Ring Row
Strength
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The Ring Row is a bodyweight strength exercise performed on gymnastic rings, where you hang underneath the rings with an overhand grip, lean back at an angle, and pull your chest toward the rings by driving your elbows back. Its primary purpose is to build upper body pulling strength and improve shoulder stability. It mainly targets the shoulders, back (lats, rhomboids, traps), and rear delts, benefiting athletes, gymnasts, and general fitness enthusiasts seeking scalable horizontal pulling power without barbells.
How to Perform Ring Row
- 1Adjust the rings to hang at about chest height, with straps fully extended and rings facing each other.
- 2Lie supine (on your back) under the rings, grasping one ring in each hand with a pronated (overhand) grip, arms fully extended, body in a straight line from head to heels.
- 3Engage your core and glutes, keeping your body rigid like a plank, heels on the ground, shoulders directly under the rings.
- 4Inhale to prepare, then exhale as you pull your chest toward the rings by retracting your shoulder blades and bending your elbows.
- 5Continue pulling until your chest nearly touches the rings, keeping elbows flared slightly and body straight.
- 6Inhale as you slowly lower yourself back to the starting position with control, fully extending your arms.
- 7Repeat for desired reps, maintaining tension in your back throughout.
- 8Key form tips: Keep body straight—no sagging hips or arching back; pull with back muscles, not arms; avoid momentum or kipping. Common mistakes: incomplete range of motion, shrugging shoulders, or bending wrists.
