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{"path":"Attachments/Gym-Rings-UK.pdf","text":"✓ ✓ ✓ GYM RINGS Follow us on social media! www.be-maxx.com Before you begin your workout, we would like to say a big THANK YOU for choosing bemaxx Gymnastics Rings! Your satisfaction is our priority! We want you to fully enjoy your bemaxx gym rings and ensure that you are completely satisfied! We have done our best to ensure that our gym rings are ideally adapted to the individual needs of our customers and that you can obtain the maximum benefit from this e-book. Can we still improve our gym rings or e-books? If so, please tell us how. We are 100% behind our claim to satisfy you. For special wishes or suggestions, you can contact us at any time under the following email address: support@pl-concepts.com We will do our best to make sure you are 100% satisfied. Please leave us a product review on Amazon! We would be very happy if you could leave us a short review on Amazon, it would help us enormously. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, where we post the latest sports and fitness news, helpful training tips, delicious recipes for cooking, as well as promotions, sweepstakes and training challenges put together by our experts. Are you interested in exclusive benefits, offers and product tests at greatly discounted prices well ahead of everyone else? Then join our bemaxx VIP Club now. More questions? If you have any more questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us any time - we'll be happy to help. First things first 1 Your bemaxx Team Congratulations on your decision to use our Gymnastics Rings in your training. This guide contains instructions to help you with the almost endless possibilities our gymnastics rings offer. Gymnastics rings have enjoyed almost unprecedented popularity in recent years thanks to the ongoing Crossfit boom, since you can train almost any muscle group with this compact equipment that you can use almost anywhere. Whether on tree branches, bars, hooks or using door anchors on any door, the straps are easily to mount and can be adjusted to any length quickly and easily using a quick-release buckle. From beginner to professional - rings offer a wide range of exercises and difficulty levels that will help you get the most out of your training and achieve your goals in the best possible way. What's special about the rings is their ability to link different complex movements and stress a large number of different muscle groups. However, their biggest advantage compared with other training equipment such as pull-up bars is the free movement of the rings, which results in less stress on the joints. For example, in a classic pull-up on the pull-up bar (whether using a prone or supine grip), both the wrist and the elbow joints are working in directions that are sub-optimal compared with the body's natural angles of rotation, which can increase the risk of injury. In contrast, on the rings, the hands and arms can rotate relatively freely. Furthermore, the range of exercises is considerably broader than with a pull-up bar and offers a nearly limitless spectrum of bodyweight exercises. In this guide, we would like to introduce you to the countless possibilities of this great training equipment and demonstrate how versatile and varied our gymnastics rings can be in your workouts and targeted training for nearly every imaginable muscle group. We hope you have a lot of fun and success in your training! Foreword 2 BE CREATIVE and win a bemaxx product of your choice! Post a photo with your new bemaxx product on Instagram Link us with @bemaxx_fitness and #wantmore You win if we post your photo! Important information 4 Never use this or any other sports equipment without training and without having read the relevant safety instructions carefully. Never perform any exercises if you do not feel safe or if they have not been demonstrated to you by a certified trainer or specialist. Never use this or any other sports equipment if you have found any faults with it. Get used to a new piece of sports equipment before you start using it for advanced exercises.. Before starting the exercises from this training program or those from any other document, ensure that your equipment is sufficiently maintained. Do not take any risks that exceed your experience, abilities or physical fitness. The training and nutritional guides in this or any other document are not medical guides but are instead designed for the purposes of training and information. They are not a replacement for exercises, treatments or dietary remedies prescribed by your doctor. Contact your doctor first before using the information in this or any other document. Please follow the advice of your doctor if it differs from what you find in this or any other document. If you use the information in this or any other document without first consulting your doctor, you do this at your own risk. bemaxx excludes liability in particular for damage or consequential damage and is not responsible for injuries or losses resulting directly or indirectly from the use or abuse of this product. The information in this or other documents is intended for persons over the age of 18 and is intended to complement, not replace, suitable training. All forms of physical activity entail some inherent risks. bemaxx therefore advises all users to take on full responsibility for their own health and to recognize and respect their own limitations. The contents of this website, especially text, photographs and graphics, are protected by copyright ( copyright ). Unless expressly indicated otherwise, copyright is held by PLConcepts GmbH & Co KG. Please contact us (PLConcepts GmbH & Co KG, Oberlaaer Straße 70, 1100 Wien,AT– Tel. +43 677 61269069) if you would like to use the contents of this website. Your all-in-one training device Care and safety instructions: Protect your training equipment from heat, dust, weather and direction sunlight. Do not allow the straps to come into contact with sharp-edged objects. Examine your gymnastic ring set before and after each workout for damage and wear and tear and replace it if necessary. Make sure the rings are securely fastened before starting your exercises. Always store your training equipment in a clean and dry place. bemaxx Gymnastics Rings are the perfect training equipment for your home or even on the go. Depending on the exercise and method of execution, they can provide highly effective full-body training for both beginners and professionals and performance athletes. Components of the complete