Ring Muscle Ups: Muscles Worked and More

The ring muscle up is a highly advanced calisthenics exercise targeting nearly every muscle in the upper body.

The actual execution of the movement is considered highly technical, but essentially boils down to performing a pull-up before transitioning to a chest dip through pure muscular strength and control alone.

Ring Muscle Ups at a Glance

Equipment Requirements

Gymnastic Rings

Main Muscles Targeted

Pectorals, Latissimus Dorsi, Triceps Brachii, Biceps brachii

Difficulty

Advanced

Sets, Reps, and Load Recommendations

2-3 Sets of 5-8 Repetitions with Bodyweight Alone

How to Do a Ring Muscle Up

1. To perform a repetition of the ring muscle up, the lifter begins by hanging from both rings with the hands in a neutral grip. The feet must be set close together with the core braced and the chest pushed outwards, providing stability throughout the set.
2. Squeezing the latissimus dorsi and allowing the legs to rotate forwards at the hips, the lifter performs a pull-up by drawing their trunk upwards towards the rings as it tilts backwards - creating a diagonal angle.
3. Once the head and neck are positioned over the ring (the top of the pull-up), the lifter explosively pushes their hip back and drives their upper body over the rings, as if transitioning to the deepest part of a chest dip repetition.
4. Now positioned with the chest and shoulders over the rings and the elbows bent behind the body, the lifter drives through their palms and extends their elbows - forming a nearly vertical line with the body as they push themselves over the rings.
5. At this point, the repetition is considered to be complete. Remember that the entire repetition is performed in rapid succession, meaning that pausing between each step may lead to a loss in momentum and a failed repetition.

Additional Tips:

For lifters new to the ring muscle up, it can be useful to instead perform a kipping muscle up, where additional momentum and force are generated by swinging the legs horizontally. 

Apart from helping build the necessary muscle to complete a strict repetition, doing so also helps teach bodily control while working with gymnastic rings.

What Muscles do Ring Muscle Ups Work?

Ring muscle ups are the very definition of a compound movement. 

Apart from targeting the larger muscles of the upper body (pectorals, lats), the majority of the smaller muscle groups are also worked in a secondary capacity.

This includes all three deltoid heads, the rotator cuff muscles, the biceps brachii, the triceps brachii and even the trapezius during the mid-point of the repetition.

Common Ring Muscle Up Mistakes to Avoid

The ring muscle up is among one of the most technical exercises out there. Apart from paying attention to your entire technique as a whole, watch out for the following common mistakes.

Pulling the Elbows Together During the Initial Pull

It is important to think of the initial pull of a muscle up as a cross between an upright row and a pull-up. 

Pulling the elbows towards each other at the front of the trunk will not only limit activation of certain back muscles. What’s more, doing so also causes the arms to get in the way when transitioning to the second half of the rep.

In order to avoid making this particular mistake, lifters should seek to pull their elbows both out to the sides and behind the body - as if performing a face pull from a vertical angle.

Attempting the Dip or “Push” Too Early

In order to properly engage the triceps and chest, the lifter should ensure that the upper half of the torso is raised over the rings prior to pushing upwards.

Attempting this dip-like motion too early may simply push the body away from the rings or lead to a failed repetition, as the wrong muscles will be activated.

One excellent cue to follow is to ensure that the rings can be pushed downwards beneath the palms without the trunk being moved horizontally. If the body only moves vertically upwards, it is the ideal time to begin the dipping motion.

Failing to Contract the Core

Throughout the entire repetition, the “hollow body” position of the abdomen must be held. This involves properly contracting the abdominal muscles while maintaining intra-abdominal pressure through correct bracing.

Failing to properly maintain control over the core can lead to a loose lower body and reduced energy efficiency for the dynamic mobilizer muscles. 

Essentially, poor core contraction will cause the entire muscle up to become more difficult.

During the initial pull of the repetition, the lifter should seek to “pull their ribs towards their stomach” through abdominal contraction as they simultaneously squeeze their glutes. 

Pulling Hips/Legs Forward Too Late

Though the initial pull of the muscle up is most comparable to a pull-up, it is not an exact replica of the movement as some forward swinging of the legs is needed. This is done to properly balance the movement and assist with the transition to dips.

However, performing this portion of the movement too late will simply disbalance the lifter and lead to excessive strain on the back muscles.

During the initial half of the repetition, the legs should move forwards and the hips pulled back once the elbows have bent by several degrees. That is to say, such positioning will occur nearly immediately at the start of the repetition as the lats exert the initial force needed to pull the body upwards.

Who Should Do Ring Muscle Ups?

In truth, ring muscle ups are quite difficult to perform and even highly seasoned athletes occasionally have difficulty with them. 

If you are a novice or have never attempted muscle ups before, it is best to perform progression exercises rather than jumping straight to a strict muscle up.

If you have a history of injuries to any part of your upper body, avoid doing ring muscle ups without prior medical approval, as they can be quite taxing.

References

1. Walker, CW; Brunger, A; Tucker, S; and Lee, R (2017) "COMPARISON OF MUSCLE ACTIVITY DURING A RING MUSCLE UP AND BAR MUSCLE UP," International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 11: Iss. 5, Article 28.