Anybody workout using gymnastic rings?

rubadub

I was thinking of making some sort of dipping station and then saw these gymnastic rings, seems I could just throw them over my chinning bar and do dips.

seems there may be some advantages too.

. Ring Training - This type of training basically uses portable gymnastic rings that you can take anywhere with you. You throw the straps up over any high bar like a pullup bar, the top of a power rack, or even over a football field goal crossbar. Then you can quickly adjust the rings to do exercises like ring dips, ring pushups, ring pull-ups, hanging leg raises, horizontal body rows, L-sits, and more. Dips and pushups on the rings are my favorites and the rings really make them a hell of a lot more difficult, while also incorporating your stabilizer muscles to a much greater degree. The rings allow your joints to move in a more natural pattern and can help you prevent or even recover from shoulder injuries. Personally, when I try dips on a normal dip stand, it hurts my shoulders. However, dips on the training rings feel perfect, and also give me a much better muscle pump. The training rings are one of the best training devices I've ever bought. Give them a try...I think you'll like them if you're up for a challenge. I found my rings, which you can hang up easily on a power rack, pullup bars, or at a park, at ringtraining.com.

from http://ezinearticles.com/?My-Top-15-Non-Traditional,-Muscle-Building,-Fat-Scorching-Workouts&id=115302

Pics
http://ringtraining.com/images/exercisecollage.jpg

Colm_OReilly

Rings are just plain cool! I cannot endorse them enough!!!

I got mine about two months ago, as did a friend, and the increase in strength, balance and chest/shoulder size has been brilliant.

They're humbling as well. If you've a sweet bench press try hold yourself on the rings for a minute, or do some archer push ups. You'll quickly feel the difference.

Tyler at ringtraining.com is pretty sound as well. We ordered our rings at different times and both of those they arrived within a week (ordered via Paypal)

I wouldn't recommend the dvd - it's not great.

Colm

rubadub

Sounds good. Has anybody seen cheaper ones. I had a quick search and it seem those are reasonable as others cost a fortune. Looks about €66 including delivery. I wouldnt mind a go of something similar to see if they suit me. I was thinking I could just lash 2 mountain bicycle inner tubes over a crossbar on the local pitch. If I could get rubber rings I could just use them with rope or the tubes.

Maybe some place would have similar rubber rings cheap, like a pet shop, for dogs to chew on or something.

But for the €66 you also get the straps that look pretty decent too.

The Shane

I can't recommend rings enough.

I got them from ringtraining.com

If you had to limit yourself to a single piece of kit - it'd be this.

Buy them now.

Shane, The

rubadub

Did either of you have customs trouble? I read a UK guy did on a crossfit forum. I emailed them asking about it and for any discount codes.

This place also sell them http://www.roguefitness.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=167 for the same price, I get a shipping error when trying to get the postage. I emailed them about it and asked for a code too, that guy says to email him for codes on crossfit.

A few sites have guys who made them but most say they do not compare to the real ones. There are about 3 commercial types at reasonable prices and the elite ones seem to get the best reviews

I slung some mountain bike tubes over my bar and tried it, worked well. You can put your wrists through the loops and do pull ups. I also did dips which were hard to do.

I workout at home so have no spotter, going to failure on bodyweight exercises is fine though, and these rings look like there are plenty of exercises to do.

Where do you guys use the rings? I could do a few on my chinning bar. Otherwise there is a field right next to me with plenty of goal posts.

On wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rings_%28gymnastics%29 it says

It is only used by male gymnasts.

Thought that a bit odd, would it be a lack of upper body strength not allowing all the moves or something? so as a spectator event it would not be so good?

I would think women would take well to them, especially ones who "fear" using weights.

Lil' Smiler

Hey,

You could try any of the gymnastics equipment suppliers.

http://www.janssen-fritsen.com/

http://www.gymnova.co.uk

http://www.continentalsports.co.uk

These are the main suppliers we use for gymnastics equipment in my club but they also do PE equipment so check them out, probably pricey though!

amazingemmet

The reasons women don't train rings in competion is two fold, one the upper body strength required to do the basic skills is beyond a lot of women even with a lot of training. That said I know of a couple of girls who trian rings and can hold their own against the guys.

