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Beginner

Ring Rows

Build powerful pulling strength with this fundamental ring exercise. Ring rows develop the back, biceps, and grip while teaching proper shoulder mechanics for advanced pulling movements.

2-4 weeks

Focus Areas

Foundation Strength Back Shoulders Core

Prerequisites

Basic plank hold for 30 seconds
Ability to hang from rings for 10+ seconds
Understanding of scapular retraction
Core awareness and engagement

Ring rows are the gateway to mastering pulling movements on gymnastics rings. This horizontal pulling exercise involves suspending your body beneath the rings and pulling your chest up to meet them, creating the perfect progression toward pull-ups and muscle-ups. The adjustable difficulty—simply by changing your body angle—makes ring rows accessible to beginners while remaining challenging for advanced practitioners seeking perfect form and control.

At Beyond Movement, ring rows form the foundation of our pulling strength curriculum. The instability of the rings demands not just raw strength but also shoulder stabilization, core engagement, and grip endurance. We teach students to view ring rows not as a simple exercise, but as a skill requiring precise technique: maintaining a rigid plank position, initiating the pull from the lats, and achieving full range of motion with the rings touching the chest.

The beauty of ring rows lies in their scalability and transferability. By adjusting foot position, you can precisely match the exercise to your current strength level, ensuring consistent progress without plateau. The movement patterns developed through ring rows directly transfer to pull-ups, muscle-ups, front levers, and even climbing movements. For those dealing with shoulder issues, ring rows offer a joint-friendly alternative to fixed-bar exercises, as the rings allow natural rotation throughout the movement.

Prerequisites

Master these skills first:

  • Basic plank hold for 30 seconds
  • Ability to hang from rings for 10+ seconds
  • Understanding of scapular retraction
  • Core awareness and engagement

Common Mistakes

Avoid these errors:

  • Sagging hips during pull

    Instead: Maintain rigid plank position throughout entire movement

  • Partial range of motion

    Instead: Pull until rings touch chest, fully extend arms at bottom

  • Flared elbows

    Instead: Keep elbows at 45 degrees to protect shoulders

  • Using momentum

    Instead: Control both concentric and eccentric phases

  • Incorrect ring height

    Instead: Set rings at hip height for standard progression

Ready to Master Ring Rows?

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