Bodyweight training is on the rise, and for good reasons. These types of exercises teach athletes how to build muscle, increase flexibility, and they are the best option for home workouts, requiring minimal costly equipment. When you're leading a busy life and don't have time for a gym workout, we know that it's worthwhile to have a well-equipped home setup. We have previously discussed the history and uses of stall bars for your home gym. Today, we will detail another piece of essential Gymnastic Strength Training^TM equipment: rings.

Competitive Apparatus

The still rings are one of six competitive apparatuses featured in artistic men's gymnastics. While it is inspiring to watch and support these incredible feats of athleticism, it is worth realizing that to achieve the best versions of ourselves, we need to start at the beginning. Rather than being concerned with various subtleties of Olympic ring training, we should prioritize mastering gymnastic foundations. Fundamental bodyweight workouts, mobility, and basic strength are the key to it all.

Watch how one of Coach Christopher Sommer's athletes, Allan Bower, uses the still rings at the 2016 Winter Cup Finals:

GB Athlete Allan Bower demonstrating the strength and skill that you can develop with GymnasticBodies Training!

Prioritize the Basics First

Before jumping into advanced rings techniques (and most likely injuring yourself along the way), spend the necessary time developing a solid grasp of the fundamentals first.
There's no better place to start than bodyweight ring rows. Ring rows are one of the initial progressions on the path to rope climbs. Start on an incline with the rings hanging at about shoulder height, and be sure to keep your core tight and legs locked throughout the entire movement. Initiate the pull by retracting your shoulder blades (think "pinching" them together). Then bend your arms all the way until your elbows are back behind your body.
In addition, the assisted German hang is a great mobility exercise that prepares the elbows for the rigors of straight-arm strength. With a supinated grip, reach your shoulders behind you into extension until a mild stretch is felt in the chest and arms. Be sure to avoid any sensations of pain here, as it is better to do too less (and come back tomorrow to train) than to do too much and incur an injury (thus forcing unplanned time off). Keep as much bodyweight as needed on your feet, thus reducing the overall load placed upon your shoulders and arms. Exercise caution here, and prioritize pain-free range of motion over intensity or volume.

Workouts using the rings are unique because they can be utilized to train so many various parts of the body, including big muscles, small muscles, tendons, joints, and ligaments. This one simple addition to your at-home gym offers limitless exercises and progressions of training and mobility.
Training smarter for sustainable strength and mobility to last a lifetime, at home or anywhere in the world, means using proven GymnasticBodies workout tools and techniques like the rings.