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GYMNASTIC RINGS WORKOUT
EXERCISES GUIDE
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Life Meets Fitness
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SETTING UP YOUR SYSTEM
3
SUPPORT POSITION
7
RING ROWS
8
RING PUSH-UP
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RING PULL-UP
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ONE-ARM RING ROW
15
BULGARIAN PULL-UPS
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RING DIPS
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RING FLY
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RING ROLLOUT
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RING L-SIT
21
RING MUSCLE-UP
23
RING HANDSTAND
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CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON BELOW
FOR THE VIDEO INSTALLATION GUIDE.
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SETTING UP YOUR SYSTEM - OPTION 1
SUITABLE FOR FULL- LENGTH STRAPS USAGE
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STEP 1
THROW THE STRAP OVER YOUR ANCHORING POINT (SUCH AS A BAR, TREE BRANCH, TRUSS).
ONLY THE STRAP SHOULD BE RESTING FLUSH ON THE ANCHORING POINT.
THE LOWER NUMBER MARKS SHOULD BE AT THE TOP FACING YOU.
MAKE SURE THE ANCHORING POINT IS STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT BOTH STATIC AND DYNAMIC LOADS.
MAKE SURE THE SURFACE YOU ARE PUTTING THE STRAP OVER OR THROUGH IS SMOOTH - IF THE
SURFACE IS ABRASIVE IT WILL BREAK THE STRAPS.
STEP 2
CLIP THE CARABINER BACK TO THE STRAP.
THE CARABINER SHOULD NOT MAKE CONTACT WITH THE ANCHORING POINT.
STEP 3
FEED THE OPPOSITE END OF THE STRAP THROUGH THE
RING AND CLIP THE CARABINER BACK TO THE STRAP.
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SETTING UP YOUR SYSTEM - OPTION 2
SUITABLE FOR MEDIUM LENGTH STRAPS USAGE
STEP 1
THROW THE STRAP OVER YOUR ANCHORING POINT (SUCH AS A BAR, TREE BRANCH, TRUSS).
ONLY THE STRAP SHOULD BE RESTING FLUSH ON THE ANCHORING POINT.
THE LOWER NUMBER MARKS SHOULD BE AT THE TOP FACING YOU.
MAKE SURE THE ANCHORING POINT IS STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT BOTH STATIC AND
DYNAMIC LOADS.
MAKE SURE THE SURFACE YOU ARE PUTTING THE STRAP OVER OR THROUGH IS SMOOTH IF THE SURFACE IS ABRASIVE IT WILL BREAK THE STRAPS.
CLIP THE CARABINER BACK TO THE STRAP.
THE CARABINER SHOULD NOT MAKE CONTACT WITH THE ANCHORING POINT.
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STEP 2
FEED THE OPPOSITE END OF THE STRAP THROUGH THE RING.
STEP 3
THROW THE STRAP AGAIN OVER YOUR ANCHORING POINT.
STEP 4
FEED THE OPPOSITE END OF THE STRAP AGAIN THROUGH THE
RING AND CLIP THE CARABINER BACK TO THE STRAP.
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SETTING UP YOUR SYSTEM - OPTION 3
SUITABLE FOR SHORT LENGTH STRAPS USAGE
.
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STEP 1
THROW THE STRAP OVER YOUR ANCHORING POINT (SUCH AS A BAR, TREE BRANCH, TRUSS).
ONLY THE STRAP SHOULD BE RESTING FLUSH ON THE ANCHORING POINT.
THE LOWER NUMBER MARKS SHOULD BE AT THE TOP FACING YOU.
MAKE SURE THE ANCHORING POINT IS STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT BOTH STATIC AND
DYNAMIC LOADS.
MAKE SURE THE SURFACE YOU ARE PUTTING THE STRAP OVER OR THROUGH IS SMOOTH IF THE SURFACE IS ABRASIVE IT WILL BREAK THE STRAPS.
STEP 2
FEED THE OPPOSITE END OF THE STRAP THROUGH THE RING
AND CLIP THE CARABINER BACK TO FIRST SLOT OF THE
STRAP.
* THE OTHER END OF THE STRAP CAN BE SET ASIDE.
