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Ring dips are a challenging upper-body exercise that works your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.🎯

Incorporating ring dips into your workout routine can significantly improve strength, stability, and muscle coordination. With the right approach, individuals at any fitness level can benefit from ring dips.

Learn more about ring dips with 📍Introduction to Ring Dips: The exercises guide and benefits

This article delves into:

• 🤜 The key components of an effective ring dips routine.
• 🤜 Creating the most effective ring dip workout tailored to your capabilities

🤔What Makes an Effective Ring Dips Workout?

Before we get into the ring dips workout, let’s talk about what makes a good one.

Well, there’s a pivotal concept in 📍The Movement Athlete (TMA) that truly transpires during training sessions, thanks to its distinctive setup.

Here’s the scoop: The magic of calisthenics, especially with ring dips, lies in their complexity.

Sure, you might have the raw strength to execute a move, but without the right shoulder flexibility, maintaining it becomes a nearly impossible task.

Consider the skill factor. For ring dips, it’s not just about hoisting yourself up; it’s about mastering the correct body posture and learning how to start and finish the move smoothly.

Then, there’s the stamina game—boosting your ability to sustain these positions over time. Not to mention, the muscle build-up is crucial for bolstering both your mobility and the resilience of your ligaments.

Crafting a workout regimen that encompasses these aspects is RARE.

Most programs out there? They barely scratch the surface of these critical elements. That’s where TMA diverges from the pack.

In TMA, your training is crafted around these components, adopting a comprehensive strategy for a well-rounded evolution.

Every day is a new adventure with the Movement Athlete app, which includes:

• 🏆 Dynamic warm-up and mobility routine:
• 🏆 Skill-focused activities
• 🏆 Strength-building exercises
• 🏆 Endurance challenges
• 🏆 Muscle development sessions
• 🏆 A wind-down with cooldown and flexibility exercises

This approach is fundamental, yet it’s surprising how often it’s overlooked.

Let’s dive a bit deeper into each category, shall we?

🤸Skill Work

It’s all about finesse in calisthenics, and that’s doubly true for ring dips. We focus on techniques and patterns essential for building strength in later exercises. These are your low-intensity, precision-driven practices.

👊Strength Work

This is where the heart of our program beats. Through various exercises, we chart your progress, ensuring each rep and set is tuned for maximum strength gain.

💪Muscle Work

A more muscular frame is a stronger frame. Here, we engage in activities at a controlled intensity aimed at muscle growth—perfect for getting that extra definition and strength.

🏃Endurance Work

Calisthenics often requires holding positions for longer durations. Our endurance segment is designed to improve your ability to maintain these stances, adding more practice time to your routine.

Integrating these varied types of movement aims to create a strong, skilled, and well-rounded athlete.

And that’s precisely what you’ll get access to inside The Movement Athlete App.

🔥Ring Dips Training 

Let me begin by saying that The Movement Athlete Academy is not a fan of the one-size-fits-all approach to workouts that sorts you into beginner, intermediate, or advanced groups.

There’s scientific evidence suggesting that sticking strictly to these predetermined routines not only spikes your injury risk but also drastically diminishes your chances of seeing any real progress.

You can read more on this here: 📌Death to beginner, intermediate, advanced workouts that are hurting your training

That being said, the examples we’re about to share from the app serve just as that—examples. They’re there to give you a taste of what’s possible.

However, we strongly recommend adopting a more tailored approach to your training.

✨How to Create the Most Effective Ring Dip Workout for Your Level

Creating an effective ring dip workout involves understanding your current level and gradually increasing the challenge. Here’s how to structure your workout:

1. 👌 Assessment

Start with assessing where you stand on the ring dip strength progression scale. Your aim is to identify exercises within this progression that you can perform flawlessly—what we consider the mastery level.

2. 👌 Synchronize Exercises

Once you’ve pinpointed your strength exercises, it’s time to pair them with corresponding skill, muscle development, and endurance exercises. These aligned exercises are your benchmarks for progression. Achieving competence in these exercises signals that it’s time to elevate your training to the next level.

3. 👌 Construct Your Workout

The next step is to structure them into a comprehensive workout plan. Consider incorporating elements of programming such as sets, reps, and rest periods tailored to your current level of progression—be it the initial phases (beginner), developmental phases (intermediate), or nearing the peak of your progression (advanced).

⚡️Beginners 45-Minute Sample Workout for Ring Dips

Starting off with ring dips, as a beginner, your objective is to build a solid foundation of strength, mobility, and endurance.

