When I used to workout at a commercial gym the benches were always taken so me and my buddies just did dips instead. Once we got decent at them we progressed to weighted dips and so on. It was a lot of fun and I don't think we missed the bench press at all.
Pavel once said they'd be the king of the pressing exercises if not for the fact that most people do them incorrectly and/or cant handle them. If you're over weight and cant (skinny)dip, then youre chunky dunking. EDIT: Happy New Year!
I am 51 with a pacemaker and my whole neck fused front and back. Just started working out recently after a few years of healing. Dips don't seem to bother me. :-)
Funny you should mention the weighted dip and the back squat. I easily added mass by doing a circuit of 5 weighted dips the first minute, 5 225lb back squats (approximately my bodyweight) the second minute, and 5 chin-ups the third minute. I did that for 10 rounds 2x per week for about 4 weeks. This was also a decent 30 minute metabolic workout. Thanks for all the great information over the years.
I ran easy strength with dips, chins, RDL's, swings and Hanging knee raise... it was brilliant. Bench hadn't been feeling right for a while so I ditched it for weighted dips, ran ES for a good couple of cycles and then after not benching for about 6-8 months jumped on the other day and pushed body weight and it felt great. The dips got me feeling strong again...
Mike Mentzer called dips the upper body squat. But I didn't realize adolescents struggled with dips because of the sternum not being fused yet. My grandpa always said, "If you don't learn something every day, you ain't paying attention."
I like that. It’s unusual to find an exercise that’s universally perfect. So I tend to have more warnings than a lot of other people. But it’s a great exercise.
@DanJohnStrengthCoach I can't even do dips unless the handles are relatively close together and I only go half way down. Before I tore my pec I was a dip machine.
It's important to note there are different types of dips: chest dips, triceps dips. Chin pointed forward vs down; knees up vs down; elbows flared or tucked; additional weight suspended from the front vs the back. Personally, dips always seemed to take more than they gave. They always seemed to negatively impact the recovery of other upper body compound movements, instead of carrying over.
Arthur Jones called Dips the upper body squat. He believed they were a valuable mass builder and Casey Viator, Mike and Ray Mentzer all did dips but they had amazing genetics and the joint robustness to prosper on them. One of the challenges with dips is to find the right width and thickness of handles....the thicker and more correctly spaced the handles are the more comfortable and productive they are. I have lots of experience with dips and one of the best way to utilize them is eccentric only...doing the concentric part with your legs.. This is great for hypertrophy as you can handle big loads, lots of reps and get time under tension.
I'm 47 and still play a lot of basketball. Started incorporating weighted dips into my workouts and was pleasantly surprised to find how much they improved my mid range shot. That said as a coach am thankful to get Dan's thoughts on not encouraging teens to do them. Great perspective and I thank you.
Pain that comes from dips I believe is costochondritis...which is inflammation of the rib cartilage where it attaches to the sternum. It's no big deal and gradual training will overcome it
For some reason, bench pressing with barbell or dumbbells bothers my 54-year old shoulders more than dips do. Of course, I've have 39 years of training that has worn my shoulders down. Will there be a physical edition of your new book, or just an e-book? Thanks.
I lift by myself, so I don't care for bench press. Doing a few sets of unweighted dips in the 12-15 rep range every few days feels good. Besides, my 4 year old likes using my dip bars for gymnastics!
I think the trick with dips is finding the right width and whether your using "V" or straight dip bars. What about the pike push-up done with push up handles with the 30 degree angle? Are these good for upper pec development as well as the delts?
don't sleep on ring dips, good people. Of course take your time to learn the implement with the proper progressions (d'uh). Once you can bang them out at bodyweight, adding weight actually makes the rings more stable. Similar to ring chins due to the freedom of movement these provide throughout the ROM, a good amount of ppl can alleviate their joint problems they have on parallel bars. ymmv.
Hi Dan, may I ask how would you program the dips/high rep squats routine with sets and reps? I was thinking about doing 5 sets of dips to failure with just one set of squats to complete failure. I did this workout today. I only have about 40 kgs worth of weight to add, so the one set of high rep squats is really brutal. Do you think that this would be sufficient for muscle mass if my diet and rest would be in order?
Happy New Year Dan. I do dips 3 times a week. I might need to assess my form a little to make them safer. Something about a "gunslinger pose" to make them safer. I think they are awesome but need to be done right.
On me, the hanging parallel holds did not stretch my lumbar region as much as pull up bar hangs. Seems I don't relax my back as much with the dip bar hangs.
No. Bench dips put too much stress on the shoulder and it's a different movement altogether. You might be better doing db bench if you want chest hypertrophy or even deficit or rings pushups
For long periods I focused almost exclusively on ring dips and pull ups as main upper body push/pull with really good results. But a couple of times I've messed up my lower back weighting them. Using a dip belt I find it's almost impossible not to unconsciously stick your butt out a bit to prevent the belt slipping off. Any sensible alternatives on loading them?
I've not actually used it, but the king of weighted belt by micha Schulz is designed to prevent this...he did a you tube vid on it...doesn't mean it works as intended of course but could be worth a shot
Kensui ez vest might be your answer, it allows weight to be added to any body weight or ring movement and doesn’t get in the way of the exercise, and you can load a ton of weight on them. It uses your Olympic plates
Hi Dan! You certified me for HKC at Mike Krivka's gym in Maryland circa 2016 0r 2017 and I am still at it every single day! I teach from my house basement but just for fun and to help folks out since I have a day job. More power to you Dan! @@DanJohnStrengthCoach
The best upper body mass gains I made were with 5x5 weighted pull-ups and dips.