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Beginner
Support Position
The support position is the fundamental
starting point for ring training and to develop
the ability to manipulate your own
bodyweight. This static hold will develop the
core strength required to simply suspend
your body from the floor, assisted only by the
arms.
Primary Muscle Arms
Secondary Muscle(s) Back
Difficulty
Beginner
Also known as Bodyweight Hold,
Bodyweight Support,
Body Support,
Support Hold
How to
1 Set the rings to the appropriate height so your feet will not touch the floor during the exercise.
2 Grip the rings and hoist yourself above them so your feet are off the ground and you're
supporting your bodyweight with the arms.
3 Keep your arms straight and simply maintain the hold for as long as possible.
Notes: Ensure that your arms are completely straight and not resting against the straps for
support. Relying on the straps will reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.
Guide
The ring support position is the starting point for ring training beginners. The ability to
support your body weight above the rings is a fundamental component of bodyweight
training and practitioners should be competent in this skill before moving on to any of
the more advanced exercises.
If you are new to ring training you will probably be suprised at how difficult even this
basic exercise is. It takes a considerable amount of strength just to support yourself
and maintain the rings at your sides.
Develop a solid support hold which you can hold for a minimum of 15 seconds with
minimal movement in the body or rings before progressing with your ring training.
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Beginner
Ring Rows
Ring rows are a good beginners movement to
people that are new to ring training. It's also
a progression exercise for anyone wanting to
build up strength for unassisted pull-ups.
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Primary Muscle Biceps
Secondary Muscle(s) Triceps, Back
Difficulty
Beginner
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Also known as Ring Body Rows,
Inverted Ring Rows,
Body Rows
How to
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Set the rings to the appropriate height (the lower the rings the more difficult the exercise).
Grip the rings and lean back until your arms are stright.
Keep your body straight and pull your chest up towards the rings as high as you can.
Pause briefly at the top of the exercise and then slowly lower yourself back down to the
starting position. That is one full repetition.
Notes: As you become stronger lower the rings to increase the difficulty of the exercise.
Guide
The ring row, or body row as it is also known, is a relatively easy ring training exercise
that targets the arms and upper back muscles. It looks like an upside down push-up and
is a handy starter exercise for anyone who is not yet strong enough to do pull-ups as it
uses a similar muscle set but is much easier to do.
Ring Rows for Beginners
If you find this exercise difficult try keeping the rings high, as the closer they are to the
ground, the more difficult the exercise becomes. As strength increases, simply lower the
rings so that your body is closer to horizontal.
Advanced Ring Rows
You can increase the difficulty of Ring Rows by raising your feet on a platform or bench.
Once you have mastered the ring row try progressing into one arm ring rows or the ring
pull-up.
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Beginner
Ring Push-up - 1
Ring push-ups are a slight variation on the
traditional bodyweight push-up, introducing
gymnastics rings to the exercise to add an
element of instability.
Primary Muscle Chest
Secondary Muscle(s) Shoulders, Abdominals
Difficulty
Beginner
Also known as Ring Press-ups
How to
1 Adjust the height of the rings appropriate for your fitness level (the lower the rings the more
difficult the exercise).
2 Grip the rings, keep your body straight and your legs fully extended behind you.
3 Slowly lower yourself down towards the floor.
4 Pause at the bottom of the exercise then push yourself back up to the starting position. Do not
lock out your elbows to maintain tension throughout the muscles during the exercise.
5 Repeat.
Guide
The push-up is a staple body weight exercise that almost everyone is familiar with.
Adding gymnastic rings into the mix suspends your hands above ground and the
independent movement of the rings makes the exercise much more difficult to control,
adding an injection of intensity to the exercise. As a result you recruit more stabiliser
muscles and maximise the benefits from the exercise.
Ring push-ups are a great way to develop the chest and shoulder muscles and by
altering the height of the rings you can control the exercise difficulty.
Gymnastics rings are not simply about adding intensity however, and ring push-ups
allow you to move through a much greater range of motion than static floor push-ups
which is beneficial for your mobility and flexibilty skills. The joints are also able to track
naturally and there's great carry over into your grip strength.