set: ✓ 2 wooden gymnastics rings: specially layered virgin wood for maximum resilience, the most comfortable grip possible and maximum durability (diameter 23.0cm/thickness 2.9cm) ✓ 2 high-strength nylon straps: wide nylon straps (3.8cm) with a total length of 4.5m for maximum flexibility and resilience ✓ 2 quick-release buckles: for simple and continuous adjustment while maintaining safety ✓ 1 door anchor: perfect attachment to almost any lockable door - simply fasten between doorframes, close the door and begin your workout. ✓ 1 exclusive training guide: detailed exercise descriptions, tips and training plans, provided as PDFs for your conveniencemax. Load capacity (per side): 300kg Door anchor Fast buckle closure 6 The right attachment Your bemaxx Gymnastics Rings can be used and fastened in an unbelievable variety of ways. You can attach the straps to a tree branch outside, or to a horizontal bar using the supplied door anchor. This means they can be used at any time and in any place. The following illustration shows in 5 easy steps what to look out for when fastening your rings, how to do this quickly and simply and how to guarantee that your workout is as safe as possible. Also, keep in mind that the gymnastics rings and their accessories will wear out over time - so it's especially important that you examine your set before and after training for weak points! Always make sure the mounting point is stable enough to support your ring workout! Also, the surface of the attachment point should always be smooth to stop the strap chafing. Before each workout, check that the quick-release fastener is working correctly and is attached firmly (by carefully leaning into the tensioned strap with your bodyweight). ! NOTE! Incorrect use or non-compliance with the safety instructions can lead to serious injuries. Training at height is potentially dangerous! You must take responsibility for your safety! Step 1: Feed the strap from below through the quick-release fastener by pressing the buckle downwards. Step 2: Pull the strap through the buckle until the rings are at the desired height. Step 3: When you have reached the optimum length, double check that the buckle is properly and securely fastened. Step 4: You can easily fix any extra strap length in place using the attached hook and loop fastener. Step 5: Make sure the quick- release fastener does not touch the wooden ring or the fastening point. 7 If you watch a ring gymnast during freestyle performances or while they are training, you will quickly notice that these athletes have very defined shoulder, arm and trunk musculature. This is especially impressive because many of these athletes train almost exclusively with their own bodyweight - and still develop enormous total-body strength without heavy weight training. In addition, the rings move freely, which has two desirable side effects: one, that the joints are under less load (than if you train on a horizontal bar or pull-up bar, for example), because the joints can rotate in ways that come more naturally to the body. Two, this free movement means that lots of different muscle groups have to work together to stabilise the body. This will quickly reveal any weak points in your muscles and it will be necessary to devote time to improving these weak points to continue to improve performance on the rings - this gives ring training high diagnostic significance. Another positive aspect of this type of training its peculiar ability to 'force' the exercises to be done with clean and correct form, to a certain extent. Of course, it is possible to do the exercises wrong, but it is usually more difficult than to do them correctly. Here is a small example to illustrate this point: Try to do a ring push up in 2 different ways: first, by making sure you maintain full-body tension (head to foot), and then by making a conscious effort to relax and slacken the centre of your body. You will observe that the ring push up is considerably can be done in a more efficient and economical way when you maintain body tension. General Training Tips (I/II) Version 1: Ring push up with special focus on body tension Variant 2: Ring push-up while neglecting body tension 9 General Training Tips (II/II) All of these factors make rings some of the overall most effective training equipment that can be used with body weight alone, and also offers the opportunity of carrying out highly effective full-body training any time, whether you are in the office, outdoors, on holiday or at home. In this guide, we will show you the basic ring exercises step by step. We will also give you a few tips on making the exercises easier or more difficult. The exercises are mainly divided into those you can do easily, any time and anywhere with the supplied door anchor and exercises for which you need free hanging rings - mounted, for example, on a horizontal bar, a tree branch or similar. However, we should mention one thing: your short- and medium-term goal should be first to be able to do the exercises from the beginning of this guide with good form and at the highest difficulty level. If you work towards perfecting your technique and movements, your strength will automatically improve - we can promise you that much in advance. Once you have done that, there is nothing standing between you and other intensive training stimuli (such as training with weight vests or belts). ☺ 10 Part 1: Exercises with the door anchorAttaching the door anchor To help you get the greatest benefit out of your new equipment, we have provided a door anchor with the set that allows you to attach your rings quickly and easily to almost any lockable door. Whether you are at the office, in a hotel room, or on your own at home, you can mount your rings any time and anywhere quickly and easily and get started with your training and workouts. The following illustrations show you what you should look out for in particular when using the door anchor. Please note that the door anchor will wear out over time - so it is especially important that you examine them before and after training and replace them in good time if necessary. Step 1: Attach the door anchor between the door and the doorframe so that the two loops are on one side of the door and the door anchor is on the other side. Step 2: Close the door and make sure the anchor is tightly fixed between the door and the doorframe. Be aware particularly of other people who might open the door while you are training. Lock the door if possible. Step 3: Pull your nylon straps through the loops on the door anchor and adjust the length to your requirements and the requirements of the exercise using the quick-release buckle. ! 