Ring Rocky Pull-Up
What Is the Ring Rocky Pull-Up?
Ring Rocky Pull-Up is a compound exercise that primarily targets the back and also engages the biceps, rear shoulders and the muscles between the shoulder blades. It is an advanced-level movement that asks for solid strict pull-up strength on rings before you add the side-to-side steering it is built around.
The name comes from a bar exercise called Rocky pull-ups, which alternates a pull-up with the torso leaning back until the chest meets the bar and a pull-up with the bar behind the neck. The ring version shown here keeps both rings in front of the body the whole time. From a straight-arm hang, you lean back and steer your chest toward one ring, so your head finishes to the outside of that ring and the arm on that side does more of the work, while the other arm stays bent and keeps pulling.
Because the rings hang freely, they drift and turn as you move, so the shoulders, shoulder blades and trunk have to control every rep instead of leaning on a fixed bar. Shifting toward one ring loads that side's lat and arm harder than a centered Ring Pull-Up, and the backward lean at the top puts extra emphasis on squeezing the shoulder blades together. It sits between the standard ring pull-up and the Ring Archer Pull-Up, where the far arm straightens out to the side.
This exercise suits trainees who can already do several strict ring pull-ups and want more upper-back and single-side pulling strength on the way to archer and single-arm work. If a centered ring pull-up is still hard, build it first with the Leg-Assisted Ring Pull-Up and rows such as the Feet Elevated Ring Row, then add the side shift once you can control the rings through a full range.
Muscles Worked
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Primary
- Biceps Brachii
- High
- Brachialis
- High
- Rhomboid Major
- High
- Teres Major
- High
- Brachioradialis
- Medium
- Deltoid
- Medium
- Lower Trapezius
- Medium
- Upper Trapezius
- Medium
Instructions
- Set the rings about shoulder-width apart, or slightly wider, at a height where you can hang with straight arms and your feet off the floor.
- Grip the rings with an overhand grip, palms facing forward, and hang with your arms straight, knees bent and feet together behind you.
- Draw your shoulders down and back to set your shoulder blades before you bend your elbows.
- Drive your elbows down and back and lean your torso back as you pull, steering your chest toward one ring.
- Keep the other elbow bent and pulling so it finishes at roughly a right angle, rather than letting that arm straighten out.
- Finish with your chest close to the working ring and your head just to the outside of it, squeezing your shoulder blades together without twisting your hips.
- Lower under control back to the center and a full straight-arm hang, keeping the rings from swinging.
- Pull toward the other ring on the next rep and do the same number of reps to each side.
Common Mistakes
Kicking or swinging up
Using the legs or a swing to reach the top takes the load off the back and makes the rings drift, so start each rep from a still hang.
Twisting instead of shifting
Rotating the hips and torso to reach one ring turns the rep into a corkscrew; the chest should travel toward the ring while the hips stay under you.
Pulling with the arms first
Bending the elbows before the shoulder blades are set lets the shoulders roll forward and shifts strain onto the elbows and the front of the shoulder.
Letting the rings drift wide
Allowing the rings to slide apart during the pull loses tension and control, so keep them tracking close to your body.
Cutting the range short
Stopping short of a full hang at the bottom or short of the ring at the top removes much of the work the exercise is meant to add.
Always favoring one side
Pulling toward your stronger side more often builds an imbalance, so match the reps to each side.
Injuries
Ring Rocky Pull-Up is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. Most of the strain lands on the shoulder and elbow of the side you pull toward, since that arm carries more of your body weight at the top. A pinching pain at the front or side of the shoulder near the top usually means the shoulder blades are not staying set, or the rep is being yanked and over-arched. Pain on the inside or outside of the elbow points to the arms doing work the back should be doing.
Set your shoulder blades down and back before each rep, pull smoothly instead of kicking or jerking, and lower under control to a full hang. Lean back only as far as you can while keeping the ribs down and the rings steady, and keep both rings in front of you. The bar version this exercise is named after includes a behind-the-neck pull, which places heavy strain on the rotator cuff and is best left out, especially if you have a history of shoulder problems.
If you cannot keep the rings from swinging or cannot reach the top on one side, go back to the Ring Pull-Up or the Leg-Assisted Ring Pull-Up and build strict reps there. Once you can shift to both sides with control, progress to the Ring Archer Pull-Up and later the Ring Single-Arm Pull-Up.
Stop the set if you feel sharp shoulder or elbow pain, a pinch at the top of the pull, or numbness or tingling in the hands. Ending a set when one side clearly can no longer reach the ring is better than twisting or kicking to finish the rep.
- Primary Focus
- Back
- Equipment
- Rings and body weight
- Modality
- Strength
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Why is it called a Rocky pull-up?
The name comes from a bar exercise called Rocky pull-ups, which alternates a pull-up leaning back to the chest with a pull-up behind the neck. The ring version on this page keeps both rings in front and instead steers the chest toward one ring.
- Q: Should I add the behind-the-neck pull from the bar version?
No. The behind-the-neck pull puts heavy strain on the rotator cuff and is a common source of shoulder complaints, while the ring version shown here gets its extra challenge from the side shift and backward lean instead.
- Q: How is it different from a Ring Archer Pull-Up?
In a Ring Archer Pull-Up the far arm straightens out to the side and mostly assists, while in this exercise both elbows stay bent and keep pulling as you shift toward one ring. That makes it a useful step between the Ring Pull-Up and the archer.
- Q: How many ring pull-ups should I be able to do first?
A good benchmark is several strict, controlled ring pull-ups with a full hang at the bottom and the chest reaching the rings at the top. If you are not there yet, build them with the Leg-Assisted Ring Pull-Up first.
- Q: Can I do this on a pull-up bar instead?
You can shift your chest toward one hand on a bar, but the hands cannot rotate or drift, so you lose the stability demand that rings add. The Commando Pull-Up is a bar exercise that also pulls the head to one side and then the other.