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Bodyweight Minimalist gymnastic rings strength routine?

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tulpa

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Hello everyone. I'm a beginner that's looking for a simple strength training program centered around gymnastic rings (for the upper body at least). There seem to be some hypertrophy programs designed around gymnastic rings floating around online but I'm looking for something centered on strength. I don't have any strength goals in particular as I'm not an athlete or participate in any kind of organized sport, I just want to be relatively strong and I'd like to do it through gymnastic rings because I find them fun.

The most obvious option is to grab a pre-existing program and replace some of the exercises with ring ones. I'm not sure which program to do this with though, and if I should keep the program the same or account for the change. I have a pair of 20kg kettlebells available, could I do S&S but with something like ring dips instead of the TGU?
 
If you've never done rings before, you'll get plenty of strength work with almost any routine you pick because rings will feel really hard at first.

Just being able to do ring dips is going to require a lot of adaptations.

FWIW, I do ring work on my active rest / recovery days as a complement to weightlifting.

The most important thing when you're new to ring work is learning the proper form and progression. The strength will get built along with the technique.
 
I always recommend GMB for rings stuff. They are relaunching their Integral Strength program with a rings option. Also look up Antranik, Gymnastic Bodies, and Reddit's Bodyweight Fitness sub.

I agree with the above - rings are challenging and will be plenty of strength work. A lot of the "easier" looking stuff might seem hypertrophy-oriented, but it's important to train to condition your connective tissue.

When I did GMB's R1, I added in goblet squats and swings as per S&S. Worked great. I think dips will be good, but straight arm holds are essential, and of course you might as well be doing pulls on the rings too. If you get really into rings, you'll want to explore how versatile they are anyway. Linking together movements into routines is very fun and challenging.

Good luck!
 

Just do this routine using rings for the pull-ups, rows, dips and push-ups. To get the most out of the rings, make sure you you're doing the pressing work with rings turned out (RTO).

That's where I started my ring work.

It was a good base, although once I wanted to get into things like L-sits, I needed to regress and work on my static holds more.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions so far guys. I think to start ill do either the RR or the full body workout video.

I also thought about doing the naked warrior (did it in the past with push push ups and squats with good results) but with ring dips, pull ups and pistol squats. Does this seem like a good plan to you guys or would you change anything?
 
Is there any benefit/difference to using rings versus TRX style suspension trainers?
I like suspension trainers better, but they come in different qualities and styles whereas gymnastic rings all come the same. I've got
5-6 suspension trainers and 3 sets of gymnastic rings so I've seen a few. The rings are pretty much all the same, but the suspension trainers are a mixed bag.

I like the grip of suspension trainers better than rings and find they're more versatile than rings (both in where you can hang them and because they come with stirrups so you can put your feet in them), but rings can take more weight/abuse and are a LOT cheaper. If getting suspension trainers, I would make sure they're two independent straps (not two straps that meet at a fork / single anchor point) and make sure they come with a variety of anchors so you could use them on doors, monkey bars, trees, and pretty much anything else. I'm pretty sure you can buy these anchors for gymnastic rings, though I've never bought any.

So all-in-all, the only real difference between a good two-strap suspension trainer and gymnastic rings with a variety of anchor possibilities is the canvas stirrups that you can put your feet in. That little strap will open up a lot of posterior/anterior chain work that you just can't do easily with rings.
 
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Don't TRX / suspension trainers have a single anchor point?

Rings are anchored independently, so they can be spaced at whatever width you like, but it also means they can fly farther apart from each other and be less stable.

Some suspension trainers do, others have two independent straps like gymnastic rings. The problem I've found with the ones that fork to a single anchor point is it's very difficult to do straight-arm work that involves spreading the straps (chest flyes, T-flyes, alligator flyes), so I would highly recommend suspension trainers that mimic the two independent straps of gymnastic rings.
 
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I find the reddit routine too much for me.

I hang my rings from a pullup bar and just do A ring dips, ring rows, kb hinge, core
B pullups, ring pushups, kb squat, core
3 sets each 5-8 reps. I add weight when 8 is easy or i might go 10 reps.
I do change excersises frequently, but as long as i do push pull hinge/squat core im happy enough
 
I find the reddit routine too much for me.

I hang my rings from a pullup bar and just do A ring dips, ring rows, kb hinge, core
B pullups, ring pushups, kb squat, core
3 sets each 5-8 reps. I add weight when 8 is easy or i might go 10 reps.
I do change excersises frequently, but as long as i do push pull hinge/squat core im happy enough

The reddit routine is basically push pull hinge squat core, though.

If one is pressed for time, one could alternate the vertical push / pull and horizontal push / pull on separate days.
 
Anyone got this Reddit routine handy?
Link was posted above or google reddit beginner routine

The reddit routine is basically push pull hinge squat core, though.

If one is pressed for time, one could alternate the vertical push / pull and horizontal push / pull on separate days.
I like separating the pullups and dips as they are the 2 hardest excersises for me so i can give each one my full attention, followed by a easier excersise.

Otherwise pullups dips one day is a tough day
Pushups and rows is a very easy day so doing it like that i feel like it balances out nicely
I also like Alternating squat hinge as it leaves my legs fresh for running or bike riding.
Seems to work ok for my needs and ive stuck to the basic template longer than anything else ive tried
 
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