When ECQ had been announced, I definitely knew it would take a long time before I get to train at the box again. At home, I only have my speed rope and my mom’s pair of 4 lbs dumbbells to work with so having this thought in mind, I immediately realized that I had to get gym equipment at home.
I ended up getting a barbell (with pairs of plates), a pair of 25 lbs dumbbells, a 16 kg kettlebell, a 20” wooden plyobox - basically everything I used at the box. What I didn’t see myself getting was the gymnastic rings, but I thought what the heck, maybe I’d work on my pulls this ECQ.
I’ve been doing CrossFit for 2 years now and the pull-up is one of the most difficult movements for me. If you think about it, it’s quite a simple movement compared to snatching and cleaning a barbell. You’ll just have to pull yourself up! But why is it difficult for me? One thing’s for sure, I fell in love with the barbell too much, and haven’t been putting much work on my calisthenics. With the gymnastic rings at home, I get to work on my pull ups, without the excuse of not having a pull up bar.
With this gymnastic rings set up at home, I get to do a variety of ring rows to improve my pull-ups. I’ve also been doing core-strengthening holds with it.
Here’s one simple workout you could do with your gymnastic rings:
5 sets (not for time)
10 Ring body rows
30 second Ring support hold
So for those of you who do not have (the budget and/or the space for) a pull up bar, getting a set of gymnastic rings would be a good alternative. You also get to work on your skills without having to cover your hands with chalk!