Competing on rings involves performing a routine of static positions, swings, and dismounts. Each position on the rings has a specific name and technical criteria that define its execution. Here, we’ll look into some of the most iconic positions and skills that gymnasts showcase on the rings.
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Basic Positions on Gymnastics Rings
The gymnastics rings apparatus requires a solid foundation of strength, stability, and control. Many of the more complex movements build upon a mastery of basic positions. Here’s a more detailed look at some of these fundamental positions:
1. Hang
The hang is the starting position for many ring exercises and a key position for beginners to master. In this position, the gymnast grips the rings with their arms fully extended, allowing their body to hang freely.
Key Elements:
- Arms: Fully extended and relaxed, but engaged enough to maintain a firm grip.
- Body Alignment: The body remains straight, with the legs together and the core lightly engaged to prevent excessive swinging.
- Shoulders: The shoulders should be depressed (pulled down) rather than shrugged up towards the ears, helping to stabilize the position.
Purpose: The hang position is often used as a warm-up or transition between skills. It helps develop grip strength and is a precursor to many strength-based movements on the rings.
Skill Level: Beginner
2. Support Hold
The support hold is a fundamental position that involves holding the body above the rings with straight arms, maintaining a stable and controlled posture.
Key Elements:
- Arm Position: Arms are locked out straight and positioned close to the body, providing maximum stability.
- Body Alignment: The body should be kept straight from the shoulders to the feet, with the core engaged and legs together.
- Ring Turnout: The rings are typically turned out so that the buckles face away from the body. This external rotation increases difficulty but also enhances shoulder engagement.
- Shoulders: Shoulders should remain depressed, keeping the upper body stable and minimizing movement.
Purpose: The support hold is often used as a transition point between movements, such as moving into an L-sit, a handstand, or a muscle-up. It’s also a staple in conditioning exercises for developing upper body stability.
Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate, depending on the time and control maintained.
3. L-Sit
The L-sit is a strength hold where the gymnast supports themselves on the rings with arms straight and legs extended horizontally in front, creating an “L” shape.
Key Elements:
- Arm Position: Arms should be straight and close to the body, providing a stable base.
- Leg Position: Legs are kept straight and together, parallel to the ground, with toes pointed.
- Core Engagement: A strong core is crucial to keep the legs lifted and prevent the hips from dropping.
- Shoulders: Shoulders should be pressed down to keep the upper body stable.
Purpose: The L-sit builds core and hip flexor strength, along with tricep and shoulder stability. It is a common position for transitions into more complex movements, like pressing into a handstand.
Skill Level: Intermediate
4. Straddle L-Sit
A variation of the L-sit, the straddle L-sit involves extending the legs outward to the sides while maintaining the same upper body position.
Key Elements:
- Leg Position: Legs are straight but spread apart into a straddle position, with toes pointed.
- Arm Position: Arms remain locked out, supporting the body weight.
- Core Engagement: The core remains engaged to keep the legs lifted, but the different leg position alters the center of gravity.
- Flexibility: This variation requires a degree of hip flexibility to achieve a wide straddle.
Purpose: The straddle L-sit can be used as a transition to moves like the V-sit or as a hold in a routine. Some gymnasts find this variation easier because it shifts the weight distribution, but it still requires flexibility and strength.
Skill Level: Intermediate
5. V-Sit
The V-sit is a more advanced version of the L-sit, where the gymnast lifts their legs upward, creating a “V” shape with the body.
Key Elements:
- Leg Position: Legs are kept straight and lifted towards the ceiling, ideally forming a 45-degree angle or more with the torso.
- Core Engagement: A high degree of core strength is necessary to lift and hold the legs in this elevated position.
- Arm Position: Arms remain locked and stable, providing the base for the hold.
- Shoulder Stability: The shoulders must remain tight and stable to prevent any sway or loss of balance.
Purpose: The V-sit is often used in routines to demonstrate advanced control and flexibility. It can also serve as a transition into handstands or other strength holds.
Skill Level: Advanced
6. Handstand
A fundamental skill in gymnastics, the handstand on rings is particularly challenging due to the instability of the apparatus. The gymnast balances upside down, supporting their weight on straight arms.
