Rings (yes, gymnastic rings) are one of the most underrated tools you can work out with. They’re cheap, extremely versatile, and can accommodate beginner to advanced lifters, so much so that they could be your ONLY tool for workouts indefinitely and you would see your strength skyrocket. Rings are the key to affordable training, and up-leveling any workout routine. Learn why rings are extremely effective, which rings are the best to work out with, and how to utilize them in your routine.
Are Workout Rings Effective?
Rings are a pair of circular handles suspended from adjustable straps, typically hung from a bar, beam, or other sturdy support. They were originally known as “Roman rings” in early European gymnastics. They are free-hanging, move independently, and work with your bodyweight as the load.
Rings are mostly utilized to build back, chest, and upper body strength, but can be utilized for push-ups, rows, face pulls, hamstring curls, tuck-ups, chin-ups, dips, and so many other movements by adjusting their height.
Rings are an incredibly effective training tool because they’re versatile and can be used for almost any movement at any strength and training level. You can level up or level down any movement by adjusting the angle. Because rings are free-hanging, they add instability to movements, which gives an element of novelty and an added strength component, and makes them exceptionally humbling.
How to Set Up Workout Rings at Home Affordably
Rings are perfect for building a home gym on a budget. They’re typically made of wood, composite, plastic, or metal. The straps they come with are high-quality nylon with cam buckles that allow for height adjustments.
There are actually official specs for rings if you care to be really specific with your training. For competitive gymnastics, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) sets these specs: the rings are spaced 50 centimeters (20 inches) apart. The standard diameters for competitive rings include an inner diameter of 18 centimeters (7 inches) and a thickness of 2.8 centimeters (just over an inch). Even if you’re training recreationally, most commercial or home sets mimic those dimensions.
If you have a pull-up bar or full rack at home or at the gym, you can hook ring straps around them. You can also hang rings from a support beam in your home. If you don’t know how to do this on your own, enlist the help of a friend or family member to rig a secure set-up. You can even take your rings to the park and set them up on a piece of playground or exercise equipment. A nice quality about rings is that they can be set up or taken down in a short amount of time.
The Best Workout Rings You Can Buy on a Budget
If you’re looking for rings, budget rings are typically priced between $25-$40. Premium competition-grade sets cost around $100-$150, making them a great fitness gift idea for yourself or others. Features to pay attention to include: strap quality, adjustability, the strap buckle mechanism, ring material, and weather resistance, depending on where you’re hanging your rings.
Our favorite rings:
Wood Rings from Rogue Fitness
Wood rings should never be stored outdoors or used in the rain. This wood item carries a 2 year warranty. Made in the US, you can get 2 different diameters for the rings, 1.25” diameter wood ring used in CrossFit events and a 1.11” diameter ring built for the International Gymnastics Federation.
Other options:
Steel Gym Rings:
These were the very first Rogue-manufactured product back in 2006. Manufactured in Ohio, these rings last a LONG time. They have a Lifetime Warranty for the rings themselves (breakage), and a one year warranty on straps.
Non Slip Rings:
If you want a quick, inexpensive Amazon option, these PACEARTH non-slip rings have a 1500 lb capacity, are made of birch wood, and have 2 rolls of blue hand tape – this might feel better for gripping, but needs to be replaced regularly. Read the customer reviews to determine if these are right for you, but they could be a cheaper option if you’re looking for inexpensive gymnastics rings.
If you have a TRX, you can absolutely use them instead of rings, but there are some important limitations to point out. Using a TRX can feel awkward because its straps are connected at a single anchor point, which forces both hands to move together. The fixed-width handles don’t rotate freely, which limits natural wrist and shoulder adjustments, making movements feel more restrictive. You might even notice a TRX will lock you into angles that create more mechanical difficulty during movements. All of this to say, a TRX isn’t ideal, but can work.
Why Workout Rings Are Essential for Bodyweight Training
Using your bodyweight as a load is a legitimate way to train that requires minimal equipment. If you want to try bodyweight training, rings are an unquestionably great addition for endless progression. Rings move with you, making every push, pull, and hold demand stabilizing strength, control, and awareness. They meet you exactly where you are by making any movement easier or harder just by changing your angle. They also do a great job of exposing weaknesses you don’t even realize you have. Rings build joint resilience and overall health, grip strength, and full-body tension in a way that translates beyond anything else you would do in the gym with a full set of equipment.
Benefits of Using Workout Rings Over the Gym
Rings offer two specific advantages over the gym. The first of which is instability for some serious strength gains with movements that you wouldn’t necessarily get at the gym, like bicep curls, pull ups, chin ups, and more. The second is accessibility. Rings can be set up and taken down quickly anywhere, and they’re a tool you can use as a beginner all the way through advanced levels of training.
You can utilize both rings and lifting at the gym. Lift heavy weights and push yourself with a calisthenics workout plan with rings. You will be surprised by your strength and muscle gains while utilizing this combo.
Calisthenics Exercises to Try With Workout Rings
Here are some calisthenics exercises to try with rings to advance upper body and lower body muscle and strength.
Ring Push-Ups
You can angle your body and step forward more to make these easier and start to walk feet backwards as you get stronger. Eventually, you can elevate feet on a box for a bigger range of motion. Ring push ups give a big range of motion. Sink your chest past the rings at the bottom for a full stretch.
Ring Dips
You probably won’t be able to do one or many of these at first. Start with dip support holds. Jump up with arms straight and slightly turn the rings out and put yourself in hollow body position and hold for 10-30 seconds.
Ring Rows
This is such a good movement for back strength. Walk feet forward more for bigger ROM (harder) / step back to regress. Keep your body in a straight line with a hollow core position, and drive your elbows back as you pull. Squeeze your upper back at the top.
Ring Chin-Ups
You’ll need base chin up strength on a bar before you move to ring chin ups. Start with palms pronated (palms facing away). As you get closer to the top of your chin up, turn the palms towards you.
Ring Hamstring Curls
Start in a glute bridge with your heels in the rings. Keep your hips lifted and core tight. Pull the rings toward your glutes by bending your knees, then slowly extend your legs back out with control. Don’t let your hips drop. Keep tension through your hamstrings the whole time.
Ring Tuck-Ups
Start hanging from the rings with your shoulders active. Pull your knees toward your chest in a tight tuck, keeping your core braced and spine rounded slightly. Lower back down with control without letting your shoulders collapse.
Rear-Foot-Elevated Split Squats (Back Foot in Rings)
Set your back foot in the rings and step forward into your split stance. Keep your front foot grounded and torso tall. Lower straight down by bending your front knee, then drive through your front heel to stand. Keep your back leg light, your front leg should do the work.
How to Stay Consistent With Your Home Ring Workouts
Rings are hands down one of the best tools to utilize for bodyweight training and to build towards your fitness goals. If you want to try rings out and would like affordable programming assistance, our very own Coach Katie has created a beginner (Bodyweight Basics) and intermediate/advanced bodyweight program (Bodyweight +) that utilizes rings. If you don’t have rings, there are substitute exercises.
Coach Katie has her masters in Health and Human Performance, and has been training for over 15 years. After Katie competed in Olympic Lifting and became a USA weightlifting coach, she shifted her focus to bodyweight/gymnastics training, and utilizes rings in most of her movements. Coach Katie is available for in-person and online personal coaching.
Want to learn more about Katie’s expert advice on working out with rings? Listen to episode 255 of the Stronger Than Your Boyfriend Podcast: Training with Rings
