Ring Pike

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Adjust the rings so they hang approximately 8-12 inches off the floor.
2. Place your feet or toes into the bottom of the rings and walk your hands out into a high plank position.
3. Stack your shoulders directly over your wrists and engage your glutes to create a rigid, straight line from head to heels.

How to do it

1. Exhale and pull your toes toward your chest by driving your hips toward the ceiling while keeping your legs perfectly straight.
2. Continue the movement until your hips are stacked as high as possible over your shoulders, forming an inverted 'V' shape.
3. Inhale and slowly lower your hips back to the starting plank position using a controlled 3-second tempo.
4. Maintain active tension in your shoulders and core to prevent the rings from swinging.

Form checklist

• Keep your knees locked and legs straight throughout the entire repetition.
• Maintain a neutral spine at the bottom of the movement; do not let your hips sag toward the floor.
• Actively push 'away' from the floor to keep your shoulder blades protracted and stable.
• Ensure the movement is driven by the abdominals rather than momentum or swinging.

Pro tips

• Think about pulling your belly button toward your spine to initiate the lift from the deep core rather than just the hip flexors.
• At the peak of the movement, look back through your legs toward the rings to encourage a deeper pike and higher hip position.

Make it harder

• Add a push-up at the bottom of each repetition to increase the demand on the chest and triceps.
• Slow the eccentric (lowering) phase to 5 seconds to maximize time under tension and core control.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the ring pike work?

The ring pike primarily targets the abs, deltoids, and obliques, and also works the lats, serratus anterior, and triceps as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the ring pike?

The ring pike uses suspension trainer.

Is the ring pike good for beginners?

The ring pike is rated advanced. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Decline Shoulder TapIntermediate · abs, deltoids, and obliques
• Dumbbell Front Plank Arm RaiseIntermediate · abs, deltoids, and obliques
• Dumbbell Lateral Raise PlankIntermediate · abs, deltoids, and obliques
• Elbow-Up And Down Dynamic PlankIntermediate · abs, deltoids, obliques, and pectorals