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Beginner
Ring Push-up- 2
Ring Push-up Variations
There are many variations on the ring push-up that we summarise below. Remember that as well
as these variations you can try altering the height of the rings and experimenting with hand and
foot positions to meet your needs.
Wide grip ring push-up
A The wide grip push-up is the same as the basic push-up except the hands are positioned
further apart so they go out past your shoulders. This is one of the more difficult basic
push-up exercises and focuses upon the outer muscles of the chest, rear deltoids and
back.
Ring triceps push-up
B Similar to the basic push-up except it focuses on the triceps muscles rather than chest.
Grip the rings as you would a normal push-up but as you lower your body down you keep
the hands close together slightly in front of the head, rather than under the chest.
Lower your body down as per the standard push-up but make sure to keep the elbows
in so all the tension is focused on the tricep muscle.
Ring jack-knife push-up
C The jack-knife push-up is one of our favourite variations and emphasises shoulder
development with a great hit to the abdominals.
You begin in the basic pushup position and slide the rings straight forward as far as
possible without bending the arms, your body stretching forwards. Maintain the hold
then pull-back to the starting position.
Single Leg Pushups
D Lift one leg from the floor and keep it elevated throghout the exercise. Switch legs after
one set is complete.
This will further unstable the body and place emphasis on core development.
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Beginner
Ring Push-up - 3
Pseudo-Planche Pushups
E Like the standard pushup, but you grip the rings near your hips and turn the rings out
so that you are now in a reverse grip position. The Psuedo-Planche Pushup is
substantially more difficult than a regular pushup.
Beginning Ring Push-ups
Start with the basic push-up exercise and build upper-body strength. When you can
comfortably perform 20+ standard push-ups it's a good time to start introducing
gymnastics rings.
One benefit of training with gymnastics rings is that you can easily height-adjust the
rings and control the difficulty of the exercise. The higher the rings are set, the easier
ring push-ups become. Lower the rings as you build your strength.
Advanced Ring Push-ups
Continue to lower the rings to increase the difficulty of the exercise until they are as
low as they can go without touching the ground.
When you reach this point, many of the standard push-up tips can be used such as
perfoming the exercise on one leg, adding additional resistance using a weighted vest or
elevating the feet to transfer more bodyweight onto the hands and increase intensity.
Try composing a push-up routine with a target number of repetitions and sets and add a
few push-up variations into the mix. Your chest will thank you for it.
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Ring Pull-up
Intermediate
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Learn about the benefits of the fundamental
pull-up exercise on gymnastic rings and
develop a phenomenally strong and defined
back.
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Primary Muscle Back
Secondary Muscle(s) Biceps
Difficulty
Intermediate
Also known as Ring chin-up
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2
How to
1 Adjust the height of the gym rings so that your feet will not touch the ground between repetitions.
2 Stand under the rings and grip with either an overhand (for the pull-up), or underhand (for the
chin-up) hand position. The free movement of the rings means that your grip does not have to be
strictly one position or the other, and it may change throughout the exercise.
3 Keep your arms straight and simply dead hang from the rings, keeping your body vertical.
4 Pull your chest up toward the gymnastic rings by bending your arms. Keep the movement smooth,
slow and controlled and try not to jerk any muscles as you pull-up.
5 Pause for a moment at the top of the exercise before you start slowly lowering yourself back down.
6 Once you are lowered back to the hanging position, pause, and repeat the exercise.
Notes:
Throughout the exercise keep your torso straight, legs together, and shoulders relaxed.
Minimise any rocking or swaying movements.
Practice the false grip pull-up to strengthen your wrists and prepare for the muscle-up.
Guide
The standard, static pull-up is an incredibly effective bodyweight exercise and the ring
pull-up even more so. It's one of the best exercises to build upper-body strength and
muscular definition, and is a fundamental human movement.
Many people buy fitness rings primarily for pull-ups, which have many benefits over
using a standard static pull-up bar. Whilst a bar or pull-up station will lock your hands in
place and limit shoulder mobility, using gymnastic rings for pull-ups will exploit the free
movement of the rings and makes the motion more natural and kinder on the joints.
