Log: Exercise

25.08.2024. Gymnastics Rings

Bogotá, Colombia

Working out remotely can be challenging. When the gym is far away, staying in shape is a goal that can easily be sidelined.

To work out regularly and everywhere, I carry my favorite set of exercise equipment, the Gymnastics rings.

Gymnastics rings lying on the ground — *Fig 1.* Gymnastics rings.

These rings can be used anywhere you have a tree or bar to hang them up on, and enables you to perform a complete upper-body pull workout, which is hard to do without any form of equipment.

After 8 months, starting from scratch, I was able to unlock the ring muscle up with the help of a personal trainer.

Crude drawing of 3 steps for performing a muscle up. — *Fig 2.* The three steps of a muscle-up.

Over time, I transitioned over to exercising on my own. These days I follow the training programs sold byfitnessfaqs. I find his marketing to be a bit like snake-oil but the concepts he teaches are legit and the programs were recommended by my previous trainer. Though it should be said that these workouts should be supplemented with some of your own reading, as his training programs can be a bit light on theory.

On Reunion island, I would find a tree next to a small lake, hang up the rings, do my exercises and then jump into the lake and swim for a bit to cool myself down. On the best days the lake was completely empty of people.

A lush lake on Reunion Island — *Fig 3.* The lake on La Réunion where I would swim.

The simplicity of the wooden rings combined with being alone in nature makes it a meditative form of exercise.

- Marc