12 Legs Ring Pistol Squats Facing the door, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the rings at around stomach height with both hands. Now lift one leg off the ground, fully extended, and lean backwards slightly. Lower the hips with your back straight until the raised leg is roughly parallel to the ground. The heel must remain on the ground throughout the exercise. Then, slowly stand back up and repeat the exercise. Ring Lunges With your back to the door, bend the leg (around 90°) and climb into one of the rings. Press the rear knee backwards far enough that the front knee is bent at around 90°. Then go back into the starting position and repeat the exercise. Ring Hamstring Curls Lie flat while facing the door and put your feet through the rings. Stretch out your body by lifting your hips slightly. Now, pull your knees in until they they are directly above your hips. Hold this position for a moment and then return to the starting position. Ring Hip Press Lie on your back with bent legs while facing the door and put your feet through the rings. Now push your heels downwards and lift your hips until your body is straight from your neck to your knees. Hold this position for a moment and then return to the starting position. 13 Low Ring Rows Facing the door, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the rings with your arms extended and lean backwards. (how back far you lean determines the level of difficulty). Be especially careful to maintain tension throughout your body for the duration of the exercise and keep the middle of your body straight. Pull yourself (with your elbows tucked in close to your body) up to the rings. Hold this position for a moment and then return to the starting position. Ring Deltoid Flys Facing the door, stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold the rings with your arms extended and lean backwards. (how back far you lean determines the level of difficulty). Be especially careful to maintain tension throughout your body for the duration of the exercise. Now pull your extended arms outwards until they are roughly to the left and right of the shoulders. Hold this position for a moment and then return to the starting position. High Ring Rows Facing the door, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the rings with your arms extended and lean backwards. (how back far you lean determines the level of difficulty). Be especially careful to maintain tension throughout your body for the duration of the exercise. Pull yourself (with high elbows pointing outwards) up to the rings. Hold this position for a moment and then return to the starting position. Ring Swimmer Pull Facing the door, stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold the rings with your arms extended and lean backwards. (how back far you lean determines the level of difficulty). Be especially careful to maintain tension throughout your body for the duration of the exercise. Now pull your extended arms directly downwards until they are to the right and left of your pelvis. Hold this position for a moment and then return to the starting position. Back 14 Chest Ring Chest Press With your back to the door, stand with feet approximately hip-width apart and hold both rings with your arms extended. Now bend the elbow joint until the rings touch your chest. Hold this position for a moment and then return to the starting position. Ring Chest Flys With your back to the door, stand with feet approximately hip-width apart and hold both rings with your arms extended. Now allow your slightly bent arms to move slowly past the right and left of your body until they are near your shoulders. Hold this position for a moment and then return to the starting position. Ring Pull-Overs With your back to the door, stand with feet approximately hip-width apart and hold both rings with your arms extended. Now, move your extended arms upwards (by leaning forwards at the same time) until they are in line with your body. Hold this position for a moment and then return to the starting position by pushing your extended arms back down. Atomic Push-Ups With your back to the door, lie flat with your stomach on the floor. Put your feet in the rings. Now, with your body straight, extend your arms - this is the starting position. Now bend your elbows until your chest touches the ground. Hold this position for a moment and then return to the starting position. Then, pull your legs in until they touch the chest. Now go back to the starting position. 16 Abs Ring Knee Tucks With your back to the door, go into the push-up position and put your feet in the rings. Make sure you maintain tension throughout your body! From this position, pull in your knees until they (almost) touch your chest. Then go back to the starting position and repeat the exercise. Ring Rollouts Kneel with your back facing the door and on the floor and hold the rings with extended arms in front of your body at approximately waist height. Now, raise your arms by leaning forwards until they are extended and roughly in line with the rest of your body. Make sure your maintain body tension (from your head to your knee)! Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise by lowering your extended arms and consciously contracting your abs. Ring Plank With your back to the door, lie flat with your stomach on the floor. Put your feet in the rings. Now support yourself on your elbows so that they are at a 90° angle and extend your body. Pay particular attention to body tension and maintain this position for as long as possible. After a short break, repeat the exercise. Ring Oblique Crunches With your back to the door, lie flat with your stomach on the floor. Put your feet in the rings. Now support yourself on your elbows so that they are at a 90° angle and extend your body. From this position, pull your legs in until your left knee touches your right elbow. Then, return to the starting position and repeat the exercise by moving your right knee to the left elbow. 