This holistic approach not only accelerates your progress and yields quicker results but also makes the training process more fulfilling. It keeps your motivation levels high, encouraging you to improve your ring dips consistently.

Remember, even though your immediate focus might be mastering the basics of ring dips, it’s beneficial to set broader, long-term goals. These goals will serve as your beacon, keeping you motivated and disciplined in your training journey.

Persistence is key!🔑

For your beginner workout tailored to ring dips, we’ll incorporate more fundamental progressions and exercises to enhance your overall strength. Here’s a simplified breakdown of what your workout might look like:

🙌Warm-Up (10 minutes):

• Shoulder Dislocates: 1 x 10 reps
• Arm Circles: 1 x 10 reps
• Cat Cow: 1 x 10 reps
• Arm Cross Swings: 1 x 10 reps
• Jumping Jacks: 1 x 20 reps

🤸Skill Work (5 minutes):

• Shoulder Circles and Scapula Retraction: 2 sets of 20 reps
• Scapula Pinch Back: 2 sets of 20 reps
• 90/90 Stretch: 2 sets of 15-sec hold

👊Strength Work (15 minutes):

• Dips with Supination on a Stable Surface: 3 sets of 6-8 reps
• Ring Support Holds: 3 sets of 30-sec hold
• Static Hold at Bottom of Dip: 2 sets of 20-sec hold

💪Muscle Work (5 minutes):

• Dips with Supination on a Stable Surface: 3 sets of 8 reps

🏃Endurance Work (5 minutes):

• Wide Arm Support Hold with Shoulder to Width: 2 sets of 10 reps
• Ring Support Holds: 3 sets of 35-sec hold

💧Cooldown (5 minutes):

• Wrist Stretch: 1 x 30 seconds
• Shoulder Stretch: 1 x 30 seconds
• Standing Tricep Stretch: 1 x 30 seconds

⚡️Intermediate 45-Minute Sample Workout for Ring Dips

This intermediate workout is designed to elevate performance for those who’ve moved beyond the basics and are ready to tackle the more challenging aspects of ring dips.

At this stage, you want to refine your technique and build upon the strength and stability required for more advanced ring dip variations.

As you progress, the focus intensifies on enhancing shoulder strength and core stability—key components for executing flawless ring dips.

Moreover, these strengthening exercises contribute not just to power but also to improving mobility, particularly around the shoulders. Adequate shoulder mobility is crucial, allowing for a greater range of motion and better form during your dips.

If you need to work on your shoulder mobility, our article, 📌7 Must-Know Mobility Drills to Prepare Your Shoulders for Ring Dips can help.

Here’s a breakdown of the intermediate ring dip workout:

🙌Warm-Up (10 minutes):

• Shoulder Dislocates: 10 reps
• Arm Circles: 10 reps each direction
• Cat Cows: 10 reps
• Arm Cross Swings: 10 reps
• Jumping Jacks: 20 reps

🤸Skill Work (5 minutes):

• Shoulder Depression and Elevation: 2 sets of 10 reps (focus on scapular movement)
• Tall Kneel Shoulder Extensions: 2 sets of 12-sec hold (emphasize core engagement)

👊Strength Work (15 minutes):

• Ring Dip Eccentric (Low Rings): 3 sets of 6-8 reps (slow and controlled descent)
• Strap-Assisted Ring Dips: 3 sets of 8-10 reps (use straps to assist and focus on form)
• Ring Push-Ups: 2 sets of 10 reps (to build stability and strength)

💪Muscle Work (5 minutes):

• Eccentric Pushup (with deficit): 2 sets of 10 reps (increase depth for a greater challenge)

🏃Endurance Work (5 minutes):

• Ring Turn-in and Turn-Out: 3 sets of 10 reps (to build endurance in the muscles involved in ring dips)

💧Cooldown (5 minutes):

• Wrist Stretch: 1 x 30 seconds
• Shoulder Stretch: 1 x 30 seconds
• Standing Tricep Stretch: 1 x 30 seconds

Additional Mobility Work (optional, if time allows):

• Wall Slides: 2 sets of 10 reps (for shoulder mobility)
• Scapular Shrugs: 2 sets of 15 reps (to strengthen and mobilize shoulder blades)

Ensure you transition smoothly from one exercise to the next, taking minimal rest during warm-up and skill work and longer rest during strength segments to ensure quality reps.

Always focus on maintaining proper form to prevent injury and get the most benefit from the workout.

