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The advanced design of the Elite Rings makes them unique in the gymnastics world. These are the first rings designed from the ground up for fitness training. Weighing less than three pounds, you can take them with you wherever you go. And the quick and easy mounting system allows you to hang them nearly anywhere. The selection of possible exercises is limited only by your imagination: pullups, dips, pushups, muscle-ups, body rows, the iron cross and much more is possible. The unique nature of the rings gives all of the exercises a fun, athletic feel.

• Accessible for beginners, with gentle progressions towards harder skills
• Advanced design keeps the rings stable, allows for quick mounting, easy adjustment and light weight
• Torch your abs with uniquely effective exercises derived from gymnastics
• Challenge yourself with the Muscle-Up, a move that works every muscle in your upper body
• Develop a high strength-to-bodyweight ratio, like an Olympic gymnast

The unique value of ring training

Ring training is time tested and proven effective by thousands of gymnasts. For fitness, the Elite Rings are even better, because by adjusting the height, you have access to new exercises not possible on traditional gymnastics rings. For example, you can now experience pushups in a whole new light. The mobility of the rings forces you to stabilize them constantly, thus increasing muscular recruitment through your whole body. The mobility also allows for variations not possible on the floor or pushup stands.
The efficiency of your workouts will improve as you incorporate ring exercises in place of their traditional counterparts. By integrating more of your musculature, fewer reps are required to achieve the same results.
Safety is improved for several reasons. First, your joints are allowed to track naturally, because you can move and rotate the rings to wherever you find greatest comfort. You can even adjust your hand placement dynamically during each rep, ensuring safety and comfort from beginning to end. Next, your safety is improved because you must always be under control while on the rings. Flailing away with improper form is not even possible. Lastly, your stabilizers muscles engage automatically and protect your joints. On dips, you have no choice but to use your lats, otherwise the rings will fly away. On a dip stand, you might never learn to use your lats properly. On rings, safety never compromises performance.

Even if you are a bit of a wimp, there are still lots of "silly" exercises you can do with the rings even if you havn't yet cracked the muscle-up. Download the free Crossfit London 'Easy Ring Training Guide' and either use it yourself or lend it to your wimp partner or body builder friends.
This guide is also an antidote and an attempt to stop you wasting your time and money buying well- marketed, but inferior webbing contraptions that haunt the internet. if you need to suspend your hands or feet, rings are what you need.

Easy Ring Training

History of the Elite Rings

The Elite Rings are a modern reincarnation of a classic training tool that has been around for hundreds of years. There are illustrations of ring exercises in training manuals dating back to the 1800’s. The Elite Rings use cutting edge design and materials to create an advanced ring for the 21st century. We experimented with a variety of designs and materials, including wood, metal and various plastics before we came up with the Elite design. Not only is the new design elegant and beautiful, but it maximizes the strength to weight ratio and adds some advanced features not found on conventional rings.

What is included with an order of Elite Rings
and how much does it cost?
The cost of the Elite Rings £54.00 plus £10.50 postage: but you can arrange to pick them up if Stratford is near you
With each order you receive:

• 2 Elite Rings
• 2 straps with 16 feet of high-tensile strength nylon webbing and quick-adjusting buckles
• Free training guide with dozens of exercises and sample workouts.

Is there a weight limit for the Elite Rings?
The Elite Rings have been tested up to 1000 lbs static load for a single ring. Our rings were designed to hold a 250 lbs person falling from above the rings, while holding on with only one hand. That is a worst case scenario. Most exercises will place a stress on the system 1/4 to 1/10 of that load.
Our rings are not intended for swinging exercises, such as giant swings and double back flip dismounts. For those, you need an FIG-certified ring frame or spring loaded, swivel mounts. These can be purchased from a gymnastics supplier.

How are the Elite Rings different from a pull-up bar?
A pull-up bar is one of the best pieces of equipment you can add to your home gym. However, the rings give pull-ups a unique free motion element. Plus, Elite Rings can be used for many other exercises such as dips, pushups and a variety of gymnastics exercises.

Can the Elite Rings be used in a
competitive gymnastics program?
No, the Elite Rings are not FIG certified and are based on a different design. The Elite Rings are designed from the ground up for fitness workouts. The mounting system is designed to allow for quick height adjustments and portability. A competitive gymnastics program could use the Elite Rings as part of their strength and conditioning program, but not for doing swining elements and dismounts. I would recommend purchasing competitive rings from American-Gymnast.com, Norberts or AAI.