17 Arms Ring Triceps Press With your back to the door, stand with feet approximately hip-width apart and hold both rings with your arms extended forwards. Lean as far forwards as possible (the angle of your lean will determine the exercise's level of difficulty). From this position, bend the elbow until your hands are approximately at the level of your ears - the upper arm must remain stable (do not turn them out). Only the forearm should move. Then, push the lower arm forwards to return to the starting position. Ring Biceps Curls Looking towards the door, hold both rings with arms extended forwards. Then, slowly lean backwards (the angle of the lean will determine the exercise's level of difficulty). Now, pull your hands towards your head - the upper arm must remain stable; only the forearm should move. Hold this position for a few seconds and then return to the starting position. Ring Dips Hold the rings with your back to the door. The arms should be extended and facing downwards. Now, bend your elbow and lower your body until the elbow is at roughly a 90° angle. Hold this position for a few seconds and then return to the starting position. Make sure the rings remain close to the body throughout the exercise. Single-Arm Ring Biceps Curls Looking at the door, hold a ring with your arm extended forwards and turn your entire body sideways. Then, lean slowly away from the door (the angle of the lean determines this exercise's level of difficulty). Now, pull your hand towards your head - the upper arm must remain stable; only the forearm should move. Hold this position for a few seconds and then return to the starting position or change sides. 18 Part 2: Exercises on free hanging rings Ring Push-Up Regression The regression version is the easiest version of the three described here. To do this, set the rings at around waist height. Looking forwards, hold the rings with your arms extended and lean forwards (the angle of the lean determines this exercise's level of difficulty). Holding your elbows close to your body, bent your elbows until your chest is roughly at the lower edge of the rings. Hold this position for a few seconds and then push yourself back to the starting position. Always make sure to maintain body tension. Ring Push-Up Progression The progression version is the most difficult of the three described here. To do this, set the rings at around floor level. Now, hold the rings with your arms extended and place your feet on a raised object (e.g. a bench or a chair) - keep your body straight while you do this! Holding your elbows close to your body, bent your elbows until your chest is roughly at the lower edge of the rings. Hold this position for a few seconds and then push yourself back to the starting position. Always make sure to maintain body tension. Ring Push-Up Set the rings at around floor level. Hold the rings with your arms extended - keep your body straight. Holding your elbows close to your body, bent your elbows until your chest is roughly at the lower edge of the rings. Hold this position for a few seconds and then push yourself back to the starting position. Tip: The wider your stance, the more stable and easier the exercise. Ring-Push-Ups (Variations) 20 Ring Row Set the rings at around waist height. Lie with your back to the floor and hold the rings with your arms extended - keep your body straight. Only the heels must touch the ground. Your feet should be around hip-width apart. Now pull the rings until your chest touches them. Hold the position for a moment and then slowly return to the starting position. Ring Row Regression The regression version is the easiest version of the three described here. Adjust the rings to be around head height. Grab the rings with your arms extended and lean backwards - keep your body straight. The angle of the lean will determine the exercise's level of difficulty. Only the heels must touch the ground. Your feet should be around hip-width apart. Now pull the rings until your chest touches them. Hold the position for a moment and then slowly return to the starting position. Always make sure to maintain body tension. Ring Row Progression The progression version is the most difficult of the three described here. Set the rings at around waist height. Lie with your back on the floor and grab the rings with your arms extended. Place your feet on a raised object (e.g. a bench or chair). Keep your body straight while you do this. Now pull the rings until your chest touches them. Hold the position for a moment and then slowly return to the starting position. Always make sure to maintain body tension. Ring Rows (Variations) 21 Ring Pull-Up Regression The regression version is the easiest version of the three described here. Adjust the rings to be around head height. Now hold the rings with both hands and lean backwards with your body bent at the hip. Only the heels must touch the ground. Your feet should be around hip-width apart. Now pull (make a conscious effort to pull with your back) upwards until your chin passes the lower edge of the rings. Hold this position for a moment and then slowly return to the starting position. Ring Pull-Up Progression The progression version is the most difficult of the three described here. Its execution is the same as the first version but the intensity increases because you use weights to artificially increase your body weight. This can be done with weight vests or belts, or you can cross your legs and hold a medicine ball or dumbbell between them. Please make sure you perform the exercise with good form! Ring Pull-Up Adjust the rings so that you can hold them while your arms are extended overhead (or a bit higher if you want). Now grab the rings. From this hanging position, pull your shoulders backwards and tighten your ab muscles. Now pull from your back upwards until your chin passes the lower edge of the rings. Hold this position for a moment and then slowly return to the starting position. Ring Pull-Ups (Variations) 22 Ring Dip Adjust the rings to approximately waist level. Now get into the support position (see figure) and hold the arms extended, close to your body and slightly rotated outwards. Slowly bring your shoulders forwards and your elbows backwards. Lower yourself with your upper body upright until your shoulders are roughly at the level of your elbows (or slightly below). Hold this position for a few seconds and then push yourself back to the starting position. Make sure in particular that your elbows stay tight to the sides of your body throughout the exercise. Ring Dip Regression The regression version is the easiest version of the three described here. This is done in the same way as the first versions, except that you put your feet on the floor in front of you and use it for support during the Ring Dip. Keeping your body upright throughout the exercise, make a conscious effort to keep your arms close to your body! Ring Dip Progression The progression version is the most difficult of the three described here. Its execution is the same as the first version but the