CrossFit Journal Article Reprint.

First Published in CrossFit Journal Issue 44 - April 2006

Got Rings? Now What?

Roger Harrell

Because of constant pestering from the CrossFit community, you have now acquired a pair of rings. So, now what?
You know what a muscle-up is, maybe you can do some dips on the things, but theres got to be more, right?
Absolutely! A pair of rings has limitless possibilities for training. Common exercises take on a whole new dimension
when performed on the rings, and many ring exercises can be performed nowhere else.

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Got Rings? Now What? (continued...)
Ring rows
A ring row is an excellent beginner drill
to progress an individual toward pull-ups.
Start with the rings at just above shoulder
height. Grab the rings and lean back until
your arms are straight, to place tension on
the straps. Keep your body straight and
tight and pull your shoulders to the rings.
As strength increases, simply lower the
rings so that your body is closer to being
horizontal when you lean back.

Hang pull-through to skin the cat

pull-out
A hang pull-through to skin the cat pull-out
is a sequence of movements that works
basically every muscle group from the
mid-thigh up, while providing an excellent
shoulder stretch as well. Starting in a hang
and keeping your arms and legs straight, lift
your toes up and back overhead, through
a piked inverted hang. Then, continue to
lower your toes slowly toward the floor
behind you. This hanging position is called a
skin the cat. At first you will want to practice
this movement with the rings low enough so that you Try to relax your shoulders at the bottom of the skin
will be able to touch the floor with your feet as you the cat to get a good stretch and truly find the bottom
lower toward the skin the cat position. This will enable of your skin the cat. This skill works as an excellent part
you to safely get a feel for the movement. From the skin of a warm-up, or can be used in a conditioning set when
the cat position, lift your hips and pull out back through done for repetitionseven if you find one or two reps
a piked inverted hang and lower to hang. Once you have easy, they add up quickly as part of a workout.
some experience, you can raise the rings and lower into
the skin the cat clear of the floor and then pull back out.

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Got Rings? Now What? (continued...)
Straight-body inverted hang
Straight-body inverted hangs require balance and
constant stabilization. Simply hanging upside down
with your toes pointed toward the ceiling will be
a challenge for many people unfamiliar with being
upside down. This drill helps to develop balance
and control while inverted and also strengthens
the rotator cuffs due to the constant stabilization
required.

Pull-ups
Pull-ups on the rings are more difficult than bar
pull-ups for some, and easier for others. Some
people who are unable to do pull-ups on a bar due
to limited shoulder flexibility are able to do full
range of motion pull-ups on rings. The freedom of
movement allows the shoulders to align themselves
in a comfortable way while doing the exercise.

Inverted pull-ups
Inverted pull-ups combine the stabilization
requirements of an inverted hang with the
conditioning load of a regular pull-up. Starting in
a piked or straight-body inverted hang, pull up as
high as you can and return to the start position.
Be sure to practice these in both the straight and
pike positions.

Pull-up to lever
A pull-up to lever sequence is a good starting
point for developing a front lever. Starting in a
bent-arm hang and keeping your body straight
Inverted pull-ups in straight-body (top) and pike (bottom) positions.
and tight, lift your toes and push the rings away
to a front lever, then return to a bent-arm hang.
The key to this exercise is to lift and push into
the lever. Do not allow your shoulders to drop
as your legs lift. Keep your shoulders as high as
possible and push the rings downward. This makes
the motion significantly easier and helps develop
proper technique for the front lever.

Pull-up to lever

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Got Rings? Now What? (continued...)
Back lever
A back lever is the easiest straight-body strength move
in gymnastics. From a piked inverted hang, push your
toes out directly toward the wall until you are just barely
able to hold the position. Return to the pike. Work the
back lever and push your limits until you are able to
stop your body parallel with the ground. It is essential
to actively tense your entire body when executing this
skill. Squeeze your arms tight and press the rings inward,
while simultaneously squeezing your heels together and
keeping your butt tight. Finally, lower into the skin the
cat and pull back up to inverted hang with a straight Back lever
body.
Straight-body pull to skin the cat pull-out
Front lever
A straight-body pull to skin the cat pull-out is identical to
There are several steps to help develop a front lever the hang pull to skin the cat pull-out with the exception
that it will be done with a straight, rather than piked,
Step 1: Tucked front lever. Try to hold your torso
body. With straight arms and a straight body, pull
parallel with the ground with both legs tucked. Be sure
through a front lever to inverted hang, continue through
your arms are straight.
back lever, and lower to skin the cat. Lift your heels and
Step 2: Single leg front lever. Hold a front lever with one pull out, keeping your body straight, then roll through
leg straight and the other leg bent so that your foot is an inverted hang, lower through front lever, and return
next to your knee. Be sure to switch which leg is bent. to hang.
Step 3: Straddle front lever. Hold a front lever with your
legs straddled as wide as possible. Gradually, bring your
legs closer together as you build strength.
Step 4: Front lever. Following the above drills will bring
you to the point where you can hold a stable, legs-
together front lever.

Straight-body pull to skin the cat pull-out

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Got Rings? Now What? (continued...)
The support
A basic requirement for ring work is to obtain a solid,
proper support in which your arms are straight, hips
open, and chest up. The rings should be turned out
between 15 and 45 degrees so that the insides of your
elbows are facing forward. Before moving on to presses,
rolls, or any other support work, you should be able
to hold this position for a minimum of 15 seconds with
little to no movement.

Push-ups
Start with the rings at about waist height. Perform push-
ups on the rings. As strength increases, lower the rings
until they are just above the floor; then, to make them
more challenging, you can elevate your feet a little. To OK support (left) and Better support (right)
further increase difficulty, lean forward a little
bit while you do the push-ups so that at the
bottom of the push-up your hands are right
next to your hips.

