Ring Training?

[pu]

What exercises should be done on rings to complement climbing?

[Sol]

Here's a couple starting points for you:

 

Jeremy Blumel article on pg 31: Squamish Climbing Mag

 

 

I do rings 1-2x week and go through 1-3 sets of the following exercises:

 

• Around the World (Skin the cat)
  
• Archer Pull-ups (each arm separately)
  
• Reverse Push-ups (horizontal pull-ups)
  
• Muscle Up's
  
• L Sit to failure
  
• Dips/Weighted Dips
  
• Fly's
  
• Forward Fly's
  
• Push-ups
  

 

I started ring workouts to improve my compression strength and core strength for bouldering with dramatic and very quick results. Will Gadd has claimed it's the best non-climbing training for climbing.

 

I'll position my ring workout near the end of a weekly microcycle. Say I've climbed/trained 3-4 days in a row or 4 of 5 days or I have a mandatory break from climbing coming up i'll finish that cycle with a ring workout super-seted with shoulder mobility lifts/exercises and campus boarding.

 

BE CAREFUL!!! All of the above exercises can be made easier of harder depending on your abilities and strength. Best to start out as easy as possible, learning the correct form for each exercise. I add weights to make them harder. To make them easier I'll do the exercise on my knees, with 1-2 legs on a chair, or with bent knees depending on the workouts.

 

My reps will change depending on the cycle i'm working on and the exercise. In general, less reps for climbing specific exercises, and more reps for over-use/balancing exercises.

 

I'm often quite worked before I even start my ring workout and am very careful to shorten up my workouts as needed and position them so that I have 36-72 hours rest post ring workout.

 

The quivering shoulder instability will go away with time as you strengthen the small often weak and under-worked shoulder stabilizers. Good luck!

[pu]

Thanks Sol.

[Dannible]

Rings will make you strong in a hurry. Don't be discouraged at first, most of that stuff is pretty hard and you won't do it in good style. If you don't hurt the next day something is wrong.

[Kimmo]

What exercises should be done on rings to complement climbing?

 

depends on the climbing you do, but sol provided some nice links regardless.

 

 

[Rad]

Wow. thanks Sol. I've been thinking about doing this and now have the extra push needed. Where does one find the rings? Will any old straps do? How far apart are they set?

[chubler]

Rad - shot you a PM.

[genepires]

one can buy straps that are like rings that are on sale for just this week for about $60.

 

http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=PD&cid=114&pid=916

 

you could also make your own similar setup by getting two section of 4ft long small chain, couple quick links and some clear tubing large enough to fit over the chain. Make a small loop by getting the chain through the tubing and complete with the quick link. You can adjust height by clipping in a various points in the chain to anchor. This chains one negative is if you are a hairy bastard and are doing pushups on it, you may get some hairs stuck in the links. Nothing a long sleeve shirt doesn't fix.

[layton]

most climbers will already have the set-up

 

2 etriers and a daisy chain.

 

For some of the exercises, the rungs on the aiders are too painful. I had a couple grips that came with exercise tubing that I girth hitched on the aiders. If you don't have those, you could hunt around the house or home-depot and rig something cheap up for a better handle. Duct-tape a small dowel rod to the aider step?

[Sol]

I made mine very cheap using tips from this thread:

 

Crossfit forum

 

They work great and cost about $12. Mine are secured to rafters in the garage 18 inches apart. They are fully adjustable using a cam buckle fixed to the rings and one inch webbing fixed to the rafters.

 

Note: black straps on top are not part of the setup but are used for leg lift exercises.

 

GET STRONG!!!

[Bronco]

I've been using these for about a year: http://www.amazon.com/ProSource-Exercise-Fitness-Gymnastic-Rings/dp/B0031QCS8C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322849761&sr=8-1

 

I had some super ghetto home made rings for a year before and decided to invest the $37 in a nicer set. They are placed approximatly 24" appart.

[Sol]

Those look solid and reasonably priced.

[Kimmo]

so what do you guys do? are you all working towards an iron cross? muscle ups? and have you gotten big strength returns that affect your climbing?

 

did a ring workout two days ago with all the exercises listed in sol's link, plus attempts at lowering into iron cross; climbing doesn't get me sore anymore, but everything in my upper body hurts today. literally.