intensity increases because you use weights to artificially increase your body weight. This can be done with weight vests or belts, or you can cross your legs and hold a medicine ball or dumbbell between them. Please make sure you perform the exercise with good form! Ring Dips (Variations) 24 Ring Raise Regression The regression version is the easiest version of the three described here. You start this exercise from the hanging position, just like with the other version. Now pull your bent legs in as far as possible - at least until your thighs form a 90° angle to the rest of your body. Hold this position briefly and then lower yourself again slowly. Ring Raise Progression The progression version is the most difficult of the three described here. This is similar to the first version, but here we are trying to touch the rings with our legs extended from the hanging position. Hold this position for a few seconds and then return to the starting position. Note that the arms should remain extended throughout the exercise. Ring Raise Adjust the rings so that you can hold them while your arms are extended overhead (or a bit higher if you want). Now grab the rings. From this hanging position, raise your bent legs until they touch the elbows. Keep your arms extended. Then slowly go back into the starting position and repeat the exercise. Ring Raises (Variations) 25 Training theory (I/II) Where split training came from and who invented is is disputed. One the one hand, Arnold Schwarzenegger claims in his first biography, \"Education of a Bodybuilder\" (1977) that he invented it during his time in the military; on the other, Vince Gironda claims to have invented split training much earlier. Whatever the case is, split training has proved itself and gained acceptance in the fitness industry as a tried and tested training methodology, mainly for the following reasons: ▪ Large muscles can overcome more resistance, but also need longer to recover. ▪ If you want to target specific muscles, it is advisable to do a large number of exercises targeting the particular muscle group, and this often leads to enormous stress on the muscle over time. ▪ The more muscles are stressed during training, the greater the stress on the central nervous system: as a result, as the number of exercises increases, motivation decreases with each individual exercise. The degree of split in a training programme alone is not a reliable indicator an athlete's progress in training. However, beginners are not recommended to attempt a split, or only to use a slight split, because beginners tend to lift lighter weights. However, it is important to note that a highly split workout is not necessary more effective than a smaller split or no split at all. A distinction is generally drawn in strength and fitness training between total-body and split training: in total body training, the whole musculature is trained in each session. For example, in 2-3 training sessions, the entire body will be trained 3x. This form of training is usually recommended to beginners, but experienced athletes sometimes return to this form of training in an attempt to stimulate the muscles using a new kind of stimulus. From a certain level of training onwards, full-body workouts are no longer sufficient to stimulate the muscles enough to continue making progress. Several exercises per muscle group are then required, which would make training sessions very long - experts recommend, however, never making strength training longer than one hour (as this increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol, reducing the benefit of the training). Split training provides a solution for this dilemma: 27 Training theory (II/II) Who should consider total-body workouts? For those who don't have much time, or only have time occasionally, only manage to work out 2-3 times per week and generally have not trained for more than one year. In whole-body training, a relatively large number of calories are burnt and basic strength and intermusculur coordination is improved. For whom does split training make sense? For those finding that their muscles aren't stimulated enough by a whole-body programme, or those who would like to train 3-5x per week, so that they can then very intensively target specific muscle groups in each training session. This is an example of a training plan for a 2-day split: this way you can train all large muscle groups twice per week. This will be addressed again in the last part of this guide in the form of a training plan with detailed exercises. Alternatively, you can use a 3-day split, which allows you to focus even more on individual muscle groups. In general, a 2-day or 3-day split does not mean you can only train two or three times per week. You can easily use a 2-day split twice per week. It is important, however, that you also plan sufficient gaps into your training for recovery. Mon. Upper body Tues. Lower body Weds. rest Thurs. Upper body Fri. Lower body Sat./Sun. rest Mon. Chest and back Tues. rest Weds. Shoulders, neck, arms Thurs. rest Fri. Legs, abs Sat./Sun. rest 28 Women and strength training (I/II) Should women train differently from men? In today's world of sports, there is a widely-held notion that women should train differently from men: lighter weights and a higher number of reps so that they don't risk building a huge, masculine physique. It's time for us to do away with these stubborn myths: 1. Myth number 1: Strength training makes women pack on slabs of muscle One of the greatest fears women have is of building huge muscles through strength training and ending up with a masculine physique. Before you start thinking about gaining 'man-like' muscles as a woman, you have to take a look behind the scenes and look at the differences between men and women. It is clear that men and women are equally capable of gaining muscle. The big difference is in the amount of muscle they are capable of putting on and this is caused by sex hormones and their effect on muscle building. In men, testosterone is the predominant sex hormone (10-20x more than women). This hormone promotes anabolic processes in muscle metabolism and is the reason why men have significantly more muscle mass than women. The sex hormone that predominates in women has much less of an anabolic effect and this limits women's potential to build muscle. What you often see in the bodybuilding scene is in most cases the result of anabolic steroid use. A recent study by the University of California also showed that for men, strength training deactivates the messenger myostatin, which inhibits muscle growth in humans. In women, no inhibition was found, meaning that muscle growth in women is permanently inhibited. Conclusion: women are not predisposed to become mountains of muscle. This means men and women can train on the same plans to achieve their dream body - muscles are either trained or they are not. What works for men works for women in the same way. Myth number 2: The difference between muscle toning and muscle building The distinction between 'muscle toning', 'body shaping' and 'bodybuilding' seems to be made constantly in various studios and fitness clubs. Interestingly, all of these terms have exactly the same meaning - training the muscles through progressive overload. The reason all of these descriptions are given for the same thing is simply the negative associations many have with the term 'bodybuilding'. 