Ring Dip
A dip performed on gymnastic rings, adding significant stability demands to the standard dip movement.
Set the rings at an appropriate height. Grip them firmly, lifting yourself to a supported position with arms extended.
Lower with control, managing the rings' instability. Same general depth and elbow guidance as a standard dip, with significantly more stabilization required. Press back up to full extension. Drive through your triceps and chest while maintaining control of the unstable rings.
Keep the rings as stable as possible throughout. Minimizing unnecessary swinging or instability is part of performing this exercise well.
Attempting this before standard parallel-bar dips are very strong. Ring dips demand significantly more stability — a solid foundation in standard dips is necessary first.
Why it matters
Because rings are unstable and free to move, performing dips on them demands significant additional shoulder and core stabilization compared to fixed parallel bars, while still training the same triceps and chest muscles. It's a genuinely more advanced version of an already challenging exercise.
How to do it
- Set the rings at an appropriate height. Grip them firmly, lifting yourself to a supported position with arms extended.
- Lower with control, managing the rings' instability. Same general depth and elbow guidance as a standard dip, with significantly more stabilization required.
- Press back up to full extension. Drive through your triceps and chest while maintaining control of the unstable rings.
- Keep the rings as stable as possible throughout. Minimizing unnecessary swinging or instability is part of performing this exercise well.
Common mistakes
- Attempting this before standard parallel-bar dips are very strong. Ring dips demand significantly more stability — a solid foundation in standard dips is necessary first.
- Letting the rings swing or rotate excessively. Some natural movement is inherent to rings, but excessive instability suggests the difficulty needs to be scaled back.
- Going too deep given the added instability. The combination of depth and instability increases shoulder strain risk — moderate, controlled depth is wise.
- Rushing the descent or ascent. Slower, more controlled reps help manage the rings' inherent instability.
Sets & reps by level
Not applicable — master standard parallel-bar dips first.
Not typically attempted yet — continue building standard dip strength.
3–4 sets of 6–10 reps once standard dips are performed with significant strength and control.
Log your next ring dip session in seconds.
Track sets, reps, and weight without breaking your rest.