Ring Dips

Ring dips are an advanced calisthenics pushing exercise that targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps while heavily engaging stabilizing muscles due to the instability of the rings. Unlike dips performed on parallel bars, ring dips require greater control and coordination, making them an excellent progression toward high-level gymnastics strength movements like muscle-ups and planche variations.

Before attempting ring dips, it’s important to have a solid foundation of upper-body strength. Being able to perform at least 10 parallel bar dips and hold a ring support hold for 15 seconds will help ensure that you have the necessary stability. Additionally, strong scapular control and shoulder mobility will aid in maintaining proper form and avoiding injury.

For this exercise, you’ll need a set of gymnastic rings securely attached to a stable overhead structure. The rings should be set at a height that allows you to jump or step into the support position with your feet off the ground. Chalk can be useful for grip, and wrist wraps may help if you have weak wrists. For beginners, resistance bands can be used for assistance, and for advanced athletes, weighted dips can be implemented for progression.

How to Perform Ring Dips

1. Setup: Adjust the rings to chest height and grip them firmly with your palms facing inward. Jump or step up into the top support hold, locking your elbows and engaging your shoulders.

2. Engage Your Core: Maintain a hollow body position by bracing your core, squeezing your glutes, and keeping your legs slightly in front of your body to minimize swinging. Keep the rings close to your body.

3. Lower Yourself: Slowly lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your torso. Descend until your shoulders are just below your elbows, or as deep as your mobility allows.

4. Pause at the Bottom: Briefly hold the bottom position to maintain control and avoid bouncing out of the dip.

5. Press Up: Push yourself back up to the starting position by extending your elbows and driving through your palms. Rotate the rings outward slightly at the top for better shoulder engagement.

6. Repeat for Repetitions: Perform the desired number of reps while maintaining control and avoiding excessive swinging.

Benefits of Ring Dips

• Superior Upper Body Strength Development: Engages the chest, triceps, and shoulders more intensely than regular dips due to the need for stabilization.

• Improves Ring Control and Stability: Strengthens the stabilizing muscles, enhancing body control for advanced ring exercises like muscle-ups.

• Increases Mobility and Joint Resilience: Encourages a full range of motion, helping improve shoulder and elbow flexibility.

• Carries Over to Muscle-Ups and Pressing Movements: Builds the pressing strength necessary for explosive movements.

• Engages Core Muscles More Than Parallel Bar Dips: The instability of the rings forces the core to work harder for stabilization.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Letting the Rings Drift Outward: Keep the rings as close to your body as possible to maintain stability and prevent excess strain on the shoulders.

• Elbows Flaring Outward: Keep your elbows tucked close to your torso to prevent unnecessary shoulder strain.

• Incomplete Range of Motion: Lowering only halfway reduces effectiveness; aim to descend until your shoulders are at least level with your elbows.

• Shrugging Shoulders at the Top: Actively press the shoulders down to maintain proper scapular positioning.

• Swinging or Rushing Through Reps: Move slowly and with control to avoid losing balance.

• Arching the Lower Back: Maintain a slight hollow body position to keep your core engaged and protect your lower back.

Gym Equivalent Exercises

• Parallel Bar Dips – A more stable variation to develop foundational strength before progressing to rings.

• Assisted Machine Dips – Provides support for building endurance and technique.

• Decline Push-Ups – Engages similar muscle groups with less intensity.

• Close-Grip Bench Press – Strengthens the triceps and chest for pushing power.

• Dumbbell Shoulder Press – Helps build overhead pressing strength, contributing to dip performance.

The primary muscles engaged in ring dips include:

•Triceps brachii – Extends the elbow to press the body back up.

•Pectoralis major – Provides the primary pushing force, particularly in the lower portion of the movement.

•Deltoids (anterior and lateral heads) – Assists in pressing movements and stabilizing the shoulder.

The secondary muscles involved include:

• Core muscles (rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis) – Helps maintain a stable body position.

•Forearms and grip muscles – Works to stabilize the rings.

•Scapular stabilizers (serratus anterior, lower traps, rhomboids) – Helps maintain proper shoulder position throughout the movement.

Ring dips are highly scalable, making them suitable for different fitness levels. Beginners can use foot-assisted variations, resistance bands, or negative reps to build strength. As strength improves, tempo control, weighted dips, and L-sit variations can add intensity. The ability to adjust difficulty makes ring dips a key component of progressive calisthenics and gymnastics training, helping athletes build upper-body strength, control, and endurance for more advanced movements.