Edited December 2, 2011 by Kimmo

[Reid]

Commercial fishing supply stores will have plastic rings that are used in rigging nets. I got a pair at Seattle Marine and Fishing Supply (seamar.com) awhile ago. Strong and the biggest ones are a good size for gymnastic rings. Just add webbing

[Sol]

I don't train rings to achieve any type of particular ring skill (iron cross, muscle-ups, etc). Yes, I have noticed dramatic and quick improvements in compression based, core-focused climbing (bouldering, bouldery crux's like that 13 at nason..still not sent but improving).

 

I was drawn to the rings because I determined that I had very poor compression strength (something many of the hard boulders in Ltown require). They were recommended (by some strong climbers) as the best way to improve on this weakness and no doubt it worked. I sent the hard compression based projects I had and 2 years after beginning, i'd say that compression is now one of my strengths.

 

In that constant shift in focus to my weakness's, rings are more of a maintenance workout for me now. Once a week only and I don't mind missing a week here and there. Two many ring workouts at the wrong rep load and you will gain some muscle mass (most likely it wont hinder you on the boulders but it could on a rope..).

 

I like that ring workouts are body-weight exercises and the neural training/recruitment that comes from those type of motions. It's the hardest way to do dips, push-ups, fly's: mainstays of my PRehab to stave off overuse/imbalance injuries. I've also noticed an improvement in my skiing/boarding as I feel more able to control my body/core/tension when charging tight, techy ski lines.

[Kimmo]

 

thanks for feedback. i'm thinkin the next 2 months will see a buncha ring work for me. something i did today: i can't hold an iron cross, but i can if i put the rings halfway up my forearms. i could do lowers and raises and hold for a while, so i figure i'll slowly put em closer and closer to my wrists as i get stronger.

 

btw, what's stopping you on heart transplant? i remember the crux being a really high right foot, and throwing to a r hand crimp. v6 or v7, from what i remember....

[layton]

I don't train rings to achieve any type of particular ring skill (iron cross, muscle-ups, etc). Yes, I have noticed dramatic and quick improvements in compression based, core-focused climbing (bouldering, bouldery crux's like that 13 at nason..still not sent but improving).

 

I was drawn to the rings because I determined that I had very poor compression strength (something many of the hard boulders in Ltown require). They were recommended (by some strong climbers) as the best way to improve on this weakness and no doubt it worked. I sent the hard compression based projects I had and 2 years after beginning, i'd say that compression is now one of my strengths.

 

In that constant shift in focus to my weakness's, rings are more of a maintenance workout for me now. Once a week only and I don't mind missing a week here and there. Two many ring workouts at the wrong rep load and you will gain some muscle mass (most likely it wont hinder you on the boulders but it could on a rope..).

 

I like that ring workouts are body-weight exercises and the neural training/recruitment that comes from those type of motions. It's the hardest way to do dips, push-ups, fly's: mainstays of my PRehab to stave off overuse/imbalance injuries. I've also noticed an improvement in my skiing/boarding as I feel more able to control my body/core/tension when charging tight, techy ski lines.

 

What he said.

rings are the new swiss ball which were the new stability board which was the new foam roller etc etc

 

rings are just another iteration of stability training. sometimes they get popular (you can probably buy a swiss ball at the gas station) sometimes they don't (anyone own a body-blade?). It's funny since rings have been around forever, but are now being re-discovered and re-packaged (TRX $190!!!!). I'm

 

they are not "compression" strength specific, many other exercises can help (bench presses, flys, or push-ups anyone?), but the added level of instability works more than just the big dumb muscles.

 

for climbers not training for bear hugs and slick aretes, they are a great substitution for regular exercises to train antagonistics and stabilizers to prevent injury and gain core strength.

[Kimmo]

rings are the new swiss ball which were the new stability board which was the new foam roller etc etc

 

rings are just another iteration of stability training.

 

rilly? perhaps expertise in swiss balls is your domain:) but i doubt, no matter how fantastical, that they'll be short-listed for the next olympics (along with the stability board or the foam rollers).

