Bar Pull ups vs Ring Pull ups

[Deins Drengers]

I found that ring pull ups put less stress from the elbow due to the rings being "free". But from my own personal experience I have found that full ROM ring pull ups are very hard compared to bar pull ups.

 

Can anyone explain the biomechanics here ? ( As in - whats the actual difference between those two ) 

 

When you pull up from rings u have a bigger range of motion, yes. 

Unlike the ring dips and ring pushups ( where you need to put effort to get the rings still ) pull ups are different because the gravity helps to get them still. 

 

Anyone find that the Ring pull ups are very hard in comparison to bar pull ups or I'm just being a wussy ?

[Connor Davies]

Ring pullups are much harder.  Its basically just instability, recruitment of stabiliser muscles, the usual.  There was a good thread here somewhere a while back about instability on rings vs bosu balls / wobble boards, and that will cover most of the biomechanics of why rings are harder.    Also, rings tend to veer toward your weakest point, so they automatically seem to strengthen you where you need it most.

[Deins Drengers]

Ring pullups are much harder.  Its basically just instability, recruitment of stabiliser muscles, the usual.  There was a good thread here somewhere a while back about instability on rings vs bosu balls / wobble boards, and that will cover most of the biomechanics of why rings are harder.    Also, rings tend to veer toward your weakest point, so they automatically seem to strengthen you where you need it most.

I need to get me some of those Still rings, lol.

[FREDERIC DUPONT]

Here is the link: https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/forum/topic/9447-ring-instability-vs-other-forms-of-instability/?hl=%2Brings+%2Bbosu+%2Bwobble

[Brian Li]

I never found ring pull-ups much harder. For me there wasn't much difference in difficulty between the two when I first tried ring pull-ups just like FL and FL rows aren't much different on rings either. There is also not much instability for hanging elements on rings unlike support elements on rings.

[Connor Davies]

I went from 5 chins to 1 when I first tried them on the rings, but that was mostly me getting used to the stability element.  The free movement thing is really fantastic, I hated doing rows when I used a fixed bar but with rings they are awesome!

 

And yeah, having the center of gravity under the hands rather than over it is a big help.  As an extreme example, inverted hangs are easy and handstands are ridiculous.  I don't think this applies to just rings, but body mechanics in general.

[Tavis G]

What do you guys think is more effective for overall recruitment? Pullup the go to chinup at top, pullups all the way, chinups all the way. Thoughts, Experiences?

[Samuli Jyrkinen]

Ring pull-ups are hardly any harder compared to regular bar pull-ups as long as you have performed the exercise correctly with steady control and form. I have noticed that those who tend to swing with regular pull-ups find ring pull-ups harder because the rings will not allow to cheat as easily.

[Blairbob]

 Some of the difference in doing pullups on rings vs a single rail is the path of motion. There is the difference between using a pronated or supinated grip on a bar vs going neutral on a set of rings or pronated/supinated.