At least since the pandemic, we have all realized that many roads lead to Rome in the truest sense of the word. Science and research also agree with this idea in all respects: muscle building does not only refer to the scheme F, which has to be stubbornly toiled away without innovation. After all, it's about irritating your body so that it has to change. Angry tongues would claim that sport and being an athlete actually results from a healthy dose of self-bullying. The pandemic has also put the focus of us Weekend Warriors on new, simpler things: simply the new is better! So it is not surprising that puristic sports such as calisthenics or "prison workouts" have regained popularity. The wodstore team took a closer look at one of these torture devices for you. We explain where rings come from and what benefits can be triggered by using them in WOD!
A Pair of Rings to Rule Them: The Origin
Even if the sport of gymnastics and gymnastics is quite an old sport, according to historical records, rings joined the ensemble at a later date, alongside parallel bars and bucks. Gymnastic rings were first performed in Germany around 1840, when they still had flowery names like "Ringschwebel" or "Roman rings". But the "naturalization" of the rings in competitive sports, so that later functional fitness could also benefit from them, happened much later. It was not until 1903 at an international tournament in Belgium that rings were used and received lasting attention. However, one difference remains compared to today's wooden tormentors: At the beginning of the 20th century, the dominant ring shape was still triangular, not round as it is today.
The past modernity:
Germany was a latecomer in implementing gymnastics rings. A well-equipped gym with a reasonable ceiling height was often not mentioned. Only in the 1920s, but probably in the 1940s, did the sporting boost literally come. With the growing public interest in gymnastics, the rings also got a bit of the general media hype. Combined with use by showmen, artists and the like, gymnastic rings became a symbol of what the human body is capable of. After all, at gymnastics rings one was as close to flying as one could get at that time.
A tip on the side:
Since the beginning, gymnasts have used so-called gymnastic straps and magnesium to improve their grip and avoid injuries in the palms of the hands. If you take a minute and google for gymnastic straps, you will surely notice one thing: the grips from Bear CompleX and Co are almost the same! Only the materials have been improved over time, the models have been refined in terms of concept and applicability. Thanks to companies like PicSil or Bear CompleX, the same applies once again: More comfort with the same concept. What is worth waiting for! (Except for snatches. This principle never applies here. After all, nothing and nobody helps with snatches.)
Help for your home gym:
Although we have now explained the history of gymnastics rings to you, the actual carryover in the daily struggle for more strength has not yet become entirely clear. That's why we give you a few incentives why rings are a useful addition to your plan:
1. Get to the core!
Stability is one of the most important qualities in the sport of fitness. No matter how strong your individual muscle groups are, if they don't work together, they're proven to be of no great help to you. But just imagine that there are tools that can tense up your entire organism in a matter of seconds. It doesn't have to be an Iron Cross, just a ring hold or L-Sit sets stimuli that are much stronger and more strenuous than on a simple parallel bar due to the moving rings. The momentum, which has to be balanced in the exercise, is transferred to the smallest muscle groups and ensures neural connections. The result is clear: You will not only become stronger, but also more efficient. With the help of rings you get to know your body without having to resort to mobility alone!
2. Grab it - your grip will thank you!
Rings are the better pull-up bar, at least in some cases. The rings from manufacturers like Via Fortis, which we stock at wodstore, mean that your hands have to do more work. After all, the rings tend to swing back and forth with an incorrectly tared movement. In order to get to the pull-up or muscle up anyway, it takes more effort in the hands and forearms. Rings also give you an advantage in exercises with kettlebells or deadlifts, even though you don't train explicitly for them. Prepare for the unknown? Absolutely no problem with rings!
3. No fear of heights on the run!
Airy heights, that's the space where Olympians like Andy Toba have to move as gymnasts. And you too can use the number one calisthenics tool to get your head used to a position above normal height. Our tip: don't jump in at the deep end, your fear will only go away over time. It is much more likely that you can improve yourself and thus ensure a piece of “height progress”. Not only do you learn to move your body off the ground. It also gives you security in the next boxing match or on the next throwdown. Rings as a therapy? Sure, it's just a matter of perspective!
4. Height-adjustable means scalable
Not everyone fell to earth as a full-time athlete. Not everyone is created equal as a Master of Calisthenics, as is the case with many sponsored athletes on Team Via Fortis. But that is not the claim that you should emulate. Rather, the goal is for you to get better and feel better at the end of a gymnast workout than you did before. While wall-ball targets and pull-up bars are fixed at a certain height, rings can be easily and securely attached to your height using the straps. This makes Via Fortis a manufacturer who indirectly also stands for inclusion - after all, rings also provide sweat-inducing impulses from a wheelchair or at hip height. Stay creative, adapt your workout to you. This is progress!
How about you in box and home gym? Do you use manufacturers like Via Fortis and rings in particular to become master of your body weight? Share it with us in the comments!