Basic Ring Strength 3

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Our journey in the acquisition of general ring strength now continues with the 3rd routine in the Basic Ring Strength series. For the first time in the series, this new set contains an introductory press handstand variation. Press handstand variations are an essential element in the successful development of gymnastics strength and the single exercise that I spend the most time developing in my own beginning and intermediate athletes. For this first foray into the world of press handstands, we will confine ourselves to a press to shoulder stand. It is fairly easy to learn, requires only the rings which you already possess and builds a reasonable amount of strength in the process.

It should be noted that the development of press shoulder stands is not reserved to only those capable of performing the second ring strength series; it is also an effective strength training element all on its own.

PRESS SHOULDER STAND PROGRESSIONS:

1) Correct support position - As detailed in the previous ring strength series 1 & 2 essays, a correct support position requires that the torso is upright with the elbows completely straight and the hands turned at least somewhat forward. If you are not yet capable of correctly performing a support position on the Xtreme Rings, you should defer your work on press shoulderstands.

2) Standing shoulder placement - Lower your Xtreme Rings until they are approximately hip high. Now holding the rings firmly, bend forward and place your shoulders on top of your hands. You will notice that your shoulders will not be directly on top of your hands, but are actually slightly in front of them. Also, do not allow the hands to flare out to the sides, keep the rings pulled strongly inward. Experiment placing more and more of your weight upon your hands and finding the position where you feel the most stable.

3) Partial jumps to shoulder stand - Once you are comfortable with your basic bent arm support position, it is time to get inverted. First however, make sure that your area is clear of all obstructions and that the surface you are working above is suitably padded (carpet, grass etc.).

Keeping the Xtreme Rings down low, assume your bent arm support position. Now perform a small jump upward and then land. Do not yet attempt to straighten your body, but remain somewhat tucked. Note that at this time you are not yet attempting to go all the way to shoulder stand, but are merely seeking to become comfortable and secure while partially inverted. When you are capable of jumping up into a partial shoulderstand and landing smoothly without undue stress, you are ready to proceed onto the next progression.

4) Jumping into shoulder stand - We are now ready to attempt a full shoulder stand. To accomplish this, simply jump higher until you reach a fully inverted position. This will be difficult to judge at first, however straddling your legs will allow the straps to stop you at the top of the movement. If you miss your feet on the straps, simply roll forward as you learned in the Basic Ring Strength 2 series. DO NOT release the rings during your roll :roll:.

In addition, pressing the elbows outward into the straps during the shoulder stand will make the balance substantially easier. The elbows pressing outward combined with the legs upon the straps helps to make a very stable position. Hold the shoulderstand for your desired length of time and then lower back down to the ground. As you become more confident and proficient, you may experiment with pressing the legs and elbows less and less into the straps until you are finally capable of performing a true shoulderstand independent of the straps.

5) Pressing from a support - Once you are reasonably proficient at jumping to a shoulder stand, it is time to begin actually working the press to shoulder stand. From a straight arm support position, begin by lowering your shoulders down to the bent arm support while simultaneously pulling your hips up over your head; all the while remaining in a tuck. Continue pulling your hips upward until you are completely inverted. Hold the shoulder stand and then return once more to the straight arm position by reversing your motion.

As by this time you are probably already quite comfortable with the effort required of the shoulder girdle during shoulderstands, you will feel this new variation most strongly in your mid and lower back.

6) Pressing from an L - For this final step in the progression, you will now begin the press shoulderstand from an L-sit. Once you are capable of performing several tucked presses in a row, you may experiment will progressing onward to pressing in a straddle, then pike and finally a straight body position.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

The Xtreme Rings which have been responsible for building a great deal of this athlete's strength are available here.

Great article, Coach. Press Shoulder Stands are fun. Looks like I learned it the hard way though just starting with #5. >.

Hi all,

I'm having some trouble balancing my shoulderstand off the straps. Would it be beneficial to practice on p bars as well? or maybe trying to balance a tuck position on the rings and then extend my legs? I feel that wen my feet are on the straps i'm in a very different position to the athlete in the video.

