muscle up

Unlock Strength: Benefits of Gymnastics Ring Training

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Adding gymnastics ring training to your fitness regime offers numerous benefits that enhance strength, mobility, and overall fitness. I got my introduction to them in my crossfit certification back in 2005 in Santa Cruz. Ibve iused them ever since. Here are soe oif the reasons why they are so useful

1. Builds Functional Strength

Gymnastic rings require you to stabilize your body, engaging multiple muscle groups simultaneously. This develops functional strength that translates to everyday movements and other sports.

2. Enhances Core Stability

Every ring exercise activates your core for balance and control. This constant engagement strengthens your core muscles more effectively than many traditional exercises.

3. Improves Joint Health and Mobility

Ring training allows natural movement patterns, reducing strain on joints compared to fixed machines or bars. It also promotes greater joint mobility, especially in the shoulders.

4. Boosts Grip Strength

Holding onto unstable rings challenges your grip, leading to significant improvements in forearm and hand strength.

5. Offers Scalable Progression

Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced athlete, ring exercises can be scaled to your skill level. For example, you can start with ring rows and progress to advanced moves like muscle-ups or planches.

6. Builds Coordination and Balance

The instability of the rings demands improved coordination and body awareness, enhancing neuromuscular control.

7. Portable and Versatile

Rings are lightweight and easy to carry. You can set them up almost anywhere, making them a versatile tool for at-home or outdoor workouts.

8. Promotes Lean Muscle Development

Because ring training engages multiple muscle groups at once, it promotes lean muscle growth, resulting in a toned and athletic physique.

9. Challenges Mental Focus

Mastering movements like dips, levers, and muscle-ups requires mental focus and discipline, making it as much a mental workout as a physical one.

10. Adds Variety to Workouts

Incorporating rings prevents workout monotony and keeps training fresh and exciting with endless exercise variations. Certainly this was one of the motivations behind their early adoption by the Crossfit regime

Whether you aim to build strength, improve mobility, or challenge yourself in new ways, gymnastic rings are an excellent addition to any fitness program.

I noticed that Amazon has a reasonable selection of rings for sale. You ought to have your own pair.

Gravity fitness rings (amazon) £37.95
Or “breaking limits” (£34.95)


The dish hold

andrewstemler Leave a comment

The absolute foundation of gymnastic training is the dish hold, or hollow hold or handstand plank. It’s a super useful skill and a great core and abdominal muscle builder. If you want a L sit, a handstand or a muscle up, you need this!

 

You need to tumble if you want to be a stunt performer

andrewstemler Leave a comment
There are many requirements to becoming a member of the British Stunt Register. You can check them out here 
Its clear that for some, tumbling is an essential component: they really need  to learn how to handstand to forward rolls, back roll to handstand, cartwheel, round off
front tuck, back handspring, front hand spring.
The chances are, if you are an adult learner, that fear of going backwards will be a major stumbling block in your future career. At Crossfit london in Bethnal green, we have been running and adult gymnastics programme since 2008 . We have been teaching adult beginners how to do these skills for years.
Im privileged to be part of the tumbling teaching team, even though Im not one of the best ever tumblers.  Im now 58 so some of my demos are a bit wobbly, and at my age, I do like a bit of a comforting spot.
In short I know all about fear and what it does  to your form if you want to jump up in the air go backwards and land on your hands. I leave it to my younger colleagues to optimise your technique and string things together. For me, I know how great it it to nail that 1st handspring, that tuck, that flag. I got those, not when i was 6 or 8 or 16: i got those skills when I was in my 50’s

to be honest, may flag is still work in progress

here is my 1st ever unspotted  back handspring

We have spent our long teaching history building up drill to build your skills. We work almost exclusively with frightened adults !

If you want to check out my lessons in Bethnal Green E2 you can  look at our class schedule and book here.

At the moment, my classes are on Friday evening and Sunday afternoon at Crossfit London  If you want a better gymnast to lead your classes,  look for Matthias ( wed) and Tugs (sunday) . You should really check out our fantastic gymnastic strength classes: handstands, levers, muscle up, planches, the flag.

Loads of stuff for you to learn.

Muscle ups, Rings and Gymnastic shapes

andrewstemler Leave a comment

Todays special theme was the muscle up, so we picked up some essential skills: the false grip, the “muscle up push up” and other secret stuff

Here are some idea to help you revise

Dish Shape

handstand shape into wall walk

false grip

The muscle up push up and some other stuff you may not have seen

For those who have fallen in love with the  Muscle up and Ring Training for fitness , you may fancy this Ring Training guide its only 99p

Btw my name is Andrew Stemler. Im a london personal trainer based in Bethnal green  E2. Contact me by Email

Getting a leg over, helps your bar muscle up

andrewstemler Leave a comment

If you are sad like me, you really do spend hours leafing through old books. After a while you begin reflecting on the bar muscle up. Its not an easy skill, and it requires a fair bit of specific strength, and a helpful “crunch” at the crucial moment.

In the learning stages, maybe  lever yourself up with  a leg and practice popping that elbow into the air as your leg wooshes down.

Thanks once more to the gymnasts of old!