioning Journal: December 2019 – Volume 41 – Issue 6 – p 115-121
- Ratamess, Nicholas A.; Smith, Charles R.; Beller, Noah A.; Kang, Jie; Faigenbaum, Avery D.; Bush, Jill A. Effects of Rest Interval Length on Acute Battling Rope Exercise Metabolism, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: September 2015 – Volume 29 – Issue 9 – p 2375-2387
- Ratamess, Nicholas A.; Rosenberg, Joseph G.; Klei, Samantha; Dougherty, Brian M.; Kang, Jie; Smith, Charles R.; Ross, Ryan E.; Faigenbaum, Avery D. Comparison of the Acute Metabolic Responses to Traditional Resistance, Body-Weight, and Battling Rope Exercises, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: January 2015 – Volume 29 – Issue 1 – p 47-57
Summary
Thats the battle rope power slam!
Give it a go and let us know what you think!
If you’d like to up skill when it comes to using Battle Ropes, at Fitness Education Online, we have a Battle Rope certification that will give you both NASM CEUs and AFAA CEUs.
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PS: If you liked this blog, you may also like the following blogs
Battle Rope Workout Finisher for Bootcamp: The Rope Races
Connect with Fitness Education Online on Social Media
At Fitness Education Online, we have one of the largest Facebook Groups in the world for Personal Trainers and Fitness Professionals. Everyone in there is super supportive and we all share tips and ideas. We would love to invite you into the Group – click here to join.
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