Gym Rings: Fun And Could Be Useful
Training without any gear, getting stronger, and building muscle is possible.
However, if you’re not on a budget or something else is going on, gymnastics rings might be useful.
An effective approach to calisthenics would be to utilize a wide variety of progressions. Our bodies are meant to do multiple things, from endurance to brute force(…hopefully never in a Wafflehouse). Therefore, training in this manner will provide the best benefits. High reps and low reps. Or in the case of any isometric high-intensity or low-intensity contractions.
Having a pair of gymnastics rings is a great way to accomplish this. Instead of relying on multiple boxes, chests, drawers, and horizontal bars(if you have a calisthenics park) for any upper-body pushing or pulling progressions, you have one tool that you can carry anywhere.
Since you can easily adjust the height of these things they are perfect for if you wish to perform calisthenics drop sets for the purposes of stacking on muscle.
For example, bang out a max/semi-max set of pull-ups and immediately switch over to jack knife pull-ups.
You can also transition from harder variation triceps extension to easier one’s.
But rings don’t have to be just for the upper body they can be for the lower body. I stumbled upon hamstring curls and same as any bodyweight movement they can be done either two-legged or one. Doing a few reps of the one legged kind my hamstrings were sore for days. I’ll have to lower the rep count next time.
Here is the two-legged version and I was fooling around with using a stool in this picture but it’s not necessary. Just bend at the knees and bring your butt to your calves. If you have rings you can put a decent amount of mass on your hamstrings without resorting to the Glute Ham Raise(GHR). The GHR is a tough movement however it requires some special equipment or some Sanford and Son/Macgyver contraption to be built to practice it. If it’s the tension you're after, why not a one-legged hamstring curls combined with contraction isometrics?
There’s just no limit to this stuff!!!
Gymnastics rings have their other uses as well. If you’ve been around my site for a bit you’ve probably seen me using these rings for overcoming isometrics.
If you have creativity there is no limit to the training approaches and gear you use to store up strength, strengthen your tendons, as well as build muscle.
Gymnastics rings are mostly for intermediate and advanced trainees but they can still be utilized by those new to working out. There just needs to be more attention on one’s stability during various movements.
In addition to this proper technique, as some may need a bit of practice before they execute a push-up. But luckily I have progressions for you…
I have some pictures of rings in here but keep in mind the majority of the stable upper-body pushing and pulling movements can be performed with rings.
One of the things I enjoy about minimalist style training is not only the freedom but the awareness of our own bodies it brings about. Not only can I work out anywhere and at any time the weeks, months, and years tell me something about my body I didn’t know before. With this knowledge, you can better achieve many things including strength absolute...
I got my gymnastics rings way back in 2015 off of Amazon and they’re still holding up. For something affordable and durable I can’t think of a better workout tool.
Thank you for stopping by and spending a few minutes out of your day.
Take care…
