Battle Rope Fly
What Is the Battle Rope Fly?
Battle Rope Fly is a compound exercise that primarily targets the chest and shoulders and also engages the upper back, arms and core. It is an intermediate-level movement in which you hold one rope end in each hand and sweep both arms out wide to your sides and back in front of your hips, like a standing chest fly, so the ropes whip sideways along the floor instead of rising and falling.
The drill is used for conditioning and upper-body endurance rather than for building maximal strength. Worked in short timed intervals, it raises the heart rate while making the chest and shoulders produce force in both directions, because the ropes have to be pulled apart as well as brought together. It fits in a circuit, as a finisher, or next to up-and-down waves such as Battling Ropes so the shoulders train a horizontal pattern as well as a vertical one.
The chest and front of the shoulders do most of the work as the hands sweep in, while the rear shoulders, rotator cuff and muscles between the shoulder blades control and drive the sweep back out. Your legs and lower back hold a half-squat throughout, which keeps the hips steady while the ropes pull you from side to side. The fly differs from the Battle Rope Inside Circle and Battle Rope Outside Circle in its path: in the circles the hands trace a loop that rises toward shoulder height and back down, while in the fly the hands stay low, at about hip height, and only open and close side to side. A wider sweep and a faster tempo raise the demand, and standing farther from the anchor makes the ropes heavier to move.
This variation suits anyone who already handles basic rope waves and wants to add chest and upper-back work to their conditioning. Before starting, you should be able to hold a half-squat with a flat back for 30 seconds and perform a Band Middle Fly or Band Pull-Apart through a full range without shoulder pain. If you want to build the chest itself, a loaded fly such as a Cable Crossover or Dumbbell Fly is the better tool.
Muscles Worked
- Deltoid
- Primary
- Pectoralis Major
- Primary
- Biceps Brachii
- Medium
- Erector Spinae
- Medium
- Infraspinatus
- Medium
- Rhomboid Major
- Medium
- Serratus Anterior
- Medium
- Upper Trapezius
- Medium
- Teres Minor
- Low
Instructions
- Loop the rope around a sturdy post or anchor so both ends are the same length.
- Face the anchor and hold one rope end in each hand with a neutral grip, thumbs on top.
- Step back until the rope has a little slack, and stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees and sit your hips back into a half-squat, keeping your chest up and your back flat.
- Brace your core and set your shoulder blades down, with a soft bend in your elbows.
- Sweep both arms out wide to your sides at about hip height, stopping when your hands are level with your body.
- Sweep both arms back in until your hands meet in front of your hips, keeping them low so the ropes whip sideways along the floor.
- Keep your hips facing the anchor and your torso still as you open and close your arms.
- Repeat in a fast, steady rhythm for the planned time, breathing steadily throughout.
Common Mistakes
Twisting the torso
Rotating the hips and chest to swing the ropes wider takes the work off the chest and shoulders and pulls on the lower back.
Flinging the arms back
Letting the hands travel behind the line of the body on the open strains the front of the shoulder instead of stopping the sweep under control.
Letting the hands rise
Lifting the hands toward shoulder height turns the sweep into a circle and loses the flat, side-to-side path the fly depends on.
Standing up tall
Straightening the knees and hips removes the stable base, so the ropes pull you forward and the lower back takes over.
Shrugging the shoulders
Letting the shoulders creep toward the ears as you tire shifts the load to the neck and upper traps.
Starting with the rope pulled tight
Standing so far back that the rope has no slack stops a clean wave from traveling along the floor to the anchor.
Injuries
Battle Rope Fly is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. There is no impact and the load at the hands is light, but the sweep is repeated many times at speed and under fatigue, so the shoulders and lower back need to stay organized for the whole set.
The front of the shoulder takes the most strain. Flinging the arms back behind the line of the body on the open, shrugging as you tire, or locking the elbows puts extra stress on the shoulder joint and the biceps tendon. Stop each sweep with the hands level with or just in front of your body, keep a soft bend in the elbows and keep the shoulder blades set down. The lower back is the other weak point: standing too upright or letting the chest drop lets the ropes pull you forward and side to side, so hold the half-squat, brace your core and keep the hips facing the anchor. Grip the ropes firmly enough that they do not slip, but not so hard that the forearms give out first.
To regress, step closer to the anchor, use a thinner or shorter rope, narrow the sweep or slow the tempo. You can also build the pattern with a Band Middle Fly and Band Pull-Apart. To progress, widen the sweep, move faster, step farther back, use a heavier rope or lengthen the work interval.
Stop the set if you feel sharp or pinching pain in the front or top of the shoulder, pain in the lower back, or numbness or tingling in the hands. Anyone with a recent shoulder dislocation, a rotator cuff or biceps tendon injury, or recent upper-body surgery should get clearance from a medical professional before using battle ropes.
- Equipment
- Battle ropes
- Modality
- Cardio
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How is the fly different from battle rope circles?
In the fly your hands stay at about hip height and only sweep out to the sides and back in, so the ropes travel sideways along the floor. In the Battle Rope Inside Circle and Battle Rope Outside Circle the hands trace a loop that rises toward shoulder height, which sends a spiraling wave down the rope and asks more of the shoulders overhead.
- Q: Will the battle rope fly build my chest?
Not much on its own. The rope load is light and the sets are timed, so it mainly builds chest and shoulder endurance and conditioning, while a loaded fly such as a Cable Crossover or Dumbbell Fly for 8 to 15 reps is a better tool for size.
- Q: How long should each set last?
If you are new to rope work, start with 20 to 30 seconds of work and 30 to 60 seconds of rest for 3 to 5 rounds. Lengthen the work or shorten the rest only while the sweep stays low and level and your torso stays still.
- Q: How do I make it harder or easier?
Widen the sweep, move faster, step farther from the anchor or use a thicker rope to make it harder. Step closer, narrow the sweep, slow down or use a thinner rope to make it easier.
- Q: Should the ropes cross in front of me?
The hands can come close enough that the ropes cross slightly in front of your hips, but keep your hands from crossing over each other. Bringing them together is enough to finish the sweep without twisting the shoulders or losing the rhythm.