Beginner

Ring Row

Rowing your bodyweight to a pair of hanging rings lets the hands rotate naturally through the pull, which is easy on the wrists and shoulders while still hammering the lats and mid-back. The unstable rings add a stabilization demand that also recruits the rear delts and rotator cuff. Use it as a scalable horizontal pull for any level by adjusting body angle.

Equipment
Rings
Body part
Back, Lats
Type
Strength
Browse by movement
Horizontal Pull
Muscles worked
Target
Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius Middle
Secondary
Deltoid Posterior, Trapezius Lower, Biceps Brachii Long Head, Biceps Brachii Short Head
Tertiary
Infraspinatus, Erector Spinae

How to do it

  1. 1

    Set gymnastic rings at about hip to chest height and grip one in each hand.

  2. 2

    Walk your feet forward and hang under the rings with a straight, braced body.

  3. 3

    Start with arms extended and shoulder blades protracted.

  4. 4

    Pull your chest toward the rings, rotating your palms to face you as you row.

  5. 5

    Squeeze the shoulder blades together, then lower under control to full extension.

Tips

  • Keep the rings steady rather than letting them swing during the pull.
  • Hold a tight plank so the hips do not drop below the line of the body.
  • Make it harder by lowering the rings or elevating the feet.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Hanging the rings so low that your hips or shoulder blades touch the floor once your arms are straight. Check the clearance at the deepest point before the first rep.
  • Trusting an anchor you have not tested. A branch, a doorway bar or a beam has to hold your full bodyweight plus the snatch of a fast rep, so hang on it first.
  • Stopping the pull as soon as the elbows bend, without bringing the rings level with the sides of your ribs. The last few inches are where the shoulder blades finish coming together.
  • Holding the rings loosely so they twist halfway up and you spend the rep fighting the rotation. Grip firmly and let the rings turn in one smooth motion as the hands come around to face you.
  • Dropping to straight arms at the end of a rep so the elbows snap into extension. Lower under control and finish where the arms are long but not jarred.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the ring row should a beginner do?
Three sets of 8 to 12 at a body angle where the last rep is a real effort but the hips stay in line. Bodyweight pulls progress most easily by geometry: when 12 reps at your hardest angle stop being hard, elevate the feet or add a one-second hold at the top. Two or three sessions a week fits, and it pairs naturally with push-ups so your pulling volume keeps pace with your pressing.
How do I make the ring row easier or harder?
To make it easier, raise the rings, walk your feet back so the torso is more upright, or bend the knees and put the feet flat on the floor, which cuts the load noticeably. To make it harder, elevate the feet on a bench, pause two seconds with the rings at your ribs, slow the lowering to three seconds, or add a weight vest. Beyond that, an archer row, where one arm takes most of the load, is the step toward a one-arm row.
What is the ring row good for, and when should I use something else?
It is a scalable horizontal pull that suits every level, and because the rings rotate freely the wrists and shoulders find their own path, which often suits people whose elbows complain on a fixed bar. The rings also make the rear delts and cuff work to keep things steady. Use something else when there is no anchor you can trust, or when you need to keep adding load: once feet-elevated reps are easy, a weighted row on a bar or a machine progresses more cleanly than rings and a vest.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Back exercises