In this article, we will look into how you can use your gymnastic rings at home to create intense workouts for all levels.
I have created 3 workouts, in beginner, intermediate, and advanced difficulties, that you can write down, and use for yourself, as well as a short recap on how you can set up an anchor point for your rings at home.
A word on gymnastic rings
First and foremost, I think it’s fair to say that as simple as a wooden circle attached to a strap may be, they are one of the most versatile pieces of equipment that exist. Setting them up takes no more than 60 seconds, and they can be anchored pretty much anywhere solid enough to support your weight. They are completely adjustable and therefore one can use that to adapt every exercises to his/her own difficulty level.
One can increase the difficulty of bodyweight exercises almost infinitely, so gymnastic rings will always prove to be a challenge to use, and keep you progressing no matter what level of training you are at.
If you want to perform a full upper body workout, complete with different variations of pull ups, push ups, rows, dips, muscle ups, and more, you can do them all in one spot and with the same tool. Lastly, with their sleek and lightweight build, they take up little space in a backpack or luggage, and can prove to be a very useful workout tool to take with you when you travel.
Setting them up inside
After having properly determined the amount of space you will need and have, you can start looking at different options to hang your gymnastic rings. One way (probably the simplest method) would be to hand them from a standard doorway pull up bar. This requires very little installation time and effort.
Another option would be to hang them from your ceiling. This will require some material and tools but is still very easy to do. You can read more about how to anchor you rings to your ceiling in this guide.
The workouts
Beginner Gymnastic Rings Workout
Ring dips superset with ring rows (feet on floor)
3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions
Pike push ups superset with ring wide grip pull ups
3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions
Ring curl feet on floor superset with ring tricep extension
3 sets of 10 repetitions
Intermediate Gymnastic Rings Workout
RTO dips superset with rings rows (feet elevated)
3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions
Elevated pike push ups superset with L-sit pull ups
3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions
Ring curl feet on floor superset with ring tricep extension
3 sets of 10 repetitions
Advanced Gymnastic Rings Workout
RTO dips superset with single arm rows
3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions
Handstand push ups superset with archer L-sit pull ups
3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions
Ring curl feet elevated superset with ring tricep extension
3 sets of 10 repetitions
Rest times can vary, but for each workout, at least 1 to 3 minutes of rest are recommended for the first two supersets, with less than that for the last superset, containing the accessory exercises (bicep curls and tricep extensions).
Of course even the beginner workout itself provides some challenge as it is performed almost entirely on rings. This means that one should already have built up their level of strength to some degree before jumping into these routines.
Gymnastic rings at home – Conclusion
Now that you know how to hand your gymnastic rings indoors, and have access to these 3 practical workouts, which workout are you going to try? You could also take your rings to the gym, and mix the above mentioned exercises with weight training, creating a hybrid routine for the best of both worlds!