Top 4 Beginners' Workouts To Try With Gymnastic Rings

If you have ever watched a men's gymnastic competition, you know how physically demanding the rings must be. You also can see how effective gymnastic rings and the other apparatus can be at building up a body that is not only aesthetically impressive but also functional. Gymnasts are often cited as athletes having the best overall physique. 

While gymnasts have competed on the rings for years, others are now starting to take advantage of the many benefits they have to offer as exercise equipment. Athletes competing in all different sports, as well as fitness enthusiasts trying to increase muscle mass, have all started to incorporate ring exercises into their regular workout routines. Incidentally, while only male gymnasts compete on the rings, all athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness enthusiasts can benefit from working out on them, regardless of gender. 

What Are the Benefits of Working Out With Gymnastic Rings?

The rings are a simple type of exercise equipment. They essentially consist of two strong wooden circles connected to two durable straps. This makes them very versatile, as they can be hung virtually anywhere, inside or outside. They are affordable, typically costing about $50, and because of the many different workouts you can perform with them, they offer great value. Because they are lightweight and portable, you can take them from place to place to vary your workout routine. 

An important aspect of changing your physique, as any bodybuilder can attest to, is the connection between the mind and the muscles. Because the rings do not have the stability of a bar, they require your concentration while using them, and maintaining this focus can help you achieve better results. Working out on the rings requires more effort than many other types of workout equipment demand because while you are pulling your body up to meet them, you also have to keep the rings stabilized. This extra effort is what produces the more desirable results. 

What Are the Top Workouts You Can Do With Gymnastic Rings?

Because the rings require so much additional effort, working out with them requires a gradual approach. You can't expect to jump on the rings and immediately start doing the acrobatic feats that you see in the Olympics. When you start working out with the rings, you probably need to keep your feet on the ground, at least at first. Don't worry; the rings can still provide a fantastic workout even before you get airborne, and with practice, you'll be able to start pulling your body up into the air. 

Start with these beginners' ring exercises to start building strength and muscle and learning how to stabilize yourself in the air. 

1. Biceps Curls

Some of the workouts you can do on the rings are similar to those you would do with other equipment. It helps to start with a familiar exercise while you get used to working with gymnastic rings. For the biceps curl, you hold onto the rings while resting your feet flat on the ground. Fully extend your arms so that you keep your body straight and tense. Turn your arms inward and use them to pull your body upward. Your toes go up too, but your heels stay on the ground. Biceps curls with rings become more difficult when you move your feet further from their attachment point. 

2. Ring Push-ups

Another exercise that can also be performed without the rings, you can make push-ups more challenging by lowering the rings. For this exercise, keep your toes on the ground as you would for regular push-ups but rest your hands on the rings rather than the ground. 

3. Assisted Ring Dips

For this exercise, keep your lower body in a plank position with your heels on the floor. Your hands grasp the rings to support your upper body, which is perpendicular to the ground. Your arms are fully extended at the top position. To move your body downward, bend your elbows backward rather than outward to approximately 90 degrees, then extend them again to push yourself back up. Hanging the rings higher puts more of your weight on your feet, making the exercise easier, while lowering them presents more of a challenge. 

4. Hanging Knee Raise

For this exercise, your feet stay off the ground. Adjust the height of the rings so that you can hang from them with your arms extended but your knees bent so that your shins and feet are parallel to the ground. While keeping your arms extended, pull your knees up to your chest so that your feet are approximately at the level of your hips, then lower your legs again. 

Once you have mastered the beginners' exercises and have learned to keep the gymnastic rings stable while working on them, you are ready to start working on exercises that elevate your body into the air. Start with the top position hold, in which you maintain a position perpendicular to the ground while holding yourself up with your arms extended. From this position, you can start working on ring dips, in which you raise and lower your body without the assistance of your feet on the floor, and tucks, in which you keep your upper body perpendicular to the floor while you bring your lower body up so that it is parallel to it, bending your body into an L-shape. 

Before you can do the exercises that involve elevating yourself into the air, you have to be able to keep your body still without swinging in the top position hold. This requires practice and discipline, but it helps if you keep your body directly over the rings. 

What Else Should You Know Before Training With Gymnastic Rings?

Before hanging your rings from any support, make sure that it is sturdy enough to hold your weight. A low-hanging limb of a tree might work, but smaller branches might not. When choosing a spot to work out with your rings, also make sure that you have sufficient clearance above, below, and on all sides to perform the necessary movements.