30 Taking a cue from the fear many women have of building too much muscle, the fitness industry has found milder expressions for the same thing. Myth number 3:Cardio is the best way to rid yourself of excess pounds Another myth that has proved very stubborn is that cardio is the best way to get rid of excess weight. What is actually the best way to achieve your dream body? All things considered, the key to your dream body rests on two pillars: firstly, you need to increase your metabolism, and secondly, you need to manipulate your hormones and enzymes to support your goals in the most effective way possible. First of all: both of these goals are much better served by strength training than cardio: the reason for this is that an large calorie deficit in the form of a diet while performing intense endurance exercise leads to a kind of state of emergency in the body: the body reacts to this situation by going into survival mode and catabolising muscle tissue to reduce its energy requirements. It needs the maximum possible amount of fat to survive in this state. The consequences are lower resting metabolism, loss of muscle mass and an increase in fat storage. It is undisputed that calories are burnt during cardio training. However, this often has no effect on the other 23 hours of the day, during which metabolism returns to normal. In addition, long cardio sessions increase the cortisol level massively, again supporting the breakdown of muscle tissue and fat storage. In contrast, while strength training does also raise cortisol levels, it also increases levels of hormones testosterone and HGH, which encourage both muscle building and fat burning. The net effect more than compensates for the effect of the cortisol. In addition, strength training leads to afterburn effect (which can last up to 48 hours), in which the body still requires more energy to regenerate. This causes calorie consumption to increase during this rest period. To achieve your dream body, fitness experts therefore recommend an optimised diet to go along with any strength training. Cardio training is best used in a supporting role. Conclusions Men and women can confidently train in the same way - if they are pursuing the same goals, namely a well-formed, athletic body. The fear many women have of building slabs of muscle overnight through strength training is absolutely unfounded and in any case unrealistic. Without a doubt, the most effective way to achieve your dream body is strength training with carefully planned nutrition. Women and strength training (II/II) 31 For tucked front lever pull-ups, you fix the rings at least at chest height - but higher than that if you want. Grip the ring with your hands and pull your bent legs upwards as shown. You start this exercise with straight arms. Now try to move your entire body upwards in the direction of the rings by pulling your shoulders and elbows downwards. This exercises your arm, shoulder and back muscles in particular. Tucked Front Lever Pull-Ups Hold the position at the highest point for a moment and then slowly return to the starting position. Throughout the exercise, the movement is led exclusively by the arms - the rest of the body stays compact and stable. Advanced athletes can make the exercise more difficult by extending the legs - the body will be stretched out and be horizontal in the air. This variation requires a high degree of body tension! 33 When lowering your body, let the arms move slightly outwards (away from the body) - unlike with the ring dip, in which they remain tight to the body. Lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the ground and your elbow joint is angled at about 90°. Hold this position for a few seconds and then return to the starting position. Pay particular attention throughout the exercise to body tension and make sure your shoulder girdle and trunk are stable. Unlike normal ring dips, Bulgarian dips require more strength because the altered position of the arms leads to significantly more instability and therefore places more stress on the musculature. You start from the same position as with ring dips, i.e. the standard support position. Bulgarian Dips 34 . Start this exercise by mounting the rings at at least stomach height - or even higher. Now hang upside-down with outstretched arms on the rings and make sure your body is stretched out and tense. Now, pull your entire body upwards by pulling with the arms - without losing body tension. Hold for a moment at the highest point - then return slowly to the starting position. Make sure your body is tense throughout the exercise - and that your legs and toes point towards the ceiling through the whole exercise! Optionally, you can also pull your legs in slightly, which makes the exercise a little easier. Inverted ring pull-ups will train your entire body - especially your back and arm muscles - everything Inverted Ring Pull-Ups 35 Now lift your extended legs forwards slowly until you have reached the 'L sit' (figure 1). Hold this briefly, then raise your legs further until your toes touch the rings (figure 2). From this position, move your pelvis upwards and bring your body into total extension (figure 3) - from head to foot. Hold this briefly, then return slowly to the starting position. Leg Raise to Inverted Hang This exercise is a particular challenge for the abdominal and trunk musculature on the one hand, but also helps get you accustomed to hanging upside down and familiar with bottom-up exercises. For this exercise, the rings should be mounted overhead so that you can grip them easily with your hands. 