World’s first portable battle ropes work 10 muscle groups – without the ropes

Following on from a campaign that raised nearly US$350,000 from more than 2,000 backers, innovative fitness gear startup Zest Up – which brought us the first ropeless battle ropes – has fine-tuned its hit debut product and added two more levels to suit everyone from beginners to athletes.

Now, I personally have a love-hate relationship with battle ropes at the gym, but they’re incredibly effective in activating many muscle groups, getting the heart rate up and building cardio endurance. But those heavy, long ropes are not practical to have in the home, let alone take on the road.

Z-Rope+ replicates the gym experience, with two handheld springs specifically engineered to provide the same kind of resistance as the cross-training staples but that can be used anywhere. And much like adding weight to barbells, three different measurements in the distance between the coils offers three levels of resistance.

“We immediately began brainstorming ways to improve our product,” the makers state. “Our backers wanted a better built product and a smoother handle. But we also thought: what if we could make Z-Rope better for both beginners and experts?”

The foundation level in light gray, with 1-mm-spaced coils, is ideal for beginners or people who are just starting to build muscle. The silver Z-Rope+ has a 2-mm gap between coils, which ups the resistance and is best suited to those with experience using battle ropes and weight-based workouts. And the dark-gray model is, as you might have guessed, one for athletes and battle-rope fiends, with coils spaced out at 3 mm.

The beauty of these products, however, is the versatility of workouts that they offer. While traditional battle ropes are fairly limited in range – variations on up/down and side-to-side arm movements – the Z-Rope+ has more than 13 accompanying workouts so users can focus on 10 muscle groups including core and legs.

Electromyography (EMG) testing found that the Z-Rope+ was four times more effective than just using bodyweight to activate targeted muscle groups. And in the eight measured muscle groups, it beat out actual battle ropes in all but two categories (hamstrings and forearms).

Kickstarter

Z-Rope+ sees an improvement on the original design, with detachable handles to make them more compact for storing and carrying. And listening to user feedback, the creators have designed a better silicone grip for increased comfort.

And this time there’s no additional apps, just a QR code to access the exclusive and free YouTube channel for in-depth workout guides.

Oh, and if you’re a special kind of masochist who likes to hit the ropes in the middle of the night, these tools are of course completely silent, so won’t disturb any sleeping family members or neighbors.

With more than 50 days of the campaign left, at the time of writing, it already has close to 250 backers. Right now, you can grab a set at the limited super-early-bird price of $149 (20% retail price), with the specific level selected once shipping has been finalized. The Z-Rope+ package comes with safety handle straps and carry-bag. A double set will set you back $208 (20% off), which comes with additional springs. The full set of three is available for $256 (20% off). Bear in mind the double and triple sets come with the single set of handles. There are also multiple single sets and full sets available.

Delivery is due in March 2025; for a list of countries on the shipping list, and for additional shipping costs, see the campaign page.

Source: Kickstarter

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