This article is the sixth in our series with gymnastics athlete and coach Pamela Gagnon. The first was on kipping pull-ups, the second on toes-to-bar, the third on handstand push-ups, the fourth on bar muscle-ups, and the fifth on handstand walking. Now, let’s move on to ring muscle-ups.
Have you stared at those rings, hanging from the ceiling of your gym, and said to yourself, “Must be fun, but no way will I ever be able to use those?”
Don’t stress. Most athletes only use the rings for ring rows because they don’t know how to bridge the gap from ring rows to ring muscle-ups. My goal is to change your narrative, help you learn how to get stronger on rings, and not feel so defeated when ring muscle-ups show up in a workout.
WHY RING MUSCLE-UPS?
Ring training is the ultimate in control, tension, and strength. A coach once said to me, “Give me a set of rings and I will make you the strongest athlete, pound for pound.” If you have trained rings, you will likely understand the meaning of that sentiment. In the gymnastics world, the apparatus is called “still rings” because the goal is to keep the rings as still as possible to show the ultimate strength and control by the athlete. Therefore, when we see a CrossFit athlete perform strict and kipping ring muscle-ups, we can assume they have earned the strength, coordination, and spatial awareness to perform this skill.
THE RING MUSCLE-UP BREAKDOWN
Before we look at progressions, let’s understand this skill. We will break it up into three sections: the pull, the transition, and the dip. It is imperative to learn the ring muscle-up as a strict skill before adding momentum to ensure you have the strength and control needed to keep you safe when high up on the rings.
- The pull requires:
- False grip
- Pulling strength from your biceps, lats, and core
- Deep pull to the sternum
- The transition requires:
- Spatial awareness of how to move your elbows back and around
- Flexion to extension of your wrists
- Transfer of weight from slightly behind the rings to mid-rings
- The dip requires:
- Tricep pressing strength
- Shoulder flexibility
If you struggle at any of these stages, you can break them up and train each portion as you work toward this skill.
Don’t avoid this skill! Many athletes skip muscle-up practice because it feels impossible. Instead, build confidence, develop new skills, and gain strength step by step.
THE WORKOUT PROGRESSIONS
Strict Amanda
9-7-5 reps for time of:
Strict ring muscle-ups
Squat snatches
Beginner Athlete
Each round complete:
Round of 9: 9 ring pull-ups (low rings) + 9-second band-assisted ring-support hold
Round of 7: 7 ring pull-ups (low rings) + 7-second band-assisted ring-support hold
Round of 5: 5 ring pull-ups (low rings) + 5-second band-assisted ring-support hold
For the beginner, you are working on the pull and the stabilizer muscles needed for rings.
Intermediate Athlete
Round of 9: 5 box ring muscle-ups or 5 toe-assisted ring muscle-ups
Round of 7: 4 box ring muscle-ups or 4 toe-assisted ring muscle-ups
Round of 5: 3 box ring muscle-ups or 3 toe-assisted ring muscle-ups
You are working through the full skill by deloading the body. Reps are taken down so the stimulus of the workout stays intact, and you don’t resort to poor movement quality because the reps are too high and you become too fatigued.
Practice
Success in the gymnastics portion of CrossFit requires regular practice, not just attempts during the workout. Therefore, doing drills and warm-ups outside of class will help you feel even more prepared the next time ring muscle-ups appear in the workout.
Do these movements three times a week for the next three weeks.
Day 1
6 rounds, 3 rounds of each skill below, 30 seconds of work/30 seconds of rest:
- Beginner – Push-ups and chin-ups on bar
- Intermediate – Heel box ring dip and false-grip pull-ups
Day 2
Accumulate 2 minutes of practice:
- Beginner: Band-assisted ring-support hold
- Intermediate – Ring-support tuck-ups
Day 3
3 rounds, 1 minute of rest between sets:
- Beginner – Toe-assisted ring muscle-ups (lower rings to make it easier)
- Intermediate – Box ring muscle-ups (lower box to make it easier)
Drills and Warm-Ups
A few quality drills and warm-ups include:
About the Author
Pamela Gagnon is the co-creator of Performance Plus Programming and can help you get your first ring muscle-up in less than five weeks. She is a four-time Masters CrossFit Games athlete and a former D1 Gymnast. As a CF-L2, she was a lead coach for eight years with the CrossFit Gymnastics Course. She also currently writes gymnastics programming for CrossFit Mayhem.
How to Get Your First Ring Muscle-Up: Strength, Progressions, and Drills