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Intermediate
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Ring Pull-up
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Many people find that they can achieve more repetitions using rings for pull-ups rather
than a fixed bar. Some people who have previously injured their shoulders and find it
difficult to do standard pull-ups find that they can use rings to do the exercise.
During a ring pull-up you will usually find that the rings rotate and your hand position
can change from more of an overhand, pull-up style grip into a underhand chin-up
position. Whatever feels most natural and enables you to safely complete full range
repetitions is recommended, but hand position will call different muscles into play.
When palms are facing you (the chin-up) it targets the biceps and lats more, whilst
palms away from you (the pull-up) will focus more upon upper back muscles.
It's also worth noting that the rings distance apart will determine the difficulty and
targeted muscle area also. The greater the distance between the rings, the wider the
grip, which focuses effort on the lat muscles, whilst a narrower grip works the middle
back.
Beginning Ring Pull-ups
The ring pull-up is not an easy exercise and many people can't do one full repetition.
Here are some techniques to help develop the necessary strength.
Assisted pull-ups
One technique is assisted pull-up's - in which additional equipment is used to support a
portion of your body weight and help make the exercise more achievable, yet still
challenging. As you gain strength you can gradually work your way up to performing the
exercise unaided, using full body weight.
This can be as simple as using a box, chair or bench for leg assisted pull-ups by placing
the object underneath the rings and supporting one foot (or two for additional help) on
the platform. As you lift yourself, straighten the supported leg for assistance, using as
little assistance as possible.
Negative pull-ups
Another option to work up to full ring pull-ups is to specifically train the negative
(lowering) portion of the exercise. Stand on a bench (or jump into the exercise) to get to
the top of the movement and simply lower yourself down as slow as possible to help
build the muscles required for the full pull-up.
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Ring Pull-up
Intermediate
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Ring Row
Try practicing the Ring Body Row, an exercise which uses similar muscles to the pull-up
but is much easier to do.
Advanced Ring Pull-ups
When you're performing 15+ pull-ups it's time to start considering advanced techniques.
Weighted ring pull-ups
Adding more weight to bodyweight exercises can help you develop phenomenal strength
but should only be attempted when proficient with the non-weighted versions. You
should always start out adding small amounts of weight and increment as you get
stronger.
Weighted vest pull-ups
Dipping belt pull-ups
Dumbbel / medicine ball pulll-ups
Advancing to the Muscle-up
A natural progression from the ring pull-up is the muscle-up.
The muscle-up is an awesome upper-body exercise that begins as a pull-up exercise and
ends with your body being above the rings.
See the full muscle up guide in the Fitstream exercise directory.
Ring pull-up variations
A Wide ring pull-ups / Narrow ring pull-ups: Adjusting the distance your hands are placed
from one another changes the muscles targeted during the exercise.
B Muscle-up: Half pull-up, half dip, double the intensity. A great exercise to progress onto
when you've mastered the standard pull-up.
C One-arm ring pull-ups: For the seriously strong, single-arm pull-up training! This is a feat
that few ever acheive.
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Intermediate
One-Arm Ring Row
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The one-arm ring row is an ideal upper-body
exercise if you've mastered the standard ring
row and are looking for the next progression.
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Primary Muscle Biceps
Secondary Muscle(s) Back
Difficulty
Intermediate
Also known as Single-Arm Ring Row
How to
1 Set the rings to the appropriate height (the lower the rings the more difficult the exercise).
2 Grip the ring with one arm and lean back until your arm is stright. Alternatively, you can grip
both rings but only use one arm during the exercise, and the other for support.
3 Keep your body as straight as possible and pull your chest up towards the rings as high as
you can.
4 Pause briefly at the top of the exercise and then slowly lower yourself back down to the
starting position. That is one full repetition.
5 Finish the set then swap arms and repeat.
Notes:
As you become stronger lower the rings to increase the difficulty of the exercise.
You will probably notice that your body is difficult to control and sways during the exercise,
as you develop this should be minimised.
Guide
The one arm ring row is an advanced variation on the standard ring row. An excellent
progression exercise for anyone who is comfortable with the basic version and will
develop solid strength in the arms and upper back muscles.
