;)
In this article, we will present a list of the most essential calisthenics ring exercises if you want to master the gymnastics rings.
Gymnastics rings are the perfect tool for calisthenics athletes who want to get stronger, more muscular, or add variety to their training. Furthermore, they can help you target certain muscles you couldn't train otherwise without using free weights.
Keep reading to learn:
Let's get started.
List of the best calisthenics ring exercises
12 Calisthenics ring exercises for muscle mass and strength
In this part of the article we will have a more in-depth look at the calisthenics ring exercises in the list above.
You will learn how to properly do the exercises, how to make them more difficult, and the muscles they work.
Push-up ring support hold
With this exercise you will condition your joints for more difficult calisthenics ring exercises down the line.
If you are a total beginner with calisthenics on gymnastics rings, we recommend you to start from this level. Do this exercise at the end of your workout three times per week until you can hold a single set of 30 seconds.
RELATED: Check our article on calisthenics vs gymnastics.
Once you can do that, you can progress to the next level.
How to do push-up ring support hold correctly:
Once you can hold this position for 1 set of 30 seconds, progress by doing the rings turned out version of the exercise. To do it, hold the same position but this time turn your wrists to the outside.
This small change will prepare your biceps tendon even further.
Ring dip support hold
The ring dip support hold is the next step after the push-up ring support hold.
Mastering this skill is essential if you want to use gymnastics rings to their fullest potential. Most exercises will require a strong support hold and well conditioned bicep tendons. Fortunately, a byproduct of getting stronger in the ring dip support hold is a stronger biceps tendon.
Once you can hold the position for one set of 30 seconds, you can progress to the next level.
How to do ring dip support hold correctly:
Similar to the push-up variation, once you can do this one for 1 set of 30 seconds, make it harder by turning your wrists out and building again to 1 set of 30 seconds.
Ring dip
The ring dip is one of the best compound chest exercises done with the rings.
Once you have the ring support hold you can start implementing ring dips into your training. Just like regular dips, this variation targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders. However, due to the instability element of rings, they will force different stabilizer muscles to work harder.
You should expect soreness the first couple of times you do these.
How to do ring dips correctly:
How to progress with ring dips:
Ring push-up
The ring push-up is a more difficult variation of the regular push-up.
Due to the instability of gymnastics rings, the ring push-up will demand more strength and stability from your muscles. Just like most calisthenics pushing exercises, this one will target the chest, triceps, and shoulders.
How to do ring push-ups correctly:
How to progress with ring push-ups:
Ring chest fly
With the ring chest fly you can mimic the cable or dumbbell chest flys.
One of the most difficult aspects of calisthenics is targeting different muscle groups. Thanks to gymnastics rings and exercises like the ring chest fly, you can add extra workout volume to your chest without fatiguing your triceps and shoulders as much as with a push-up or dip.
How to do ring ring chest flys correctly:
How to progress with ring chest flys:
Ring chin-up
The ring chin-up is one of the best calisthenics ring exercises for your back.
Given that gymnastics rings are not fixed, you will start with a pronated grip - the same grip you would use for a pull-up. As you pull yourself up, your wrists will naturally turn and the exercise will morph into a chin-up (the palms are facing you).
Mastering this exercise will pave the way for the one arm chin-up.
How to do ring chin-ups correctly:
How to progress with ring chin-ups:
Ring bodyweight row
The bodyweight row is the main rowing exercise in calisthenics.
There is not much difference between the ring and bar variation of the bodyweight row. With rings, you have the added advantage that you can micro-adjust the height, your joints can move in a comfortable way to avoid pain, and you can more easily do unilateral exercises.
How to do ring bodyweight rows correctly:
How to progress with ring bodyweight rows:
Ring rear delt fly
The ring rear delt fly is an excellent ring exercise for your posterior deltoid.
As mentioned above, it is pretty difficult to isolate certain muscles with calisthenics. This is all the more true when it comes to a muscle like the rear deltoid. However, with the help of gymnastics rings you can get over this hiccup and get a muscular and aesthetically pleasing back.
The higher the rings, the easier the exercise, and vice versa.
How to do ring rear delt flys correctly:
How to progress with ring bodyweight rows:
Pelican curl eccentric
The pelican curl eccentric is an outstanding calisthenics ring exercises for isolating the biceps.
Being an eccentric exercise, you will only do the negative phase, then reset your position and repeat for the desired number of reps. Adjust the height of the rings to make the intensity appropriate for doing negatives only.
We are stronger in the negative part of an exercise. (1)
Therefore, we recommend you to set a higher intensity than for a regular curling exercise.
How to do pelican curls eccentrics correctly:
How to progress with pelican curls eccentrics:
Ring curl
The ring bodyweight curl is yet another essential ring exercise for your biceps training.
What we love about this exercise is that you can manipulate its intensity with ease, making it ideal for beginners, intermediate, and advanced athletes. Although you can do this exercise on a bar too, we recommend you to use gymnastics rings for more freedom of movement.
How to do ring curls correctly:
How to progress with ring curls:
Ring triceps dip
If you want to get bigger triceps, then this ring exercise is exactly what you need.
The ring triceps dip is the ring version of bench dips. However, as with all exercises that involve gymnastics rings, you will work a lot harder to stabilize the movement. This way, your muscles will have to get stronger and bigger to put up with the increased demand.
Ring triceps dips were also included in our calisthenics triceps workout.
How to do ring triceps dips correctly:
How to progress with ring triceps dips:
Ring triceps extension
If you are looking for triceps development in all three heads, then the triceps extension should be part of your workout.
Being that the intensity of the exercise is determined by the height of the rings, it is suitable for both novices and professional athletes. Aside from the triceps, the triceps extension also works the core, because it requires you to be in an anti-extension position for a prolonged period of time.
Therefore, it benefits your training in multiple areas.
How to do ring triceps extensions correctly:
How to progress with ring triceps extensions:
Gymnastics rings workout
If you don't know where to start with all these calisthenics ring exercises, we will give you a helping hand. Below you will find two gymnastic rings workouts: one for the push day, the other for the pull day - or the back workout.
Ring push workout
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
Ring dip | 3 - 4 | 6 -8 | 1:30 |
Ring push-up | 3 - 4 | 8 - 10 | 1 |
Ring chest fly | 3 | 8 - 10 | 1 |
Pike push-up | 3 | 6 - 8 | 1:30 |
Triceps dip | 3 | 6 - 10 | 1 |
Ring triceps extension | 3 | 8 - 12 | 1 |
Ring pull workout
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
Chin-up | 3 - 4 | 8 -10 | 1:30 |
Ring bodyweight row | 3 - 4 | 10 - 15 | 1 |
Ring rear delt fly | 3 | 10 - 15 | 1 |
Pelican curl negative | 3 | 5 - 8 | 2 |
Ring curl | 3 | 8 - 10 | 1 |
Conclusion
This was our take on the most essential calisthenics ring exercises.
However, remember that these exercises are not all there is to gymnastics rings. There are dozens of exercises and exercise variations that you can train with rings. This is just scratching the surface.
However, if you are a beginner, they are a great starting point.
Over to you.
