Influence of Key-Points of Ring Muscle-Up Execution on Movement Performance: A Translational Perspective from Artistic Gymnastics to Mixed Modality Training Workouts

Background: The inclusion of gymnastic-based movements in workout routines in many exercise training programs, generally called mixed modality training (MMT), and even in many competitions, is increasingly common. In contrast to artistic gymnastic competitions, MMT workouts aim to complete as many movements as quickly as possible, which tends to deform the movement pattern proposed by artistic gymnastics. Execution of the MMT workouts with more of the gymnastics-based style (i.e., based on the gymnastics movement pattern) could improve performance in exercises with a high-level complexity, such as the “ring muscle up” (RMU). Thus, this study aimed to analyze the kinematic aspects of RMU, performed by a former gymnast both with and without the gymnastics based style. Methods: A former gymnast with a successful transition to MMT, carried out RMU using two movement patterns: 1) close to the classical artistic gymnastics pattern (“Front uprise”), and 2) close to that used by many athletes not from gymnastics. The athlete performed RMU, three times with each proposed movement pattern. Images were captured using a high-speed digital camera. Hip and ankle displacement, velocity and acceleration were recorded and analyzed. Results: The execution of RMU was faster and the hip vertical displacement was greater when RMU was carried out with a gymnastics-based style, while ankle displacement path, peak velocity and acceleration were lower. Conclusion: The use of a gymnastics-based style to carry out RMU seems to be advantageous from the biomechanical point of view, favoring the performance of RMU.