Gymnastic rings concrete ceiling install

Hello

I wish to install my gym. rings in my basement with  concrete ceiling.  Is it mandatory to drill into the studs or is it safe enough to mount into the concrete itself? I do not own a stud finder, so drilling in concrete would be easier, but just how safe is it? Did any of you have similar a situation? Any help would be greately appreciated. Also if any pics are possible that would help a lot too.

Another quick question as to avoid making another thread. How do well can wooden rings endure dust, sunlight etc. I would sometimes use the outside (never in the rain) and always take them down after sessions.  They are quite expensive and do not wish to damage them.

I hope you can help me out

Go to the phone book (or google), find a structural engineer in your area, and have them come out and tell you what you need to do.

I don't want to see anyone who isn't a licensed and bonded structural engineer giving advice on this, publicly or privately. We're talking about someone's personal safety, and it is unacceptable for him to get advice here that could lead to him cracking his skull open. That's why structural engineers exist: To make sure that what you do is safe, which typically requires a site inspection. Lets let the professionals handle this one.

This link covers some ideas about rigging from a concrete ceiling.  The overall theme is that it would greatly risk damaging your ceiling, your equipment, and most of all your person. Naterman is absolutely correct that you would need to consult a structural engineer. It does give a good alternative of building a structure to hang your rings from, basically a jungle gym. I've been fantasizing about designing a backyard/indoor jungle gym that would combine various gymnastic training tools in one compact apparatus. Rings, high bar, pole, stall bars, pommels, etc. 

http://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/20185/can-i-hang-a-heavy-weight-from-a-concrete-ceiling-if-i-reinforce-it-with-fibergl

Thanks for the advice, I guess I will just stick to hanging my rings on the support beam for the time being, but will do as you say in the future.

What about wooden rings, how do they endure dust, humidity, sunlight? I find that even with chalk, my plastic ones do not provide enough grip and wish to replace them with wood.

I cant personally say how wood compares to plastic but I can say that if you wrap your rings with athletic tape they will give you a much better grip. Over time the tape will collect oils and dirt from your hands, you can then either re-tape them, or just rub some chalk or rosin  on them for a quick fix. The tape will also protect them from the elements.

Do you have the xtreme rings?

There are a lot of different textures out there, and only a few use the same texture as the Xtreme rings. It's not QUITE as good as wood, but it is very close.

The athletic tape seems to help a lot of people at first, so that might be a good way to go. I never used it.

Your best grip will come from freshly washed hands (soap and water, no moisturizers) on rings that are also washed and dried.

Chalk is just there to soak up extra moisture, but it creates a sort of intermediate layer that does allow more friction than dry hands on a dry surface, if both are oil-free.

I am guessing you are talking about false grip when you say they don't provide enough grip, but I am curious if there is any other issue.

Joshua Naterman said:

Do you have the xtreme rings?

 

There are a lot of different textures out there, and only a few use the same texture as the Xtreme rings. It's not QUITE as good as wood, but it is very close.

 

The athletic tape seems to help a lot of people at first, so that might be a good way to go. I never used it.

 

Your best grip will come from freshly washed hands (soap and water, no moisturizers) on rings that are also washed and dried.

 

Chalk is just there to soak up extra moisture, but it creates a sort of intermediate layer that does allow more friction than dry hands on a dry surface, if both are oil-free.

 

I am guessing you are talking about false grip when you say they don't provide enough grip, but I am curious if there is any other issue.

No, I have Fitstream rings and also use chalk. Yes, mostly it is a false grip issue. Wooden rings with chalk would probably provide the best grip, that is why I am considering buying them. I am just worried how they withstand sunlight, dust, humidity...

Thank you both for the help

I love my wooden rings! If I'd use them outdoors I would simply invest one minute to take them off after use and store them dark and dry.

Fit-Bull90 said:

No, I have Fitstream rings and also use chalk. Yes, mostly it is a false grip issue. Wooden rings with chalk would probably provide the best grip, that is why I am considering buying them. I am just worried how they withstand sunlight, dust, humidity...

 

Thank you both for the help

No problem!

Wood usually warps in highly variable weather conditions unless it is properly sealed. I don't know if properly sealed wood rings would be suitable for gymnastics... If you're going to use them outside, you should probably set up a two-piece system.

The first piece is permanent and would be a strong, permanently anchored strap or rope loop, with a carabeener. This would probably be around head height.

The second part would be your wood rings. This way, with very little extra expense, you could clip in and out with 100% safety and lightning speed, while still being able to easily adjust your rings.

This way you could use the wood rings, but still store them in a climate-controlled environment. Does that sound like a solution that might benefit you?

In regards to mounting; Tapcons and Readhead fasterners can work wonders but I would still not recommend the concrete route. Namely because the quality of your system is only as strong as the weakest part. The quality of concrete and other masonry varies greatly. You can have an awesome fastener, but if the concrete it's sunk into is aging or of poor integrity you could still end up in/under a world of hurt.

If regards to wooden rings, I love mine. I'm sure the XR are fantastic products as well. I've had no problem with dust/sunlight, but I'd assume that prolonged sunlight will eventually lead to drying of the wood and/or adhesive.

I do not recommend putting tape on wooden rings, however, as it's hell to remove. My friends and I all prefer the grip of the natural wood to taped plastic anyway. Wood tends to absorb moisture and oil pretty well on it's own and in fact almost eliminated my use of chalk. After about a year of use I resurfaced mine by giving them a light sanding with a medium grained sandpaper followed by a fine grain.

Joshua Naterman said:

No problem!

 

Wood usually warps in highly variable weather conditions unless it is properly sealed. I don't know if properly sealed wood rings would be suitable for gymnastics... If you're going to use them outside, you should probably set up a two-piece system.

 

The first piece is permanent and would be a strong, permanently anchored strap or rope loop, with a carabeener. This would probably be around head height.

 

The second part would be your wood rings. This way, with very little extra expense, you could clip in and out with 100% safety and lightning speed, while still being able to easily adjust your rings.

 

This way you could use the wood rings, but still store them in a climate-controlled environment. Does that sound like a solution that might benefit you?

Thanks for the advice, that sounds like a plan. I would never leave my wooden rings outside and always store them after training- I was just wondering  if short term exposure to those weather conditions could be detrimental to their quality.

Your reccomendation would certainly allow for a fast setup, probably some loop straps would be best way for anchoring. Do you have any reccomendation for buying these? I am from Europe tough, so they might be hard to find affordably in online stores

I learned that Europe has been connected to the internet recently: I bought mine online in Germany, cheaper than anything discussed here, and shipped to France without any problems. Btw I also see stall bars in Germany for the price of the US wood only, but unsure about shipping.