What are the advantages of ring-shaped
handles versus straight handles?

Any hanging handle is a step in the right direction, whether it is round or flat. Some of the first gymnastics rings were actually triangular in shape. In fact, at the World Championships in Prague in 1907, competitors could choose whether they wanted to compete on triangular or ring-shaped rings. The competitors overwhelmingly preferred the true rings and in subsequent years the triangular ones were no longer used.
The advantage of rings is superior control and comfort. When you use a "false grip", in which your wrists are draped over the rings, you will really notice the improved performance. In any exercise, such as dips and pushups, rings also feel much more solid.

Can women train on the Elite Rings?
Yes! Women don't need dumbed down training revolving around "toning and sculpting". The same careful, incremental progressions I recommend for men will work just as well for women. A high performance body is a beautiful thing. And don't worry, you won't end up looking like a female bodybuilder, unless you take special "vitamins".
Female gymnasts don't compete on the Still Rings apparatus, but this does not mean they are for men only. The Elite Rings are designed for fitness, and fitness is for anyone willing to work hard.

Are Elite Rings suitable for older individuals?
Provided you get clearance from your doctor, then absolutely. Numerous studies have shown that strength training is extremely beneficial for people of all ages, but becomes most important as you grow older. Because the handles rotate independently, they will be much easier on your joints than any conventional equipment. Also, since they are adjustable in height, you can spot yourself in pull-ups and dips with your legs. You can also work up to pushups and body rows by elevating the rings. Most exercises can be adjusted in terms of difficulty by raising or lowering the rings.

Can children use the Elite Rings?
Yes, but only with parental guidance and supervision. Some coaches recommend that high-tension isometrics, such as the Iron Cross, should not be practiced until age 13. Excessive loading on young joints can cause long-term damage if not performed carefully.

How do you hook up the rings? What if I live in an apartment?
The Elite Rings can be set up in a variety of ways. You can run it through an eye screw or you run the straps over a beam, bar or tree limb. Once you have the strap in place, you simply run the strap through the buckle and you are ready to go.
If you live in an apartment, and they won't allow you to install eye screws, you can take your rings to a local park or playground and put them up over a swing set, monkey bars or whatever else you can find. Be sure that your area will be free of obstructions. One of the advantages of going outside is that you can add some sprints or jogging between sets for variety. If you bring a kettlebell or dumbbell along, you can have a complete gym anywhere you go.
The Elite Rings can even be set up over a doorway pullup bar, but you will be slightly more limited in your exercise selection.

What muscles are worked by ring training?
Every muscle in the upper body and core will be developed to the extreme. When your lats start growing people will wonder if your parents were flying squirrels. Your shoulders, biceps, triceps and forearms are all involved in just about every action on the rings. Your abs and postural muscles will get a workout unlike anything they've ever felt before. The Elite Rings are truly the ultimate ab training device. If you need a testimonial, look at a gymnast. Unlike the models in most fitness ads, there is no doubt that gymnasts train with rings.

Are the Elite Rings a complete fitness solution?
They come pretty close, but if you throw in some weight training and running, you will pretty much be able to cover the full range of human movement. The Elite Rings primarily work the upper body and core musculature. Additional leg, hip and back training will round out your program. No single tool does it all, but with only a few simple tools you can develop world-class levels of fitness.

How difficult is it to perform an Iron Cross?
For the general population, extremely difficult. For gymnasts, it is only a B-level skill on a scale from A to E. The muscle-up is an A-level skill and even that is difficult for most people. Most gymnasts tend to be lightweight and short individuals with a great leverage advantage for strength moves like the cross. Add in the fact that they have been training since they were very young and it starts to make sense. However, challenging exercises like the muscle-up and Iron Cross are still within the reach of mere mortals. It just takes a lot of dedicated training. It is best to work up to them slowly and carefully. Jump Stretch bands make a very good spotter and some people have even devised harness systems. If you do plan on working up to extreme strength moves, be patient and listen to your body.

You can order online at www.stemlerfit.com
or email andrewstemler@aol.com to reserve if you wish to pay by another method.