12 Best Calisthenics Ring Exercises: Fundamental, Compound & Isolation

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:

  • Our list of the best calisthenics ring exercises
  • Explanation on how to do the exercises
  • Sample ring workouts

Let's get started.

List of the best calisthenics ring exercises

  • Push-up ring support hold
  • Ring dip support hold
  • Ring dip
  • Ring push-up
  • Ring chest fly
  • Ring chin-up
  • Ring bodyweight row
  • Ring rear delt fly
  • Pelican curl eccentric
  • Ring curl
  • Ring triceps dip
  • Ring triceps extension

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:

  • Keep your arms locked
  • Squeeze your glutes to flatten your lower back

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:

  • Keep an upright position and arms close to the body
  • Have your elbows locked throughout the exercise
  • Keep your scapula depressed (away from the ears)

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:

  • Keep your shoulder blades down throughout the entire movement
  • In the top position lock the elbows and turn your wrists to the outside
  • Go down to 90-degrees or lower

How to progress with ring dips:

  • Do variations like the Bulgarian ring dip or Archer ring dip
  • Add extra weight to your body

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:

  • Keep your lower back flat by squeezing your glutes
  • Lower until your chest is in line with your hands or lower
  • In the top position lock the elbows and turn your wrists to the outsider

How to progress with ring push-ups:

  • Do progressions like Bulgarian ring push-ups or Archer ring push-ups
  • Add extra weight to your body

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:

  • Keep your elbows within the scapula plane - a.k.a. below your shoulders
  • Lower until just about a 90-degrees angle in your elbows
  • Keep the elbows slightly bent throughout the entire movement
  • In the top position squeeze the chest by trying to bring the elbows together

How to progress with ring chest flys:

  • Decrease the distance between your body and the ground
  • Add weight to your body
  • Elevate your feet once you can't lower the rings anymore

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:

  • In the top position have your chin over your hands
  • Keep your shoulder blades down throughout the movement
  • Fully lock the elbows in the bottom position

How to progress with ring chin-ups:

  • Add weight to your body
  • Do mantle chin-ups, where one ring is lower than the other
  • Train the one arm chin-up

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:

  • Keep a straight line from your heels to your shoulders
  • Pull with the intent of bringing your elbows back
  • Lower until your arms are fully locked

How to progress with ring bodyweight rows:

  • Add weight to your body
  • Do archer bodyweight rows, or one arm 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:

  • Bring your shoulder blades together in the point of maximum contraction
  • Have the elbows slightly bent when you pull
  • Fully extend your arms in the bottom position

How to progress with ring bodyweight rows:

  • Bring your body closer to the ground
  • Use a weighted vest

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:

  • Use a false grip
  • Keep the elbows close to the body
  • In the bottom position have your elbows straight
  • Control the movement

How to progress with pelican curls eccentrics:

  • Use a weighted vest
  • Get closer to the ground
  • Start doing the complete movement, not just the eccentric

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:

  • Squeeze the biceps as hard as you can in the top position
  • Keep your elbow ever so slightly bent in the bottom position to keep the biceps from relaxing

How to progress with ring curls:

  • Use a weighted vest to increase the intensity
  • As you get stronger bring your body closer to the ground

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:

  • Keep your shoulder blades pinched together
  • Have an upright position
  • Lower until 90 degrees

How to progress with ring triceps dips:

  • Extend your legs instead of having bent knees
  • Elevate your feet
  • Use a weighted vest

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:

  • Tuck your elbows close to the body
  • Keep the plank position throughout the movement
  • Don't let your back to arch

How to progress with ring triceps extensions:

  • Use a weighted vest
  • Work closer to the ground
  • Once you can't set the rings any lower, elevate your feet to keep progressing

Gymnastics rings workout

Athlete doing ring dips, one of the best calisthenics ring exercises

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.