36 The Inverted Ring Push is another very challenging exercise, training mainly the arm and shoulder muscles although it also exercises the entire trunk musculature since this is needed to maintain the necessary body tension while upright. Anyone who has never tried this exercise before should try a normal handstand first. First try it against a wall or with a partner to support you and correct your form. Make sure in particular that you maintain full body extension and full body tension - this is the only way you can master a free, sturdy handstand (not to be confused with the more frequently practised version, in which the athlete falls into a hollow back and holds their balance on their legs while they are bent forwards). Our goal is a sturdy, unsupported and bolt-upright handstand at maximum body tension! Again, a lot of patience will be required - often several weeks or months - but a solid handstand is all the more impressive once you master it. Once you have done that, it's time to tackle the rings: hang the rings near the ground and try to push your body, stretched upwards (you can stabilise yourself with your feet on the straps if you like), out of the support position (left) into the handstand position (right). Make sure your body is tense throughout the exercise - and that your legs and toes point towards the ceiling through the whole exercise! Inverted Ring Push 37 Iron Cross (I/II) The arms remain stretched throughout the movement. To reduce leverage, many athletes like to turn their hands in the rings so that only the heels of the hands or even the forearms rest on the rings. The iron cross is one of the most challenging exercises for ring gymnasts. For this reason, you will have face up to the fact that mastering this skill will require a lot of training. Many athletes learn the movement sequences for the iron cross with resistance bands (which they attach to the rings and under the feet to make the exercise easier) and build up the necessary force this way in order to eventually master the iron cross without bands. So that you can reach your goal and do a real iron cross as soon as possible, we have put together a small tutorial on the following page consisting of 4 challenging steps to strengthen your muscles and master the movements you need. You'll see - using these steps, it won't be long before you master this most recognisable of ring gymnastics exercises. The starting position for this exercise is the support position on the rings. Then, the arms are slowly extended out to the sides until they are roughly parallel to the ground. 38 Iron Cross Progression – Step 4 In the 4th step, we are already actively working towards the iron cross: mount the rings at at least head height, or ideally a bit higher. Now pull your arms through the rings so that they are around your elbows. Lift your upper body upwards, pause for a moment, and then lower it again. Your legs will be in the air. You can also use a chair to support yourself with the legs between reps. Try to continually increase the level of difficulty by moving the rings further towards your wrists. A resistance band can help initially to adjust the difficulty of the exercise. Iron Cross Progressions – Step 1 In the first phase, you work on your stability on the rings: mount the rings so that they hang freely around at around stomach or chest height and then try to carry your body weight with arms stretched downwards (and upper body upright). Keep working on this until you can hold the position for 20-30 seconds quite easily. Iron Cross Progressions – Step 2 The next step is to try ring dips. You can find a detailed description of the exercise in the beginning of this guide. Try to maintain maximum upright body tension throughout the exercise - this applies to the full iron cross as well, for which you'll need full body tension even more. Practice until you can do about 6-8 dips with good form. Iron Cross Progressions – Step 3 Now try Bulgarian dips. You will find the detailed description in this guide. This exercise results in a much larger load on your chest and arm muscles, making it ideal for iron cross preparation. Again, practise until you can do about 6-8 clean reps before you move to the next level. Iron Cross (II/II) 39 Ring Muscle-Up (I/II) Along with the iron cross, the ring muscle-up is one of the most challenging exercises on the rings, training the back, trunk, shoulder and abdominal muscles as well as targeting the biceps and triceps in the arms. This exercise essentially combines two exercises that are very challenging on their own: the ring pull up and the ring dip. Before you start trying for a ring muscle-up, you should fix the rings high enough that you can hold them with your arms stretched upwards without touching the floor with your feet. Now, hold the rings with the 'false grip'. This means your wrist rest on the ring and allow you to maintain approximately the same hand position throughout the exercise. In the next step, you perform the most explosive pull-up you can manage, bringing your shoulders to a position above your hands. Once you have done that, perform a ring dip like before, pressing yourself upwards into the support position, and turn the rings outwards with your arms outstretched. We have made a tutorial for this as well on the following page, which is intended to help you achieve your goal - mastering the ring muscle-up - as quickly as possible. This exercise will take some practice - but don't be discouraged. Step 1: False grip First, hang from the rings normally. Then turn the hands inwards separately until your wrist is on the ring. Step 2: Pull-up Now, perform the most explosive pull-up you can manage, bringing your shoulders to a position above your hands. Step 3: Transition At the highest point, change to the starting position of a ring dip. This part usually requires some practice. Step 4: Ring dip From this position, press yourself into the support position. The rings will be turned outwards at the end. 40 Ring Muscle-Up Progressions – Step 4 In the 4th We are almost at our goal: the rings are mounted at a height where we can grab them with arms stretched upwards and the feet are no longer touching the ground. Pull yourself upwards explosively until your shoulders are above your hands. The transition will bring you into the ring dip starting position and you then press yourself into the support position. At the highest point, you turn the rings and your arms outwards. Ring Muscle-Up Progressions – Step 1 Fix the rings at approximately head height. The feet should be touching the floor and will support you during the movement. Pull yourself upwards explosively until your shoulders are above your hands. Make sure your