Ring training guide

 What is ring training?

Gymnastic ring training for fitness is the ultimate bodyweight exercise method. It's incredibly challenging, fun to do and produces dramatic results.

It's any form of exercising with rings similar to that which professional gymnasts use, but purely for the intention of keeping in shape rather than pure gymnastics.

 The benefits of ring training:

• Functional training that builds superior upper body strength, balance and agility
• Promotes development of a lean, defined physique like a gymnast
• Develops high strength to size ratio
• Highly effective abdominal workout and excellent core workout
• Portable training method - all you need are rings!
• Scalable training with exercises suitable for beginners and experts
• Fun and novel training method and a good plateau buster
• Natural movements that are kind on the joints

The amount of strength and physical discipline required even to perform some of the most basic of exercises on rings is immense. You might be able to perform chin-ups and dips on a fixed station but on rings adds an element of instability which brings a different dimension to your training and pushes you that little bit further.

Ring training promotes development of a defined and athletic physique. Unnecessary bulk is counterproductive and training with rings creates a lean frame, forges a solid core and creates an efficient strength to size ratio. You just have to look at a typical gymnast to see the effects.

These gymnasts perform superhuman feats of strength on the rings and have the Olympic bodies to show for it, but the same principles they train with can be applied to those training for fitness. Those people that want to build strength, endurance, lasting muscle mass and want to have fun doing it.

Ring training is a great addition to an exercise routine. It won't develop an overly muscular frame, but a solid, well-rounded physique. A functional body that not only looks athletic but is also able to perform. It achieves this by using an integrated approach to exercise focusing on moves that work the muscles and joints together instead of in isolation.

Why is ring training so effective?

"It's challenging" - is the short answer. Although elite fitness and a strong, athletic body can't be built without physical challenge, effort, intensity and consistency. Despite clever marketing companies telling us otherwise.

It's the independent movement that makes the rings so difficult. As gymnastics rings are free to rotate and move side-to-side and up-and-down simultaneously, you are forced to stablise your body, bringing multiple supporting muscles into play and working the body in unison rather than isolation. Fighting the rings free movement and correcting the imbalance is incredibly effective. Contrast this with fixed apparatus like pull-up bars or frames and you will notice the exercises are worlds apart in difficulty.

This factor also means you are free to perform your exercises in the most natural position to you, meaning it's more comfortable and safer for your joints and usually resulting in a few extra repetitions where you would otherwise have reached failure sooner. The value of proper biomechanics should not be underestimated when working out.

 What exercises can you do on the rings?

Buying a set of gymnastics rings opens up a whole world of new exercises to you. They offer the element of instability to the staple exercises everyone is familiar with like pull-ups, dips, and push-ups but also allow you to try moves like the notorious muscle-up (a difficult pull-up/transition/dip combo exercise that will require some dedicated training to achieve).

Ring training beginners should try starting off with the ring support position (essentially just holding your bodyweight in a static position supported above the rings) and only then move on to trying more advanced moves. Some of these exercises look deceivingly easy!

Here are a couple of example exercise illustrations:

Exercise: Ring pull-up

Muscle: Primarily the lats, but also works the biceps and middle back

Exercise: Ring dips

Muscle: Primarily targets the triceps but also works the chest muscles.

You will find detailed ring training exercises complete with instructions, images and videos in the Fitstream exercise directory.

 What do you need for ring training?

All you really need are a set of gymnastic rings and somewhere to hang them.

If your rings are designed for fitness rather than gymnastics you will be able to fix the height adjustable straps in seconds to any overhead structure such as beams or rafters in your garage, via an eye-bolt in your home gym or for those that like to train outside - trees or climbing frames in the local park. Your workouts can go where you do.

The rings, a breakdown:

Gymnastics rings designed for fitness are usually made up of plastic or metal rings, straps that can be thread around your anchoring point, and a buckle to keep the rings suspended and allow you to adjust the height of the rings from the floor.

Unlike professional gymnastics rings, fitness rings are not usually designed for swinging or dismount exercises but intended for bodyweight exercises and the incredibly physically taxing process of manipulating your body from one position to another whilst being suspended above ground. Trust us, this is easier than it sounds.

If you are looking to buy gymnastics rings for fitness visit the Fitstream Store for a list of available rings to buy online with images, user reviews and recommendations.