Key Elements:
- Arm Position: Arms remain locked out, and the hands grip the rings firmly to maintain balance.
- Body Alignment: The body should be aligned from the wrists to the toes in a straight line, with the legs fully extended and toes pointed.
- Core Engagement: Core muscles play a critical role in maintaining the straight body position and preventing arching or bending.
- Shoulder Stability: The shoulders must remain stable and slightly elevated (pushing away from the rings) to maintain control.
Purpose: The handstand on rings is an essential position for many advanced skills and transitions. It builds balance, control, and significant upper body strength, making it a cornerstone of high-level routines.
Skill Level: Advanced
Strength Positions on Gymnastics Rings
Strength positions on the gymnastics rings are some of the most impressive and physically demanding elements in the sport. These positions require exceptional upper body and core strength, as well as years of dedicated training to master.
1. Iron Cross
The iron cross is one of the most recognized positions in gymnastics. The gymnast suspends themselves on the rings with their body straight and parallel to the ground, while the arms are extended outward at shoulder height, forming a “T” shape.
Key Elements:
- Arm Position: Arms must be perfectly straight and extend laterally at a 90-degree angle from the body. This position places intense strain on the shoulders, chest, and biceps.
- Body Alignment: The body must remain in a straight line, with the core engaged to prevent sagging at the hips. The legs should be kept together and toes pointed.
- Shoulder Stability: The shoulders must be pressed down and stable, maintaining a solid base of support to hold the body in position.
Difficulty: Advanced
Training Tips: Building up to the Iron Cross often involves progressive exercises such as band-assisted cross holds, ring supports, and strengthening the shoulders and core with exercises like planches and dips.
2. Planche
The planche is a strength position where the gymnast holds their body parallel to the ground, supported only by their hands, with their legs extended behind them. It is performed with straight arms and a rigid body.
Key Elements:
- Arm Position: The arms remain straight and positioned close to the gymnast’s sides, supporting the full weight of the body.
- Body Alignment: The body remains in a straight line from shoulders to feet, with the legs together and toes pointed.
- Core Engagement: A strong core is crucial to maintain the straight body position and to prevent the hips from dropping or the body from arching.
- Shoulder Stability: The shoulders must be pressed downward, providing stability and a solid base for the position.
Difficulty: Advanced to Elite (depending on the duration and control of the hold)
Training Tips: Progressions toward the planche include tuck planches, advanced tuck planches, and straddle planches, gradually increasing the difficulty as strength improves. Training on parallettes can help reduce wrist strain and improve control before transitioning to the rings.
3. Inverted Cross
The inverted cross is a more challenging variation of the iron cross, where the gymnast performs the cross shape while being upside down. The head points downwards, and the legs extend upwards.
Key Elements:
- Arm Position: Arms remain straight, forming a horizontal line at shoulder height, but the gymnast’s body is inverted, adding a new dimension of difficulty.
- Body Alignment: The core must be engaged to keep the body rigid, with legs together and pointed toes to maintain a straight line.
- Balance and Control: The inverted nature of this position requires precise control over the body’s center of gravity to prevent tipping forward or backward.
Difficulty: Elite
Training Tips: To train for the Inverted Cross, gymnasts typically work on inverted ring holds and assisted cross progressions. Maintaining stability while upside down requires practice and a gradual increase in time held in the position.
4. Maltese
The Maltese is another strength hold where the gymnast holds their body parallel to the ground, but with their arms slightly bent and extended laterally. It forms a wide “V” shape, placing the gymnast’s chest at or near ring height.
Key Elements:
- Arm Position: Unlike the iron cross, the arms are bent slightly at the elbows and positioned lower towards the gymnast’s waist. The shoulders remain retracted to keep the body stable.
- Body Alignment: The gymnast’s body should stay perfectly straight, parallel to the floor, with the legs together and toes pointed.
- Shoulder and Chest Engagement: The position requires extreme strength in the shoulders, chest, and triceps, as well as control through the entire upper body to hold this static position.