If you want to work on improving your form and learn ring dip techniques, this article can help: 📌How to do Ring Dips: Proper Form and Technique Guide

⚡️Advanced 45-Minute Ring Dips Sample Workout

At this advanced level, your core and shoulder strength should be solid, and your body should be well-conditioned for intense, targeted workouts. This session is designed to strengthen key areas for ring dips and iron out any remaining weak points.

🙌Warm-Up (10 minutes)

• Shoulder Dislocates: Use a resistance band or a stick to work on full shoulder rotation.
• Arm Circles: Perform small and large circles to warm up the shoulder girdle fully.
• Cat-Cow Stretches: Focus on spinal mobility, as a flexible spine supports better shoulder positioning.
• Arm Cross Swings: To loosen up the chest and deltoids.
• Jumping Jacks: To elevate heart rate and increase blood flow to all muscles.

🤸Skill Work (5 minutes)

• Support Hold-on Rings: Work on maintaining a tight core and locked-out arms to stabilize the dip position.
• L-sit Holds on Rings: Further engage the core and hip flexors, crucial for a controlled ring dip ascent and descent.

👊Strength Work (15 minutes)

• Ring Dips with Turn In and Turn Out: Focus on smooth transitions to engage different aspects of the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
• Weighted Ring Dips (if applicable): Add a weight vest or belt for increased resistance, aiming for full depth and a strong push-up.

💪Muscle Work (5 minutes)

• Ring Dip Negatives: Lower yourself slowly and control from the support position to build strength in the eccentric phase of the movement.

🏃Endurance Work (5 minutes)

• Ring Dip Repetitions: Aim for higher reps consistently, ensuring the form remains impeccable throughout the set.

💧Cooldown (10 minutes)

• Wrist Stretches: To relieve tension after supporting your weight on the rings.
• Shoulder Stretch: Include dynamic and static stretches to increase the range of motion and promote muscle recovery.
• Standing Tricep Stretch: Target the triceps, as they are heavily involved in the pressing motion of dips.
• Chest Stretch: Use a doorway or the rings to stretch the pectoral muscles.

🎯Additional Tips

• Prioritize movement quality over quantity. Properly performing each dip is essential to maximizing strength gains and minimizing injury risk.
• Incorporate isometric holds at the bottom of the dip to increase time under tension.
• Practice straight-bar dips as a supplementary exercise to develop additional stability and control.

💯By the end of this workout, you should have challenged every aspect of the muscles involved in ring dips, from the core to the shoulders and triceps, setting you up for continued success and progression in your calisthenics journey.

☝️Avoiding the Pitfalls of Ready-Made Workouts 

Before starting this workout and expecting gains, it’s essential to recognize that a ready-made workout approach is rarely effective for progressing in calisthenics.

Initially, the workouts seem promising. It is broken up into levels that you can put yourself in. But they may not necessarily cater to your unique abilities and requirements:

• ✊ Determining your level—beginner, intermediate, or advanced—can be ambiguous without clear guidelines or a personal assessment.
• ✊ The leap in difficulty between the levels may be too significant, leading to discouragement or injury.
• ✊ Certain exercises may not align with your current capabilities, being either too easy to challenge you or too hard to perform safely.
• ✊ You may notice some areas of your physique need more focus than others, which standard programs may not address.
• ✊ The pace of progression in a standard workout could be mismatched with your personal development, causing you to advance too quickly or stagnate.

A tailored program that accommodates your needs and tracks your progress is critical to circumventing these issues and maintaining your motivation.

Such a program can help you gradually and safely build the requisite strength for ring dips while ensuring you’re sufficiently challenged throughout your training journey.

🔥What You Need is Tailored Training with The Movement Athlete🔥

What you really need is a training program tailored just for you, precisely what you’ll find at The Movement Athlete. Empowered by cutting-edge AI, the app designs a workout regimen that’s not just a routine, but a personal fitness journey crafted for your unique body and goals.

Unlike cookie-cutter workouts, The Movement Athlete’s approach starts with a comprehensive assessment ✅ to pinpoint your current level and targets. This custom-tailored plan ensures you’re working out at the optimal intensity for your capabilities.

The beauty of such a dynamic program lies in its adaptability. Your fitness plan evolves with you, recalibrating as you progress or your daily energy levels fluctuate. This means you’ll always be training at the peak of your potential, aiming for a flawless handstand or building foundational strength.

With The Movement Athlete, training goes beyond mere exercise; it’s about training smarter, with precision and personalization.

You’ll work towards your fitness objectives in a way that’s safe, effective, and—most importantly—enjoyable.

So, if you want to nail your ring dips or any other calisthenics milestone…

Let The Movement Athlete guide you!💪💪