 

point being: to do specific ring protocols requires tremendous strength, strength that is highly specific to rock climbing. and no, i don't think this type of strength is developed nearly as effectively with swiss balls (unless you know something i don't!).

 

it would take more than swiss balls to get me as sore as i am today, and i doubt the pain would be confined to my upper body.

[genepires]

rings are the new swiss ball which were the new stability board which was the new foam roller etc etc

 

rings are just another iteration of stability training.

 

rilly? perhaps expertise in swiss balls is your domain:) but i doubt, no matter how fantastical, that they'll be short-listed for the next olympics (along with the stability board or the foam rollers).

 

point being: to do specific ring protocols requires tremendous strength, strength that is highly specific to rock climbing. and no, i don't think this type of strength is developed nearly as effectively with swiss balls (unless you know something i don't!).

 

it would take more than swiss balls to get me as sore as i am today, and i doubt the pain would be confined to my upper body.

 

might be out of place to speak for Mike, but I think he was implying that rings may become the "hot" new tool to sweep over the fitness industry. The marketing tells us that we NEED a foam roller to loosen up the fascia, we need a bosu ball (balance boards too) to develop balance, swiss balls for core work, 5 different medicine balls, 6 stretch bands, and a shakeweight in a pear tree.

(really you gotta check out the shake weight!)

 

[Sol]

I understand what Mike is saying about fad exercise equipment and the recent popularity of rings but I cannot fathom getting a workout even close to a complete ring series with that other equipment.

 

btw, what's stopping you on heart transplant? i remember the crux being a really high right foot, and throwing to a r hand crimp. v6 or v7, from what i remember....

 

Oh man, i'd prolly help if i got on that rig more than 3x/year. I have heard about this high right foot but I haven't been able to figure out that sequence. I do a big move to the R crimp with low feet, hold the crimp, move the left foot a bit, then a hard, slappy, compression move with my left that I can't quite hold. It'll go, but i've been told there is a much easier sequence..

 

Leavenworth bouldering videos to get you psyched for a ring workout (get your crush on):

[video:vimeo]17479586

 

[video:vimeo]32357268

[layton]

kimmo, I agree with you and Sol. Gene summed my 2nd point up. I sandwiched two points in a poorly structured post, and it looks like I accidentally deleted a bunch of stuff.

 

the big reason I posted that was not for you guys. you obviously climb at a very high caliber and your training needs to be different. It was for climbers that want to emulate you guys, but aren't there yet. You guys are trying to tweak deficiencies you have for highly specific climbing moves.

 

sorry, one other thought. Rings are probably too difficult for rehabing a shoulder injury unless you are at a very late stage in your rehab regime where the strength is mostly back, pain is totally gone, and proprioceptive feedback needs to be reprogrammed (kinda like technique for your shoulder muscles).

[Kimmo]

the big reason I posted that was not for you guys. you obviously climb at a very high caliber and your training needs to be different. It was for climbers that want to emulate you guys, but aren't there yet.

 

ok cool, thanks for clarification. yeah i thought you were dismissing rings completely, and mainly because you thought them a fad.

 

yeah for a beginning climber, better ways to spend one's time i'm sure. unless one is simply siked on the rings.

 

interesting side-note: i read gymnastics moves are classified from A to E, A being easiest, and an iron cross is only a B.

[Sol]

Just to clarify, Kimmo is the high caliber rock crusher, i've simply been able to maintain my rock fitness while in nursing school (not an easy feat).

[layton]

do you have an example of an E?

full body flag?

[TBay]

... i read gymnastics moves are classified from A to E, A being easiest, and an iron cross is only a B.

 

the young guns have pushed the envelope into F class these days...

 

[video:youtube]

 

"A still rings routine with a 7.7 d-score.

 

Rodriguez F

Azarian Maltese F

Van Gelder E

Balandin II E

Layed out Yamawaki E

Back uprise Maltese E

Maltese press to inverted cross E

Layed out Honma to Handstand D

O'neill E

Layed out double double F

 

Difficulty: 5.2

Connection: N/A

Element groups: 2.5

 

Start Value: 17.7"

 

Note: the Uprise fwd. to inv. swallow with. supp. phase (2s) = Rodriguez = holy shit balls!

 

Ring Training Beta