Dips for chest: anyone else have trouble with 'em?

[Guinness5.0]

I seem to have a tough time making dips for chest work. I love straight-up dips for tris. WHen I use 'em for chest I lean forward and all that good stuff but I really feel them more in my front delts and tris. I'm just a little bit on the lanky side (wingspan is greater than height by a couple of inches- nothing major). Could this be an anatomical thing or are there some tweaks I could use? TIA

 

[Chambewy20]

Wouldn't worry too much about doing dips unless you really want to. They are extremely tough on your shoulders, I think you can use different exercises and get better results.

My 0.02

 

[H_T_]

Cham's right, i don't do them anymore, due to the fact that you can over-extend the range of motion. the only shoulder injuries i've had were from dips and declines.

 

[ruggermu]

I'm kind of long armed too. 6 foot and my arms are a bit longer. I like dips myself. But I do chest and tris together, dips are last chest AND first tri for me. But all I do to feel them in my chest is lean forward. I've had some shoulder trouble but dips have never hurt me. I don't know though do you try pulling your feet back to make sure your leaned in good??

 

[d3track]

are you rolling your shoulders when you dip?

 

[Guinness5.0]

are you rolling your shoulders when you dip?

No (at least I don't think so). I think I'm just not gonna do 'em any more. The only reason I was doing them was because everybody recommends them for when someone wants to increase their bench. I've kind of gotten over my ego and I'm using db's more on flat bench anyway.

I could see a shoulder injury being a strong possibilty if I ever add weight to dips. Thanks for the replies.

 

[BOOEY]

I would just stick to using them as a tricep exercise and concentrate on presses and fly motions for chest.

 

[casualbb]

I also used to do dips but it's hard to gauge the depth when you're in the middle of a rough set, so I'd end up going too far and it killed my rotators

rotator pain = scary, so no more dips for me

 

[tzan]

I would just stick to using them as a tricep exercise and concentrate on presses and fly motions for chest.

Agreed.....If your goal is to increase your bench just do them on your tricep day coupled with closegrips and skulls and stick with the presses and flys on chest day.

 

[musketeer]

I would highly reccomend you get good at Dips.

Do them INSTEAD of bench press (or whatever your main chest exercise is) every 3rd workout, and do them last in the other two workouts. Make sure that you are not gripping too narrow or wide. To get better reps out, concentrate on keeping your entire upper body tense and contracted throughout the entire range of motion. Do not go down for a full stretch. Go to where the arms reach about 85 degrees (so just 1/2 inch past parallel to the floor. When your shoulders get used to the stress you can go lower. Do not lock out forcefully, move quickly for near lockout to the next lowering phase.

Fact is, if you can get over the problems that you have with the dip then you will have taken your body to the next level. Dips are actually like an upper body squat. They are a key movement and unless you have something like a torn rotator cuff then you dont have a good excuse - just because you are not good at them is not a reason.

I SUCKED at dips for years so I didn't train hard at them. Now I love to hate them. I use them as a killer finisher after presses and flying movements. I can either strap weight on if I feel powerful, or do high reps (like 30+) at bodyweight.

To get good at dips, when doing the FIRST in your chest workout, do as many sets to mometary muscular failure, as it takes to reach 50 reps, example:

12 reps
10 reps
9 reps
8 reps
7 reps
6 reps

When doing the exercise last, just do one or two sets for maximum reps.

 

[Gambino]

i love dips, i think they are the upper body squat. I use about 120 lbs and do sets of 6

 

[JoBu]

Be sure to let your elbows flare out as well as leaning forward if you are trying to target chest. Keep the elbows tight to your body for tris.

 

[musketeer]

Be sure to let your elbows flare out as well as leaning forward if you are trying to target chest. Keep the elbows tight to your body for tris.

Yeah that hepled me get into it.

(great tits JOBU!)

 

[Guinness5.0]

Argh. just when I was sold on not doing them you guys have me thinking I should be doing 'em. One more try and if it hurts my shoulders I'm done!

BTW I really think I've been doing them "correctly" (elbows out, good lean, proper width) but they seem to hit my ant. delts more than my chest. Like I said, I'll play with 'em one more time.