Ring Rollout

Ring rollouts are an excellent abdominal exercise, that generate an incredible amount of muscular tension.

Primary Muscle Abdominals
Secondary Muscle(s) Shoulders
Difficulty Intermediate
Also known as Ring Rolls
Equipment Rings
Optional Weighted Vest

How to do Ring Rollouts

  1. Grip the gymnastics rings with hands just wider than shoulder-width apart in a ring push-up position.
  2. Slowly push yourself forward in a controlled rollout, stretching out the torso as far as you can without compromising form.
  3. Stop when fully stretched and pause for a moment. 
  4. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Note:
  • Adjust the height of the gymnastics rings to alter the difficulty of the exercise. The closer you are to being parallel to the ground and at full stretch the more difficult the exercise becomes. 
  • Maintain tension throughout, engaging all muscles and drawing the naval into the spine.
  • Keep the movement slow and deliberate.

Ring Rollout Guide

The ring rollout is an excellent core body exercise and places particular emphasis on developing strong, lean abdominal muscles. The exercise generates a great deal of tension in the body and requires impressive strength to control. 

It's a very similar exercise to ab rollouts, using the basic ab wheel except you have greater control of your path of motion, of the exercise difficulty, and your shoulders aren't restricted by the narrow-handle grip required for ab wheels. 

Beginning the Ring Rollout

The ring rollout is a challenging exercise. If you're just starting out and struggling with the required strength or form you can try the following approaches: 

  • Perform the ring rollout from a kneeling position rather than standing
  • Adjust the rings so that they're higher from the ground and the angle of the rollout is less severe. Continue to lower the rings as you gain strength. 

Advanced Ring Rollouts

When you've got to grips with the standard ring rollout and looking to add that extra intensity you can progress using the following techniques:

  • Continue to lower the rings until they're as close to the ground as possible. 
  • Add resistance using a weighted vest.
  • Perform one-arm rollouts
Also see the Ab Wheel Rollout exercise for a similar variation. 
Disclaimer

Always consult your GP before undertaking any form of weight loss, fitness or exercise.