Beginning the One Arm Ring Row
If you find have progressed from the standard ring row but are finding the leap difficult
to the single arm version try setting the rings high. The higher the rings are the easier
the exercise.
Advanced One-Arm Ring Row
To increase the difficulty of the One-Arm Ring Row try raising feet on a platform or
bench, or adding additional weight using a weighted vest.
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Bulgarian Pull-ups
Intermediate
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The Bulgarian Pull-up is a variation on the
standard pull-up exercise using gymnastics
rings. It is often used in gymnastics when
learning the iron cross.
Primary Muscle Back
Secondary Muscle(s) Biceps
Difficulty
Intermediate
Also known as Wide grip ring pull-up
How to
1 Set the height of the rings so that the feet will not touch the ground.
2 Grip the rings in a dead hang position.
3 Pull youself up toward the rings like a normal pullup but as you rise, slowly spread the hands
out so that the upper arms forms right angles with the torso and forearm.
4 At the top of the exercise your palms should be facing each other and arms spread as far
apart as possible.
5 Pause briefly before you slowly lowering back down.
Notes:
Keep the movement slow and controlled avoiding jerky movements.
Minimise any rocking or swaying movements.
Guide
The Bulgarian pull-up is performed on rings and is a more difficult variation on the
standard pull-up exercise except the arms are flared out to the sides when ascending.
This is a popular gymnastics exercise when training for the iron cross as it places a
greater emphasis on development of the shoulder girdle and surrounding musculature.
Beginning Bulgarian Pull-ups
You should be proficient with normal ring pull-ups before progressing to Bulgarian
pull-ups.
Advanced Bulgarian Pull-ups
To increase the difficulty of Bulgarian pull-ups you can:
Introduce additional weight using a weighted vest, dip belt or rucksack.
Perform the exercise in an L-sit position.
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Ring Dips
Intermediate
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A fundamental gym rings exercise and
popular bodyweight movement - rings dips
develop excellent triceps and shoulder
flexibility.
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Primary Muscle Triceps
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Secondary Muscle(s) Shoulders, Chest
Difficulty
Intermediate
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Also known as Dips on rings
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How to
1 Adjust the height of the rings so that your feet will not touch the ground between
repetitions.
2 Mount the rings and assume the support position. You should be above the rings, arms
straight, supporting your body weight.
3 Lower your body down by bending at the elbows and keeping shoulders close to your
sides. Keep the movement steady and controlled. If possible, continue down until your
shoulders almost touch your hands for a full range of motion.
4 Press your body back to the original starting position.
Notes:
Leg position can be bent, crossed or straight during the exercise.
Guide
Performing dips on gymnastic rings adds instability to the exercise due to the free
movement of the rings and increases muscular recruitment to help support the body.
This not only makes ring dips more difficult and rewarding than standard dips, but also
safer, as the joints are free to track naturally as the rings rotate.
Ring Dips for Beginners
Many people find the ring dip difficult, if not unachievable, when just starting out. It's
recommend that you first master the support position, which is essentially the
starting position of a ring dip.
The support position involves holding your body weight whilst stationary above the
rings, arms straight. When you can hold this for over twenty seconds try introducing
partial dips and gradually increase the range of motion as you get stronger until you
can do full dips.
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Ring Dips
Intermediate
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Assisted ring dip techniques
Assistance exercise involve the use of additional equipment to carry some of your body
weight and make the exercise more challenging, yet achievable.
You can do this with leg assisted ring dips and position a bench below the rings to
support one or two legs during the exercise, or with resistance bands to build up the
strength to performing the dips unaided.
Guide
Performing dips on gymnastic rings adds instability to the exercise due to the free
movement of the rings and increases muscular recruitment to help support the body.
This not only makes ring dips more difficult and rewarding than standard dips, but also
safer, as the joints are free to track naturally as the rings rotate.
Advanced Ring Dips-Weighted ring dips
Adding additional weight to your ring dips is a very effective way of increasing the
exercise intensity and to maximise development. Please note that weighted ring dips
should only be attempted when fully competent with standard dips (performing at
least 12 unassisted BW dips), and you should start small and incrementally add
weight.
