Gymnastics Workout Routine & EXF Rings Training: How to Get a Gymnast Body

Why Gymnastics Training

The amazing thing about gymnastics exercises is that you can get immensely strong.  Because gymnastics training is built around bodyweight exercises, a common misconception is that there is more of an endurance focus rather than strength focus.  This stems from the fact that many people can perform high reps of pushups, pull ups, and other bodyweight exercises.  However, gymnastics training can make these exercises significantly more challenging by changing angles and how much leverage you have.  The key to increasing strength is to increase the challenge of a bodyweight exercise to the point where you can only perform a low number of reps.

Another argument is that the increased strength from gymnastics training won’t translate into strength in the gym.  In Building the Gymnastics Body, Coach Sommer describes some pretty impressive feats of a student who had only performed gymnastics exercises and had never used weights.  This student was able to deadlift 400lbs at a weight of only 135lbs.  Additionally, he was able to easily perform weighted pull ups with 75lbs.  This is a common phenomenon amongst gymnasts.

EXF Rings Training

If you’re like me and you’ve been doing bodyweight exercises for a while, you may find that they’re getting too easy and you’re able to perform too many reps to really focus on strength training.  So my first foray into gymnastics was buying EXF Rings.  Based on everything I read, gymnastic rings training was an ideal way to change the angles and also create some instability when performing basic bodyweight exercises.

I chose the EXF Rings because they were recommended on the Crossfit forum.  Over the past several months, I’ve used them extensively and can say that I’m very pleased.  They were easy to set up (I hung them from my pull up bar) and the height of the rings is even easier to adjust.  Even the training manual that was included was very helpful in learning how to properly perform the ring exercises as well as offering advice on how to structure a workout routine.

Gymnastics Workout Routine

So what types of exercises do I perform with my EXF Rings?

Ring Pushups: there are dozens of pushup variations that you can perform with rings.  The 100 pushup workout from the EXF Rings site (10 sets of 10 pushup variations) is extremely difficult.
Ring Pull Ups: I like to start pull ups in a pronated position (palms facing out) and end in a supinated position (palms facing me).  It feels like a much more natural movement then simply holding a straight pull up bar.  The rings provide this type of flexibility.
Ring Dips: much more challenging than regular dips because if the rings move, you fall to the floor.  Really works the stabilizer muscles.
Inverted Ring Rows: I prefer the one arm variation of rows and this can be done pretty easily with rings as opposed to an inverted barbell row.
These four core ring exercises are more than enough to help you get a gymnast body, but more advanced rings training exercises may include:

Muscle ups
Static Hold
L-Sit
Straddle
Front/Back Lever
Iron Cross
In addition to the ring exercises, I still perform weight training and other bodyweight exercises.  I like to start training sessions by doing low rep, heavy weight strength training.  Then I move on to the ring exercises and finish with bodyweight exercises from Convict Conditioning.

Gymnastics Exercises

If you’re really serious about gymnastics, then the go-to source for information is Building the Gymnastics Body.  This is pretty much a complete overview on how to get started with gymnastics training.  The background and fundamentals of gymnastics are detailed and just about every gymnastics exercise you can think of is laid out.  In addition, the Gymnastic Bodies website has some great videos demonstrating a variety of gymnastics exercises as well.  This gymnastics workout routine is really focused, and it’s meant to be done for at least six months.

An Alternative Gymnastics Training Approach

While the gymnastics workouts I described above focus on strength training exercises, Scott Sonnon has developed a program that uses acrobatics and biomechanical bodyweight movements.  Tactical Gymnastics (TACGYM) is a low to medium intensity workout designed to improve your “flow.”  Ultimately this type of gymnastics workout routine will help you become more flexible, move more efficiently, and avoid injury.  While TACGYM doesn’t specifically focus on gaining muscle or losing fat, the nature of the movements should help you build a gymnast body as well.

Get a Gymnast Body

If you really want to get a gymnast body, then it makes the most sense to train like a gymnast.  That might mean either dedicating yourself to a complete gymnastics workout routine or simply incorporating some gymnastics exercises into your existing routine.  At a minimum, if you no longer find bodyweight exercises challenging, then consider using gymnastic ring exercises to increase the difficulty.  Frankly, my preferred approach has been to add EXF Rings training as well as a select group of gymnastics training exercises to my strength training and bodyweight workout.