Intermediate Gym Ring Exercises

Investing in a pair of gym rings opens you up to a new world of exercise possibilities. Most people, however, are quite limited in their gym ring choices. In this article, I’ll present a 20-minute gym ring exercise that will provide the versatility, challenge and intensity potential you need to get some serious results.

About the Workout

If you have access to outdoor bars or another secure upright to affix your gym rings to, I strongly recommend performing your intermediate level gym ring workout outdoors. This workout is to be performed in circuit manner, where you move from one exercise to the next with no rest. It is designed for a combination of strength gain, hypertrophy and fat loss. 

There are six exercises in this circuit. Once you have done the six moves in a row, take a two minute break before going through the circuit again. Rather than being done for reps, you perform each of the exercises for 30 seconds. The only piece of equipment you will need in addition to your rings is an interval timer. There are plenty of apps that you can add to your phone that will provide this function for you.

This workout can be done 3 times per week on alternate days.

The Exercises:

Ring Pull Ups

1. Hang from the pull up rings with an overhand grip and your feet crossed over. Depress your shoulder and lift your chest. 
2. Pull through the lats to lift your body up to full extension. Contract the lats in the top position.
3. Lower under control to full extension.

Notes

Performing the pull up on the rings is harder that on a fixed bar due to the instability of the movement. You goal here is to perform pull ups continuously for 30 seconds. If you are unable to do so, you can rest for a few seconds on the ground once reaching failure - limit that rest to 7 seconds, however.

Inverse Row

1. Position the rings so that they are sitting just a little higher than waist level.
2. Grab the handles and hang underneath the rings with your feet on the ground. This should have your body at about a 30-degree angle.
3. Tense your core and makes ure that your body forms a straight line. Depress your shoulders and lift your chest.
4. Row your body up to the top position. Lower under control and repeat.

Ring Roll Out

1. Position the rings so that they are sitting a little higher than waist level.
2. Grab the handles in an overhand grip with your straightened arms down in front of your body.
3. Maintaining a tight core and keep your body straight, tilt forward slowly until your arms are out in front to full extension.
4. Keeping a tight core, and with straight arms pull yourself back to the start position. 

Ring Dip

1. Position the rings at about waist level. Grab the rings with and overhand grip and push through your hands to bring your body above the rings. Straighten your arms and cross over your feet.
2. Now, keeping your elbows tucked in, lower yourself down to full elbow bend. 
3. Push through the triceps ot return to the start position.

Ring Push Ups

1. Position the rings at waist level.
2. Grab the handles in an overhand grip with your straightened arms down in front of your body.
3. Bend the elbows as you bring your torso in toward the rings. In the bottom push up position, the handles should be at the level of your armpits.
4. Push back through the chest and triceps tp return to the start position. 

Ring Flyes

1. Position the rings at waist level.
2. Grab the handles in an overhand grip with your straightened arms down in front of your body.
3. Now move your arms apart to stretch your chest and lower your torso forward. Continue until your reach full pectoral stretch.
4. Slowly reverse the movement to return to the start position.

Summary

Perform this six exercise gym ring workout for 6 weeks. If, as you get stronger, it gets too easy to perform any of the exercises for 30 seconds, increase the time to 40 seconds. The workout should be done 3 times per week on alternate days. On 2-3 other days of the week perform calisthenics and plyometric exercises to deliver a complete, holistic workout experience.