Try the following ways of adding weight to your ring dips:
A weighted vest is a simple and versatile way of adding weight to ring dips. The great
thing about weighted vests is that they're comfortable and evenly distribute the
weight over your body.
A dipping belt can be used to attach weight plates to your waist and control the
amount of added resistance.
Try holding a dumbbell or medicine ball between your feet or legs for added weight,
but this is only usually possible for lighter weights as it can become uncomfortable
and unwieldy.
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Intermediate
Ring Fly
The Ring Fly exercise using gymnastic rings
is an excellent bodyweight movement for
chest and shoulder development.
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Primary Muscle Chest
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Secondary Muscle(s) Biceps, Shoulders, Abdominals
Difficulty
Intermediate
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Also known as Ring Flye
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How to
Whilst standing on the ground or a stable platform grasp a set of gymnastics rings.
Begin the fly movement by getting into the top of the ring push-up position, arms
straight in front of you.
Lower the torso to the ground by flaring the arms out to the side (with a slight bend at
the elbow), keeping the movement slow and controlled.
Lower yourself as far as you can and hold the exercise at the bottom momentarily.
Squeeze your arms back together slowly to return to the starting position.
Note:
Maintain core tension throughout the exercise.
Ring Fly Guide
The Ring Fly is a powerful upper-body exercise using gymnastics rings, which sees you
steadily arc your arms out to the sides whilst maintaing static at the elbow joint.
The Ring Fly is particularly effective at building strength in the chest and shoulders but
also targets the biceps and core body muscles. You should really feel a good solid
stretch in the chest muscles during this exercise and use a slow and controlled
movement.
Advanced Ring Flys
The lower the rings are to the ground the more difficult the exercise becomes. Set the
ring height according to your strength and fitness levels.
Lower your chest closer to the ground as you gain in strength. Once you can't get any
closer you can increase the difficulty of the exercise by raising the feet using a
platform, bench or plyo-box.
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Intermediate
Ring Rollout
Ring rollouts are an excellent abdominal
exercise, that generate an incredible amount
of muscular tension.
Primary Muscle Abdominals
Secondary Muscle(s) Shoulders
Difficulty
Intermediate
Also known as Ring Rolls
How to
1 Grip the gymnastics rings with hands just wider than shoulder-width apart in a ring push-up position.
2 Slowly push yourself forward in a controlled rollout, stretching out the torso as far as you can
without compromising form.
3 Stop when fully stretched and pause for a moment.
4 Return to the starting position and repeat.
Guide
The ring rollout is an excellent core body exercise and places particular emphasis on developing
strong, lean abdominal muscles. The exercise generates a great deal of tension in the body and
requires impressive strength to control.
It's a very similar exercise to ab rollouts, using the basic ab wheel except you have greater control
of your path of motion, of the exercise difficulty, and your shoulders aren't restricted by the
narrow-handle grip required for ab wheels.
Beginning the Ring Rollout
The ring rollout is a challenging exercise. If you're just starting out and struggling with the required
strength or form you can try the following approaches:
Perform the ring rollout from a kneeling position rather than standing
Adjust the rings so that they're higher from the ground and the angle of the rollout is less severe.
Continue to lower the rings as you gain strength.
Advanced Ring Rollouts
When you've got to grips with the standard ring rollout and looking to add that extra
intensity you can progress using the following techniques:
Continue to lower the rings until they're as close to the ground as possible.
Add resistance using a weighted vest.
Perform one-arm rollouts
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Ring L-Sit
Advanced
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The Ring L-Sit is a static strength hold
performed on gymnastics rings that intensely
trains the abs and core body.
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Primary Muscle Abdominals
Secondary Muscle(s) Triceps
Difficulty
Advanced
Also known as Ring L-Seat,
L-Hang, L-Hold,
L-Position
How to
1 Set the rings or bars to the appropriate height so that your legs won't touch the floor
2 Assume the support position, supporting your body weight
3 Raise your legs out in front of you, keep them straight and try to hold them parallel to the ground.
Your body should form the shape of a letter 'L'
4 Maintain the hold as long as possible (under good form)
Notes:
Throughout the exercise keep your torso straight, legs together, and shoulders relaxed.
