Gymnastic rings or ...
 

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[Closed] Gymnastic rings or suspension trainer?

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Which would you choose, and why?

Fortunate to have a decent place to hang them, just not sure which would be better for an absolute beginner.


 
Posted : 10/01/2021 4:13 pm
 ajc
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Decathlon do a trx for £15. It’s very good. Rings are generally for more advanced body weight exercises. With trx you always need to have a point of contact with the ground whereas with rings you don’t.


 
Posted : 10/01/2021 4:23 pm
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Anything you can do with TRX you can do with rings....


 
Posted : 10/01/2021 4:35 pm
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First time I heard of a suspension trainer was yesterday so don’t know anything about those. I’ve used rings for years.

Not sure what beginner means, but if you don’t find parallel bar dips and pull-up/chin-ups easy then rings will be a hard option. Parallel bars and a chin bar would be a better option if that’s the case. Or judging from comments above a suspension trainer.


 
Posted : 10/01/2021 4:59 pm
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but if you don’t find parallel bar dips and pull-up/chin-ups easy then rings will be a hard option.

Pretty normal, doing any exercise on an unstable surface is harder than on a stable surface, but much better for you as you tax more muscles and improve motor control stabilising yourself. I spent ages working on a 30sec L-sit in rings, so much harder than on the ground!


 
Posted : 10/01/2021 9:05 pm
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A few years ago I went for gymnastic rings partly because I didn't know about TRX/suspension trainers but also because I was trying to follow a bodyweight program and rings were highly recommended.

I don't use them much because I don't have a good setup nor ever been consistent enough in my training to get strong enough to do more than basic holding myself up in the air (think of it as a vertical plank only with more intense than a regular plank) or holding myself upside down type stuff. Push ups are difficult with them close to the ground. Dips on rings need to be trained for, if you can't do ten normal dips for example there's no chance on the rings.

A couple of years later got a TRX out of curiosity but it seemed a bit pointless compared with the rings.


 
Posted : 10/01/2021 9:26 pm
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TRX is just a crap, commodified version of gymnastic rings.

If you're struggling with grip at the start, wrap 1/4 of each of the rings with something like Self Amalgamating Tape or Bar Tape.


 
Posted : 10/01/2021 10:01 pm
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Rings, miles ahead in every deptartment.
TRX is rings for noobs and fat gym goers who have no staying power.


 
Posted : 10/01/2021 10:04 pm
 ajc
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You sound very angry. Are you on the ‘roid’s


 
Posted : 10/01/2021 11:12 pm
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Decathlon TRX and the TRX app. You can do much more with a TRX.

I have both and don't use the rings.


 
Posted : 11/01/2021 10:25 am
 Earl
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Both are cool for strength training - and like all equipment - they don't work well if they just sit in the corner gathering dust. Length of a TRX is a touch faster to adjust.

However a TRX can't easily be used for the calisthenic style movements - you need rings for that.
i.e. invert dead lifts, skin the cat, meat hooks, muscle ups.

With no access to heavy weights at the gym, this is the few body weight exercise that are truly taxing in a 6 rep set

I'd also argue that the ability to set a narrow/wide anchor point with rings controls the shape of the movement. e.g. if I'm doing Aussie pulls, I'll have my rings apart so my elbows go back and around instead of just back. the same thing can be achieved on a TRX by doing one handed rows


 
Posted : 11/01/2021 11:05 am
 Joe
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They are completely different. Good luck doing pull ups on your TRX. I wouldn't really know how to do dips on the TRX either. TBH with the decathlon TRX being so cheap... why not buy both? It's hardly a huge extravagance.


 
Posted : 11/01/2021 11:09 am
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I have both, the only exercise I prefer on TRX is hamstring curls, otherwise rings all the way.


 
Posted : 11/01/2021 12:56 pm
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With no access to heavy weights at the gym, this is the few body weight exercise that are truly taxing in a 6 rep set

I used to do those inverted pike pulls when working on a front lever..


 
Posted : 11/01/2021 1:06 pm
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Topic starter
 

Decathlon TRX to get me started with some strength building, and then I'll get rings in due course. Loving the polarity of the debate here 😀


 
Posted : 11/01/2021 2:50 pm

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