elbows do not go too far out. Ring Muscle-Up Progressions – Step 2 In the next step, you will be working specifically on the transition movement from ring pull-up to ring dip. You start at the end position of step 1: the arms are bent, the rings at roughly chest height and the feet are on the floor for support. Repeat this transition movement until you have internalised it and feel strong enough to progress to the next step. Ring Muscle-Up Progressions – Step 3 In the third step, like in the previous step, your feet will initially be on the ground. Pull yourself up with an explosive pull-up so that your shoulders are above your hands and try to move into the transition movement with a slight jump. From here onwards, your legs are in the air and you can press yourself into the support position. Ring Muscle-Up (II/II) 41 REMEMBER THAT GUY THAT GAVE UP? Training Plans (I/V) Probably the most important thing to remember when training with rings is that workouts and training plans come second for the time being. Much more important than worrying out the number of reps and sets is learning to perform the exercises cleanly and correctly, learning and improving the sequences of movements, and above all, trying and mastering the more advanced exercises. Your short-term goal should be to master the basic exercises from the beginning of this guide. Once you have done this, you can try the advanced exercises. Below are two challenging training plans: the first is a total body workout, which you should ideally perform 2-3x for the best results. In the second, we will use a 2-day split that focuses on different muscle groups in each workout and lets you train these more intensively in each session. Both training sessions attempt to engage the entire body and not to focus too much on one muscle group (e.g. arms), since ring training generally requires many different muscle groups working together simultaneously. However, since these often require a solid strength base, several weeks of strength training - as described on the following pages - might be instrumental in helping you master the advanced exercises. 43 Training plans - Full body training plan (II/V) Do you only have time to train 2x or 3x per week at the most? Then the total body workout plan is just right for you! Full body training is one of the simplest and best forms of fitness training. Whether you want to look better or lay the groundwork for a tougher, more advanced strength training programme - by training the entire body every workout, full body training brings quick results. Below is an example of a plan for your full body training programme. We recommend that you take about a 2 minute break between sets. You can find detailed descriptions of all of the exercises in the beginning of this guide. Exercises Muscles targeted Sets/reps Ring Pistol Squats Legs 4 x 8 Ring Lunges Legs, buttocks, trunk 3 x 12 (each side) Ring Pull-Ups Back, arms 3 x 10 Low Ring Rows Back, arms 3 x 15 Ring Chest Press Chest, arms 4 x 8 Ring Chest Flys Chest 3 x 12 Ring Biceps Curls Arms 3 x 12 Ring Dips Arms 3 x 12 44 Training plans - Full body training plan (III/V) Always choose a difficulty level that allows you do perform the number of reps in the plan. Keep in mind that you can switch out the exercises freely, providing a new stimulus for the muscle groups you are targeting, to support your personal goals in the most effective way. Generally, we recommend changing exercises every 6-8 weeks to stop your muscles adapting to the routine. Have you noticed that your arms, for example, aren't getting enough of a stimulus from the whole-body plan to keep improving? Then we recommend moving on to split training, which allows you to perform several exercises in sequence for the muscle group you would like to target without exceeding the maximum training time of 60-90 minutes (after this point, the stress hormone cortisol is released, which can have a significant negative effect on the results of your training). Exercises Muscles targeted Sets/reps Ring Knee Tucks Trunk, abs 3 x 15 Ring Plank Trunk, abs 3 x 30 seconds 45 Training Plans - Split Training Plan (IV/V) Split training is suitable for advanced athletes. It enjoys the most overall popularity among fitness enthusiasts because muscle groups usually get sufficient time for recovery (because different muscle groups are trained in each of the sessions) and it is very adaptable and versatile. A 2-way split does not have to mean that you only train two days per week. It is also possible to adapt a 2-way split into a 4-way breakdown: for example, on day 1 you train the upper body, on day 2 the lower body and then repeat days 1 and 2 for the next two days. In the same way, you can easily adapt the plan into a 3-way or 4-way split in which you focus on a different muscle group on each training day. Below is an example of a plan for your 2-way split training programme. We recommend that you take about a 2 minute break between sets. You can find detailed descriptions of all of the exercises in the beginning of this guide. Session 1: Exercises Muscles targeted Sets/reps Ring Chest Press Chest, arms 5 x 8 Ring Chest Flys Chest 4 x 15 Ring Pull-Ups Back, arms 4 x 10 Low Ring Rows Back, arms 3 x 15 Ring Biceps Curls Arms 4 x 12 Ring Dips Arms 4 x 10 46 Training plans - Split Training Plan (V/V) Always choose a difficulty level that allows you do perform the number of reps in the plan. Keep in mind that you can switch out the exercises freely, providing a new stimulus for the muscle groups you are targeting, to support your personal goals in the most effective way. Generally, we recommend changing exercises every 6-8 weeks to stop your muscles adapting to the routine. We also recommend that you include advanced exercises from this guide in your training. Session 2: Exercises Muscles targeted Sets/reps Ring Pistol Squats Legs 5 x 10 Ring Lunges Legs, buttocks, trunk 4 x 12 (each side) Ring Hip Press Legs, buttocks 4 x 15 Ring Raises Abs 4 x 20 Ring Knee Tucks Trunk, abs 4 x 15 Ring Plank Trunk, abs 4 x 30 seconds 47 Final words Your bemaxx Team We have done our best to ensure that our gymnastics rings are optimally tailored to our customers' individual requirements and that you can get as much out of this e-book as possible. We would also greatly appreciate it if you could leave us a quick review on Amazon — that really would be an enormous help to us. Can we improve our rings or e-books? If so, please tell us how: support@pl-concepts.com We will do our best to make sure you are 100% satisfied.","libVersion":"0.3.2","langs":""} |