Also women carry a higher amount of lower body mass realtive to upper and in male gymnasts the reverse is true which makes doing levers and planches alot easier for guys but harder for girls

Lil' Smiler

I completely agree with you there!! I have shag all upper body strength when it comes to training on rings!! i can barely hold myself up, that's why women compete on Asymetric bars whereas males compete on the single bar.

Colm_OReilly

I ordered both pairs (for me and Shane) separately and with no customs issues. I'll be ordering more for Crossfit so people can compete head to head.

I was using the rings off my doorway pull up bar at home or the tree down the road for a week before setting them up in the gym. The looks you get from people are fantastic!!!

I'd wager also that the ideals for male and female gymnastics are slightly different. Males would want to display virtuosity through control and stability (hence the holds on the rings) while females would display fluidity and flexibility (see the beam)

€65 is absolutely nothing in terms of an investment for rings.

rubadub

Colm_OReilly wrote:

The looks you get from people are fantastic!!!

I can imagine!, there is a playground in the park/field near me and it has good bars for pull ups, I have only used it in the mornings, always thought a grown man hanging around a playground might look suspect!
But there are plenty of goal posts around and people go jogging there all the time so it wont look too odd, I expect the rugby/GAA teams might come over looking for a go on them.

Glad to hear there were no customs issues.

These are the main suppliers we use for gymnastics equipment

Yes, a bit pricey, but also they are really meant for permanent fixing. These elite rings are light and adaptable, would be good if were travelling, just sling them over something and away you go.

amazingemmet

But the thing about the other rings is one swing to support or dismount on them and they'll bite the dust imo

rubadub

amazingemmet wrote:

But the thing about the other rings is one swing to support or dismount on them and they'll bite the dust imo

Not sure what you mean by this?
EDIT: I see now they are not recommended for swinging on or dismounting, neither of which I intend on doing.
from the guy who makes them

The Elite Rings are designed for strength work only, not swings and dismounts. They are tested up to 1000 lbs per ring. This is probably strong enough, but why risk it?
I would train your swings and dismounts at the gym. Do your strength work at home. This should leave plenty of time to do what you need at the gym.

Tyler

1000lb is enough for me!, I was checking out the max load they could take as I intend on doing weighted pullups

I ordered them anyways, no discounts though, the other seller said he would look into the shipping problem but I couldnt wait.

Got the training guide with plenty of photos of what to do.

rubadub

These rings are really good. I am doing weighted dips & pull/chinups on them. Pushups are really good too, you can have them down your side. I can do ~75normal pushups, but struggled to do 6 in some variations on the rings, really works the chest well.

I have been thinking of how they could be used in other ways though. You could loop the straps through plates and lift them like dumbells, this would allow the plates to fall to your side so you could squat with large plates that would usually hit your knees on regular dumbbells. You could loop them on an ezcurl bar and do hack squats with it only coming off the ground as needed. Or you could have it in a hack squat position and pass them over your shoulder and hold the rings at your chest- fingernails facing your chest.

The Ezcurl bar would have grooves to help locate the straps well. If put on a bar it would also increase the height of the bar so you can have deadlifts higher than normal- or do shrugs while only lifting the bar a few inches from the ground. As the straps and rings are free to move then upright rows might be potentially less harmful too.

Some pulley system might also be usable using then like cables with handles.

The length of the straps makes all sorts of stuff possible, you could have weights loaded downstairs and be lifting them while upstairs

justsomebloke

completely off topic but rubadub what do you actually do for a living cause if you aren't some sort of engineer I think you have missed a calling

rubadub

jsb wrote: »

completely off topic but rubadub what do you actually do for a living cause if you aren't some sort of engineer I think you have missed a calling

, I actually do work in engineering- have a BE in mechanical engineering. Always on the lookout for new contraptions and other ways to utilize stuff.