Difficulty: Elite
Training Tips: Achieving the Maltese position is one of the most demanding challenges on the rings, and training often includes band-assisted Maltese holds, bodyweight strength training, and advanced isometric holds on parallettes to develop the necessary shoulder and core strength.
Swinging Positions on Gymnastics Rings
Swinging positions on gymnastics rings involve dynamic movements that take the gymnast through large, controlled motions, often passing through inverted positions like handstands. Here are the most common swinging movements:
1. Giant Swing
The Giant Swing is a fundamental and dynamic movement in gymnastics that involves the gymnast swinging in a full 360-degree motion around the rings, starting and ending in a handstand position. The swing can be performed either forwards or backwards, depending on the direction of the rotation.
Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
Uses: The giant swing is a fundamental part of high-level routines, often leading into or connecting with other elements like dismounts or strength positions. It helps in building momentum and is essential for smooth transitions between skills.
2. Inlocate
The Inlocate is a swinging movement where the gymnast swings forward and transitions through a handstand position with their body in a piked position (hips bent). This movement is often used as a preparation for more complex swings or to control momentum.
Difficulty: Advanced
Uses: The inlocate is often used to set up for other skills or to transition smoothly into handstands. It helps in refining a gymnast’s ability to control the swing, especially in preparation for sequences that demand precision in the air.
3. Dislocate
The Dislocate is another type of swinging movement, similar to the inlocate but with a key difference: the gymnast passes through the handstand position with an arched body shape. It is performed backward, with the swing moving in a clockwise motion (if viewed from the side).
Difficulty: Advanced
Uses: The dislocate is often performed in conjunction with the giant swing, forming part of sequences that require continuous swinging movements. It is valuable for building momentum and is commonly used as a transition into other elements, like flips or dismounts.
Dismount Positions on Gymnastics Rings
Dismounts from the gymnastics rings mark the grand finale of a routine, where gymnasts demonstrate control, precision, and flair.
Dismounts are typically evaluated based on their complexity, form, and the ability to “stick” the landing without stepping or hopping. Here’s a closer look at the common types of dismounts and the positions involved:
1. Layout Dismount
The layout dismount is a basic yet elegant finish, where the gymnast leaves the rings with their body fully extended (straight) and rotates backward or forward before landing.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Uses: The layout dismount is often one of the first dismounts learned, as it provides a foundation for more complex variations. It is appreciated for its clean lines and is often used by gymnasts who are mastering control before moving on to higher-difficulty skills.
2. Tuck Dismount
In the tuck dismount, the gymnast performs a somersault with their knees pulled tightly into their chest, allowing for faster rotation.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Uses: The tuck dismount is often used when learning to manage rotations, as it allows the gymnast to spin faster than a layout. It is also a stepping stone to more difficult dismounts, like double or triple tucks.
3. Pike Dismount
The pike dismount involves a somersault with the gymnast’s legs straight but bent at the hips, creating a folded position that allows for a faster rotation than a layout but slower than a tuck.
Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
Uses: The pike dismount is useful for gymnasts who want to maintain a compact shape while gaining rotational speed without the extreme fold of a tuck. It can be used for single or double rotations, depending on the gymnast’s skill level.
4. Double Back or Double Front Somersault
A double back or double front somersault is a high-difficulty dismount where the gymnast performs two full backward or forward flips in the air before landing.
Difficulty: Advanced
Uses: Double somersault dismounts are common in high-level competitions, as they significantly increase the difficulty score. They demonstrate the gymnast’s ability to control multiple rotations while maintaining form and precision.
5. Double Twist
In a double twist, the gymnast performs one or more flips while twisting their body along the longitudinal axis (similar to a corkscrew). This adds complexity and difficulty to the dismount.
Difficulty: Advanced to Elite
Uses: Twisting dismounts are favored for their increased difficulty and the visual appeal they add to a routine. They require mastery of body rotation and control, making them a feature in high-level competitions.
In conclusion, the position names on gymnastics rings illustrate a clear progression of skills. Each position builds upon the previous ones, demanding increasing levels of strength, flexibility, and control.