Dips
Perform dips just as you would on the parallel
bars. At first, do whatever it takes to get the
dips done. As your support gets stronger, work
toward doing the dips with the rings turned
out (palms forward) in the proper support
position described above.

L-sit
See issue 42 (February 2006) of the CrossFit
Journal for progressions for an L-sit. The
progressions on parallettes and rings are the
same. The only stipulation on rings is that
the arms and shoulders in the ring support should not
change as you lift into the L-sit. Rings should still be
turned out, and your head and chest up.

Standard dip (left) and Turned-out dips (right)

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Got Rings? Now What? (continued...)
Hollow body training
Set up matting for this exercise. Set the rings a couple planche position has been developed, you can try, from
inches above the mat. Start in a push-up position, with the planche position, to push the rings out to the side
hands on the rings and feet on the floor. Push the rings a little and allow your body to drop down between
forward, maintaining a hollow body position, then your hands to train the maltese. Arms should be kept
pull back to a push-up position. Once this sequence is straight throughout this sequence. If you have to bend
developed, you can continue past the push-up position your arms to complete a motion, then start over and go
and push the rings back toward your hips to work the only as far as you can while maintaining straight arms.
planche position as well. Once some strength in the

Forward roll to inverted hang

From an L-sit in support, lift your hips up behind you forward. This is a very common mistake and can lead
and bend your arms. Try to lift your hips up over your to injury. It should be a very controlled lifting motion.
head. Once completely inverted, roll forward and let The roll only occurs once the hips are directly above
the rings turn out and you will end up in a piked inverted the head. If you can not reach this position, do not try
hang. In starting and teaching this skill, be sure to lift to roll outjust lower your hips and return to support.
your hips at the beginning and do not dive your chest When first learning the skill, be sure to use a spotter.

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Got Rings? Now What? (continued...)
Shoulder stand
Initiate a press to shoulder stand just like you did for the to the insides of the cables for minimal assistance, then
forward roll: start in an L-sit and lift your hips until they bring your legs together and balance the shoulder stand
are directly over your head, but, now, instead of rolling free of the cables. Once you have a sense of the balance,
forward, straddle and lift your legs until they hit the try to press into the shoulder stand keeping your legs
cables. Use the cables for stability and get comfortable together throughout, then balance the shoulder stand,
in this position. If you fall too far forward, just roll out. then lower back to support.
Once you are stable upside down, you can bring your feet

Support swings
While maintaining a good support position, swing lift your toes and pike the hips in the front swing. Swing
forward and backward. At first, it will be very difficult with your whole body straight. This exercise will greatly
to maintain stability. Keep the rings turned out and try stabilize your support and build strength.
to keep your body straight. Resist the temptation to

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Got Rings? Now What? (continued...)
Bent-arm press to handstand
A bent-arm press to handstand is similar in technique to on stabilization and moving your feet to the insides of
the press to shoulder stand. Start in an L-sit, and then the cables. Try to then turn the rings out. The rings
lift your hips to the back and push the rings forward. should be parallel with each other. Once this position
When your hips are as close to directly above your is stable, try to hold the handstand free of the cables.
shoulders as you can get them, straddle and lift your Again, if you fall forward, simply roll out. As your press
legs to the cables. Push your arms straight to reach a to handstand gets stronger, work toward performing
handstand. Once you have reached a handstand, work the press with straight arms.

Muscle-up
A muscle up is simply a combination of a pull-up and so you can use your legs to assist yourself through the
a dip, with the addition of a nasty little transition. A motion. When you are below the rings in the hang, you
proper false grip and technique are essential to achieving will want to have your legs a little bit in front of you.
the muscle up. For the false grip, place your hands in This will allow you to rotate over the rings through the
the position that they will be in when you reach the transition. Start the pull and roll your shoulders over
support. This means that your palms need to be on top your hands, keeping your hands and elbows close to
of the inside of the rings from the beginning. To learn the your body. Your elbows should travel in curves that are
false grip, place the rings at a bit below shoulder height. parallel with each other; they should not point outward
Open your hand completely and place the ring so it runs at all. Once your shoulders are up over your hands, push
from the crook of your thumb to the opposite heel of up to support. Once you have a sense of the motion,
your hand. Then grasp the ring and lower yourself down try to do it without the leg assist. Think about pulling
to hang from it. Once you have a good sense of the grip aggressively, getting through the transition quickly. As
and can hang with both hands in false grips you can begin your muscle-up develops, you will find yourself able to
working toward the muscle-up. Start with the rings low hop through the transition.

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Got Rings? Now What? (continued...)
Backward roll to support
A backward roll to support combines kinesthetic The keys to this skill are similar to those for a muscle-
awareness, inversion, and great strength demands. up: keep a good false grip, and keep the rings close to
Start from a hang with a false grip, pull your legs up and your body.
forward, roll over backward and push into a support.

Kip to support
Start in a straight-body inverted hang. Pike down, and shoulders. Kick your legs up and extend, then
and then quickly kick upward. Once your body has snap forward. There will be a moment when you are
fully extended, sit up and try to catch up to your legs completely off the ground. Try to reach back with your
while pushing down on the rings. As you roll forward, hands and catch yourself in a rear support before your
keep pressure on the rings and finish in a support. The feet hit the ground.
kipping motion can be practiced on a mat. Begin by lying
on your back in a pike with your hands pointed toward
the ceiling. Your weight should be on your upper back

Roger Harrell is a former competitive gymnast with twenty years of experience in the sport. He has
continued to train in the sport well beyond his competitive years. He has run several competitive gymnastics
training programs and currently focuses on coaching adults and bringing the benefits of gymnastics to those
outside the usual community. He is the developer, designer, and webmaster of www.DrillsAndSkills.com.

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