How to make a muscle-up ring: technique and progression

The muscle-up ring is a particularly difficult gymnastic movement to perform, but one with countless benefits. It involves different parts of the body and requires precise, controlled technique. Here, WODANDGO takes you through the various steps and tricks involved in this exercise.

The False Grip, the exercise to prepare for the muscle-up ring

Successful muscle-up rings start with a good wrist preparation using the False Grip. With a slow, controlled action, you pull the rings towards your chest, keeping your elbows tight. When the rings are close enough to your body, pick up the pace.

Pull your arms back as far as possible and lean forward. Your reflex will be to move your legs forward to restore balance; don’t resist this movement, but keep them well sheathed. Keep them straight and contract your abdominal muscles. Make sure your hands are slightly above your hips.

The False Grip allows you to make a successful transition from pull to dip. That’s why you need to break your wrists enough to catch the rings with the middle of your palms, not your fingertips. You can start with supports suspended at eye level before moving on to greater heights.

Swing and pull, essential movements for the muscle-up ring

The swing is the movement that gives you the speed you need to get over the supports. To execute it correctly, use small amplitudes. Avoid swinging too far so that the rings don’t go flying off in all directions. Keep your body in a Hollow Rock position: your trunk should be sufficiently engaged to allow you to make dynamic movements.

To succeed in your muscle-up ring, the pull-up movement will help you. This should be performed as you pull your arms and hips up towards the rings. If done correctly, you should be able to see your feet. Keep your shoulders higher than your toes to ease the transition to the dip.

The pullover can be a difficult exercise even for experts. That’s why you need to do some training before you start. You can perform Chest-to-Ring Kipping several times to master the movement. Increase the height as you become more comfortable.

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The swing-pull-dip transition

In the transition stage, bring your heels towards your buttocks and let gravity carry you. Make sure your knees are high enough to facilitate shoulder movement and keep you light. Think of this exercise as a quick sit-up or a headbutt into a ball as you pull the rings towards your chest.

The transition is certainly themost difficult stage of the muscle-up ring. Poor timing or an inefficient swing can cause imbalance. For this reason, you can do some preliminary training with boxes or jerk blocks to master the movement.

The dip to close the muscle-up ring

At this stage, you should pull your knees up as your chest reaches the level of the rings. This will put you in the ideal position for the muscle-up ring repetition. This exercise is very similar to the pull-ups, involving the triceps, pectorals and anterior deltoids.

During this movement, look straight ahead. If you can’t, you’re too low and you’ll have trouble getting up from your position.

Make sure you maintain tension throughout your body to maximize the power of your movement. This allows you to control your stability for smoother, more efficient movements.

A few exercises for rapid progress in the muscle-up ring

If you want to make rapid progress with your muscle-up, incorporate the Russian Dip into your training. Place your forearms and palms in contact with the top of a box or jerk block. Then propel yourself to bring your shoulders and elbows down. Return to the starting position and repeat the sequence. This exercise will help you gain confidence for the transition stage of the muscle-up ring.

You can also opt for the Weighted Pull-Up, which promotes the development of upper-body strength. This exercise combines pull-ups and weighted dips with rings or a barbell to stimulate the strengthening of back and chest muscles.

Also try the Handstand Push-Up. It engages the glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps. To perform it, you need a gym or yoga mat. Make sure your toes are pointing towards the ceiling and your elbows are at a 45° angle to the downstroke and upstroke.

The muscle-up ring is an exercise that works various parts of the body. Good preparation and mastery of all 4 movements are required for perfect execution. The Russian Dip, Weighted Pull-Up and Handstand Push-Up can all be integrated to give you an interesting way of developing your muscles.