Thanks

Good morning Coach.

It's kind of late right now and I think the neighbors are getting mad at all the noise I'm making in the back. Just a couple of questions:

I am unclear about the positions described in steps 2 and 3. Is it like holding a handstand but with your arms bent?

Is there any way possible that someone here could film a video or draw a picture?

Thanks for your help.

There already is a video, but here it is again.

Good luck!

Sorry I was referring to the progressions for the press shoulder stand.

Once I started doing the basic ring strength series, I stopped doing weights. I was getting bored of doing the same thing all the time, and the ultimate variation was switching to rings. I actually recover much quicker from an intense ring session as opposed to doing weights, which lets me train more times a week. My excitement has trickled down to some of my friends, and they now want to get a pair for their place. The compliments I get from seeing old friends helps out too :]

Hey, everyone! I've been doing this routine for a couple months now, and I think im starting to exhaust its usefulness. Recently i made it a bit tougher by doing it with shoes on, which actually made it substantially more difficult. is this a good or bad idea? Here is a video I made of the routine,

, feel free to critique, but the main purpose of this post is to ask for any ideas on added movements to the routine. thanks.

Nice done! i would suggest you to add stops of 2 seconds for every move (i mean 2sec on support, then on L sit, on shoulderstand, on back lever and front lever). You stop but very little (althoug on the rings i know that 1 second it seems 8 ). Coach also pointed in order to maximize the routine to add reps, for example i do the routine adding 3 l-sit to shoulderstand on a row before going to inverted hang) it can be done with every part (3 back levers, or muscle ups, or rolls). I also added at first a kip to support inestead of muscle up, and sometimes i add the muscle ups after the shoulder stand instead of going to support just do a forward roll and you are in the muscle up start position. You can also add at muscle up the first part of galimores (just adding a front lever to the muscle up. You can also add l-sit to tuck planche after the l-sit. Think of every move you can do on the rings and insert it on the routine.

I think shoes are a good progressions, specially much harder for levers. I found my best progress on front lever was to simply remove the shoes

Adding in the holds is a good idea just like doing press to shoulderstand, lower, repeat for a total of 2 or 3.

I don't think you need to weight them as your back lever and front lever are close but not there. It's the whole principle of using leverage to increase load. I"m pretty sure you could hit the back lever flat with some work or it could just have been one of those days. FL is piking so knocking it down a step might be a good idea.

Instead of shoulderstand, you could start adding in bent arm press to handstand if you have managed to get that by itself. We would often do shoulderstand, pushup to HS, or climb up and hold 10s HS on straps or free HS.

thanks for the great replies, i like all the ideas mentioned. yeah i noticed my back lever wasnt flat, im pretty sure i get it right most of the time. i know i have the strength for it, the front lever, i do piked on purpose because i dont hava a front lever yet .

i think ill start holding longer and doing multiple press to shoulderstand with the eventual goal of press to handstand 8)

I just got my forward roll to support last week and I always come back to watch these (all three ring strength series topics) videos to see proper technique and body positioning.

I think all of the basic ring strength series topics should be combined and I think they also deserve a sticky!

-Ricky

The Basic Ring Strength series are in the collection of my essays.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Cool,I didnt know about that topic. Its now a bookmark!

Thanks

Is the press to shoulder stand meant to be completely vertical or as in Coach Sommer's video not completely vertical :?:

Closer to vertical is preferred. The shoulderstand of the athlete in the video is not optimal.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Hey Coach,

just wanted to let you know that Youtube blocked the video (at least here in Germany).

"The video contains content from Sony Music Entertainment and UMG. It is no longer available in your country.

Could you reupload it without the music?

Could you re-upload it without the music?

Unfortunately, that will not be possible due to the number of views and links which this video currently has. The issue which you mentioned is the primary reason why all of the new GB YouTube videos all use a more generic soundtrack. That particular video is however still available to you on the Companion DVD set.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer