Unfortunately, not many people nowadays are still into the lost out of working out with gymnastic rings. However, they can provide you with quite the intense exercise, and are the most direct way of working out many muscle groups in your arms and torso. However, working out with gymnastic rings is not free of any sort of risk. Here are the most important five things you need to remember if you want to start doing this.
1. No need for gloves or gymnastic rings
Accessories such as gloves or gymnastic rings (thick hand-placed leather pieces that provide a better grip of the rings) are not necessary if all you want is a workout. However, they do come in handy if you’re planning to do any dynamic moves on the rings, such as circles or something like that. But if you just want to exercise, you don’t need them really. They’re designed just for the comfort and safety of professional gymnasts.
2. Calluses aren’t a bad thing
While many of us fear calluses for some reason, in the case of working out with gymnastic rings, they can actually be helpful. Developing these patches of thickened skin is a natural consequence of the exercising process, and will actually help improve your grip on the rings. However, if you don’t want to rely on calluses to improve your grip, you can always choose to wear some gymnastic hand wraps. They are far more comfortable than gloves, and can even prevent the forming of calluses altogether.
3. Rips happen, so don’t freak out
When undergoing an exercise of this nature, it’s natural for the skin to rip due to prolonged effort. This happens even to the best of us, so don’t freak out about it. If you do experience a rip, be careful not to pick on it, and visit the infirmary as soon as possible to have it cleaned and patched up.
4. Don’t overwork yourself
Working out with gymnastic rings can be quite a fun way to spend your workout hours. However, be careful not to stress too much about it, and don’t over-exhaust yourself by pushing your limits too far. If you do, the activity will become tedious instead of pleasurable, and you’ll want to quit your goals.
5. Have fun
If you only take on thing from this article with you, let it be this: you’re not a trained professional, and you have no Olympic games to attend, so just have fun with it and don’t worry about getting it right all the time. Your happiness should always come first, so remember never to put yourself down if you can’t do it for more than half hour or something. Achieving your fitness goal is important, but so are your happiness and health.
