I don't really remember how or when I experienced battle ropes for the first time, but it left a significant impression on me. When I came across Muscle Ropes and their brand of battle ropes last year, a past memory was triggered of what I felt when I used battle ropes previously. It was excitement and intrigue to use something that can give your body a workout and improve your performance in a low impact way! So I contacted Muscle Ropes, received my shipment of their high quality Battle Ropes, climbing ropes, a heavy jump rope, and 4' utility rope. I then proceed to experience the benefits of such a compact yet useful workout tool for my OCR training.

For starters, when I received my boxes of ropes and proceeded to open them up to discover the wonders inside, I noticed immediately how neatly they can pack 3 ropes into one box. My ability to replicate that professional packing job after using my ropes later on failed miserably but I digress. With my first battle rope in hand, I proceeded to find a spot to do work!

Since I don't have a wall to mount these Battle Ropes to, I improvise by wrapping it around a tree or fence post. I grip the 1.5" rope with one end of it in each hand and proceed to hammer away. While holding a semi squat position and after going for almost 30 seconds straight of up and down and side to side motions, I have to stop. My heart is racing, my arms are a bit fatigued and my hands are finding it tough to hold on to the rope. That is totally what I was looking for! In my sport of OCR, cardio is key to performing well on the running portion. Your arms are used in the majority of the obstacles to help you traverse and your grip is one of the first things to fatigue and fail on a course with many obstacles. I immediately knew that this would be one of my favorite OCR training tools in my bag.

After a few sessions of battle ropes, I switched to the climbing ropes. The ropes I received were the same ones used in OCRWC of 2015. They are rugged and able to handle the abuse of an outdoor course and environments. Since rope climbing can be conquered many different ways, I was practicing my hooking techniques to help me gain that speed I need on race day. In my experience, if your hands and arms are tired, you might need to set a hook to help you reach the top. Granted if you have the grip and upper body strength you can just arm your way up. With these thoughts in mind, I knew climbing ropes would be another effective tool to boosting my grip strength, upper body and legs as well!

The last rope I ended up pulling out was the heavy jump rope. I had first experienced these at Miller Park Spartan Race Sprint on November 1st, 2014. This was my first OCR ever! I just remember the Heavy jump rope they had and how much trouble I had to sustain 50 revolutions to move on in the day. Seeing that I am stronger now than I was then, I proceeded to see how many I could do. As with the other ropes, it is thick in the hands, which will challenge your grip and forearms. After rattling off over 50 reps and giving myself a short break, I can feel the impact on my body. I notice my upper back and shoulders are clearly involved. I notice my hands are starting to fade with all the effort it takes to hold on to a heavy and thick rope for a long period of time. Also, my heart rate was elevated once again. After a few more sessions, I decided I was done for the day.

Since I use these ropes mostly outdoors and live in harsher, cold weather area, I am always concerned about quality and performance of all my equipment. These ropes have amazing quality and durability. The Black Cyclone battle ropes are ideal for use indoors and will not damage the rope material or your floor surface. The Aftershock battle ropes are made of a more rugged material but is strictly something you would want to use outdoors only, unless you want to clean up the shed fibers that are left behind. With that being said, if I had my own gym facility, I wouldn't hesitate to use these ropes as a go to standard for my OCR needs or any fitness need in general.

If you are looking for quality, durability, and a versatile training tool, consider rope training for a low tech yet effect means of reaching those goals. Compact enough to travel with and easy to use just about anywhere. I recommend Muscle Ropes to all my fitness partners and customers as well! Overall, I am extremely impressed with this product and can't wait to use them for my Spring Fitness Boot Camps this year!"

Antonio Pusateri is an Elite OCR Racer, Wellness Coach and Muscle Ropes Brand Ambassador. Ready to train like Antonio? Use coupon code AP10 to save 10% on your next Muscle Ropes order.