Minimise any rocking or swaying movements.
Practice the false grip pull-up to strengthen your wrists and prepare for the muscle-up.
Guide
The L-sit is a staple gymnastics exercise that involves supporting yourself on
gymnastic / fitness rings with the legs bent at a 90 degree angle to the torso, so that
the body forms an 'L' shape.
This sounds easier than many find in practice! For the beginner, this hold is going to
take some work, but once you're competent with the L-sit (see L-sit goals section
below) you will have built an extremely strong core that makes most common ab
exercises seem easy!
The L-sit is an excellent core body strength hold that will develop the abdominals,
adding overall muscular density without too much muscle mass. In addition to working
the abs the exercise will develop strength and endurance in the hips and triceps too.
Using rings for the l-sit adds in the element of instability and forces the core to work
that little bit harder.
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Ring L-Sit
Advanced
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Beginning the L-Sit
If you're new to the L-sit you will most likely find it difficult to sustain. You can work up to a full
straight legged L Sit using the following techniques:
Train your tuck sit (both legs tucked up to your chest and held).
Train the abs using knee raises to develop your strength, these can be done on rings, simply support
your body weight and raise the knees up to the chest, hold, then return.
Use resistance bands to support the weight of the legs.
Practice! Practice the L-sit with bent knees and try to keep the thighs level, to make it easier. As you
become stronger through this hold you can incrementally straighten your legs.
Some people find the hanging L sit easier to do; this is where you hand below the rings rather than
your arms supporting your body weight above the rings.
One-leg extended L-sits, and alternate legs until you build up strength to perform the exercise with
both legs simultaneously.
Advanced Ring L-Sits
Weighted L-sits - perform the L-sit with ankle weights. Please take care doing this as it
may place strain on the lower back.
L-sit scissor - get in position, open and close the legs in a scissor like motion.
V-sit - A truly difficult exercise. Work on raising the straight legs past horizontal and
further towards the face.
L Hangs - performing the L-Sit hold in a hanging position
L-Sit Progression Goals
When developing your L-sit a common goal is to work torwards a three minute hold in
increments of 30 seconds each set (comprising 6 sets) - 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180
seconds.
When you reach this goal you will have developed excellent abdominal strength.
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Ring Muscle-up
1
1
Advanced
8
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Performing the muscle-up using gymnastics
rings.
1
2
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6
7
Primary Muscle Back
-
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Secondary Muscle(s) Biceps, Shoulders, Triceps
7
8
-
Difficulty
-
Advanced
8
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Also known as Muscle-up
3
4
How to do the ring Muscle-up with false grip
1 Hold the rings with a false grip position (described below).
2 Pull yourself up to the rings (see image 2).
3 Now you need to do the transition and at the top of the pull-up bring your whole upper body over
the rings. Move your shoulders over your hands, the elbows should curve round to your ribs and
then back behind the body.(see image 3).
4 Your body should be above the rings and you can press yourself up into the support position.
(see image 4).
5 Dip back down and reverse the exercise, returning to the start position. Repeat.
How to do the ring Muscle-up without false grip
1 Grip the rings and hang freely below them, supporting your body weight.(see image 1).
2 Pull yourself up to the rings.(see image 2).
3 The aim here is to generate just enough power so that you can hoist yourself above the rings. At
the top of the pull-up kick out with your feet or knees, lean forward at the waist and thrust yourself
up and over the rings into the dip positon.(see image 3).
4 Press yourself up into the support position.(see image 4).
5 Dip back down and reverse the exercise, returning to the start position. Repeat.
Notes:
A highly effective and challenging exercise - the ring muscle-up is essentially composed of three
parts, a pull-up, transition motion and ring dip.
The transition is the most difficult part and you should master the false grip to achieve it.
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Ring Muscle-up
1
Advanced
8
2
-
1
2
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-
6
7
-
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7
8
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8
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Guide
3
4
The ring muscle-up is an incredible upper-body exercise and demonstration of both strength and
technique. The ability to start below the rings and finish above them in one movement is an
acquired skill that on average, few can perform.
