Check out the 10 best calisthenics exercises to build muscle in the paragraphs below.
If you want to build muscle, there are a few paths you need to take. First of all, nutrition has to be on point. We are talking protein intake here, above anything else. Protein is the macronutrient necessary to help your muscle recover, thus growing bigger and stronger.
But nutrition alone won’t get you results. Although it is absolutely necessary to have a well balanced diet full of protein, most people think that the only way to build muscle is to work out hard.
While that is not wrong, you can certainly do wrong by choosing exercises that are suboptimal to build muscle. But how could you decide which exercises are better than others to build muscle? Well, that is why you clicked here, no?
So who came up with this list of the 10 best calisthenics exercises on rings to build muscle? Daniel Vadnal is an international calisthenic expert with decades of experience. In his YouTube channel titled FitnessFAQs, he talks mostly about bodyweight exercises, but also bodybuilding, and usually he has experts in the fitness industry to talk about anything and everything.
And if you didn’t know by now, but calisthenics exercises is just a fancy word for exercises that utilise only your bodyweight. Although that would mean you don’t need fitness equipment to perform these exercises, the list below is focused on the best exercises done in gymnastic rings – they are still using your bodyweight as counterweight to build muscle, but in the rings it gets a massive improvement.
And still they will get you stronger. Check it out.
10 Best Calisthenics Exercises on Rings to Build Muscle
1. Face Pull
This is a great exercise to hit your upper back and rear delts, giving you a stronger look from behind. By doing it with your bodyweight, and in a 45-degree angle with your arms facing up, you will be hitting the external rotation of your shoulders too, which is great to prevent injuries.
2. Push-Up
Push-ups hit your chest and shoulders and, depending on the variation, your triceps as well. However, if you perform this exercise on gymnastic rings, you can get much more out of this already awesome calisthenic exercise.
You will get a massive stretch on your muscles targeted, which is important to build muscle. If you do it in a decline, incline, or flat position, you hit different areas of your chest – and doing on gymnastic rings is a game changer which also increases the action on your scapulae.
Related: Best Push-Up Workout for People of All Fitness Levels
3. Inverted Row
Another exercise that targets your back that is great to pair up after doing push-ups because they hit antagonist muscles.
The free movement of the rings allows for a more natural range of motion, promoting joint health and reducing the risk of strain. Rings can be adjusted to different heights, making the exercise accessible for all fitness levels and allowing for progression by changing the body’s angle.
4. Chest Fly
Chest fly exercises provide multiple benefits, including enhanced pectoral strength and muscle development, as the movement specifically targets the chest muscles. The instability of the rings also requires greater engagement of the stabilizing muscles in the shoulders, core, and arms, leading to improved overall muscle coordination and strength.
This could be your go-to calisthenics exercise to hit your chest and improve size and strength.
5. Pelican Curl
This is a better exercise to hit your biceps compared to traditional curls as you are getting a bigger stretch on the muscle and stimulus as you will have your arms behind the body.
This exercise requires significant strength and control due to the extended position and the instability of the rings, which enhances muscle coordination and overall upper body strength.
6. Hang Knee Raise
This is essentially crunches using your legs as counterweight compared to regular crunches on the floor. This exercise is superior to the plank because of the stretch and squeeze part of the exercise, compared to a static contraction, Vadnal explains.
The instability of the rings requires greater engagement of the stabilizing muscles in the shoulders, arms, and back, leading to improved overall muscle coordination and upper body strength. This exercise also promotes grip strength, as maintaining a firm hold on the rings is essential.
If you think knee raises are too easy, you may change to a full leg raise.
7. Pike Push-Up
This is the bodyweight equivalent to overhead press, meaning the best exercise for your shoulders you can do without using any equipment. This exercise also promotes balance and control, as maintaining proper form on the rings demands greater focus.
Vadnal recommends doing this exercise elevating your feet on a box or chair to improve your body’s deficit. However, that is a very advanced variation – you can begin with normal pike push-ups on the floor while touching the forehead on the ground as you lower your body.
8. Chin-Up
Ah, the chin-up. Arguably the best exercise for biceps and a great back builder movement. Doing them on the ring allows people to be able to chin-up easier because of the ability to turn your wrists inwards and outwards when moving up and down.
“Expect your muscles to get fatigued without joints or tendon stress.”
9. Tricep Extension
Tricep extensions on gymnastic rings offer several key benefits, primarily targeting and strengthening the triceps for enhanced muscle development and upper arm strength. The instability of the rings requires additional engagement from the stabilizing muscles in the shoulders, core, and chest, promoting overall muscle coordination and functional strength.
This exercise can define and reshape your arm’s game.
10. Dip
A great exercise for the chest or the triceps. Flare out your elbows to hit the chest, and tuck them in if you want to build better triceps.
Doing dips on a ring makes the exercise more comfortable due to the freedom of the movement when going up and down. Strive to reach as low as possible while still being comfortable as the lower you go, the more stretched your muscles will get and the more strength you are pumping into your body.
Are you going to incorporate ring movements and use any of these best calisthenics exercises to build next time you work out? We surely hope so.
Read More: The Only 8 Bodyweight Exercises You Need to Build Muscle Fast