The muscle-up is a notoriously difficult exercise to master and a firm favourite in the CrossFit
gym, essentially combining a pull-up and dip into one flowing movement. It requires the
coordinated effort of almost all upper body muscles with focus upon the pecs, shoulders and
triceps and will take dedicated training to achieve.
That being said it's a great challenge to set yourself, shows a tremendous level of
strength-to-bodyweight and is a highly impressive functional movement.
Training for the muscle-up
Much of the muscle-up is about technique rather than pure strength and here are some
pointers to help you on your way. Muscle-ups are essentially composed of:
Pull-up
Transition
Dip
You should start by mastering the ring pull-up and dip exercises individually and then work on
combining the two into a muscle-up.
The transition is the most difficult part of the exercise and is the part where you move from the
top of the pull-up, below the rings to above them so you can press the body up to the support
position.
As you pull-up the rings will reach your armpits. Keep the rings tight to the body and continue
the upward motion whilst rolling your shoulders forward and over the hands. Your elbows will
curve round and back behind the body. To do this, you should learn what is known as a false
grip (shown below).
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Life Meets Fitness
Ring Muscle-up
1
Advanced
8
3
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1
2
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-
6
7
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7
8
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8
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The false grip
3
4
The false grip is a different way of positioning your hands on the rings which allow you to more
easily move between the stages of the muscle-up.
Standad grip
False grip
The hands should be moved upwards, so that they sit on the rings at the bottom of the palms
and wrists, rather than the hands and fingers. This will take some practice if you are new to
the false grip. You can begin by using this technique on pull-ups or body rows first to build up
the wrist strength. With the wrists above the rings you should have the leverage for the
transition.
You don't have to use the false grip for the muscle-up, but for beginners this approach makes it
much easier and without it you'll need to swing or kick your way above the rings (kipping). If you
are using the kipping technique for the muscle-up it's recommended that you try to phase this
out as you become stronger over time to perform a strict muscle-up.
Muscle-up Tips
Muscle-up jumps - Lower the height of the rings, use the ground as a starting position and
jump into the exercise. As you get stronger raise the rings higher and higher until you no
longer need to exploit the momentum of the jump.
Leg assisted muscle-up - Supporting one or two (easier) feet on a box or bench can be quite
effective and reduces the amount of body weight being used during the exercise.
Band assisted muscle-up - similar to the leg assists, resistance bands are a great way of
supporting some of your bodyweight to make the exercise more achievable. Use lighter
bands, or lengthen the bands as you become stronger.
Practice weighted pull-ups and dips to develop phenomenal strength that will really help
when training for the muscle-up.
Use the legs to get up-and-over the rings (kipping technique) by kicking or swinging out to
gain extra momentum. Try to phase this out over time as you gain in strength.
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Advanced
Ring Handstand
3
-
The Ring Handstand exercise is an advanced
gymnastics strength hold on gym rings.
-
5
-
6
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Primary Muscle Shoulders
7
Secondary Muscle(s) Arms, Back, Chest
Difficulty
Advanced
-
Also known as Freestanding Ring Handstand
9
-
Guide
Please note that the ring handstand is an advanced and potentially dangerous exercise
for the non-gymnast. You should not even attempt this movement until experienced in
fundamental gymnastics strength skills and highly proficient with the freestanding floor
handstand.
The unstable nature of the rings makes this an incredibly difficult move to hold. It
demands a considerable amount of strength, balance and agility.
Learning the Ring Handstand
Ground-based handstands alone are difficult exercises to master and can take many
months to develop, let alone transitioning to gymnastics rings. The exercise requires
patience and practice.
It is highly recommended that you first learn an unassisted handstand on the floor, then
master this on the parallettes and finally progress onto the rings.
When you're ready to progress to the ring handstand, at first ensure that the rings are
lowered close to the floor and kick yourself up into the handstand hold. You can wrap
the straps of the rings around your feet in the position as a means of additional support
whilst building up strength.
Once comfortable with the above you can try raising the rings and entering the
movement from a support position start.
Notes:
Maintain form and positioning at all times, keeping the body as straight and tight as
possible.
Keep legs together with toes pointed to ceiling.
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