When I used to workout at a commercial gym the benches were always taken so me and my buddies just did dips instead. Once we got decent at them we progressed to weighted dips and so on. It was a lot of fun and I don't think we missed the bench press at all.
Pavel once said they'd be the king of the pressing exercises if not for the fact that most people do them incorrectly and/or cant handle them.
If you're over weight and cant (skinny)dip, then youre chunky dunking.
EDIT: Happy New Year!
I am 51 with a pacemaker and my whole neck fused front and back. Just started working out recently after a few years of healing. Dips don't seem to bother me. :-)
Funny you should mention the weighted dip and the back squat. I easily added mass by doing a circuit of 5 weighted dips the first minute, 5 225lb back squats (approximately my bodyweight) the second minute, and 5 chin-ups the third minute. I did that for 10 rounds 2x per week for about 4 weeks. This was also a decent 30 minute metabolic workout. Thanks for all the great information over the years.
That's a nice full body workout. I might add a hinge to the mix (deadlift or heavy swings) and give it a go!
Damn, that sounds beast. Might try that, should give a little bit of everything.
I ran easy strength with dips, chins, RDL's, swings and Hanging knee raise... it was brilliant. Bench hadn't been feeling right for a while so I ditched it for weighted dips, ran ES for a good couple of cycles and then after not benching for about 6-8 months jumped on the other day and pushed body weight and it felt great. The dips got me feeling strong again...
Mike Mentzer called dips the upper body squat. But I didn't realize adolescents struggled with dips because of the sternum not being fused yet. My grandpa always said, "If you don't learn something every day, you ain't paying attention."
I like that. It’s unusual to find an exercise that’s universally perfect. So I tend to have more warnings than a lot of other people. But it’s a great exercise.
@DanJohnStrengthCoach I can't even do dips unless the handles are relatively close together and I only go half way down. Before I tore my pec I was a dip machine.
It's important to note there are different types of dips: chest dips, triceps dips. Chin pointed forward vs down; knees up vs down; elbows flared or tucked; additional weight suspended from the front vs the back.
Personally, dips always seemed to take more than they gave. They always seemed to negatively impact the recovery of other upper body compound movements, instead of carrying over.
Gotta grease the groove
For me they were the best chest exercise I ever tried, and were a godsend when bench would piss off my shoulders.
Arthur Jones called Dips the upper body squat. He believed they were a valuable mass builder and Casey Viator, Mike and Ray Mentzer all did dips but they had amazing genetics and the joint robustness to prosper on them. One of the challenges with dips is to find the right width and thickness of handles....the thicker and more correctly spaced the handles are the more comfortable and productive they are. I have lots of experience with dips and one of the best way to utilize them is eccentric only...doing the concentric part with your legs.. This is great for hypertrophy as you can handle big loads, lots of reps and get time under tension.
Skinny dip - hahahaha! Good one Dan!
Looking lean Dan! Happy New Year
I'm 47 and still play a lot of basketball. Started incorporating weighted dips into my workouts and was pleasantly surprised to find how much they improved my mid range shot. That said as a coach am thankful to get Dan's thoughts on not encouraging teens to do them. Great perspective and I thank you.
There are no good or bad exercises. I say that a lot. The key is the appropriate dosing.
"Its simple, not easy." Love it. I do dips often, but hand stand push ups 🤔, if possible, I'm gonna have to give it a try. :)
Please do! Let me know how it goes.
That dad joke at the end. Love it.
Pain that comes from dips I believe is costochondritis...which is inflammation of the rib cartilage where it attaches to the sternum. It's no big deal and gradual training will overcome it
For some reason, bench pressing with barbell or dumbbells bothers my 54-year old shoulders more than dips do. Of course, I've have 39 years of training that has worn my shoulders down.
Will there be a physical edition of your new book, or just an e-book? Thanks.
I lift by myself, so I don't care for bench press. Doing a few sets of unweighted dips in the 12-15 rep range every few days feels good. Besides, my 4 year old likes using my dip bars for gymnastics!
I think the trick with dips is finding the right width and whether your using "V" or straight dip bars. What about the pike push-up done with push up handles with the 30 degree angle? Are these good for upper pec development as well as the delts?
That's pretty specific but if it works, do it
don't sleep on ring dips, good people. Of course take your time to learn the implement with the proper progressions (d'uh). Once you can bang them out at bodyweight, adding weight actually makes the rings more stable.
Similar to ring chins due to the freedom of movement these provide throughout the ROM, a good amount of ppl can alleviate their joint problems they have on parallel bars. ymmv.
Thank you for this.
thank you for the information. are there any other type of exercise or machines that mimic the dip.
The old Nautilus chest machine. It was fun to use as most men I knew could use the whole stack of weights...but it also felt good.
When you mention sternum slow growth, it makes sense why high rep squat/breathing pullovers work better for utes than adults.
"What is a yoot." - My Cousin Vinny
Hi Dan, may I ask how would you program the dips/high rep squats routine with sets and reps? I was thinking about doing 5 sets of dips to failure with just one set of squats to complete failure. I did this workout today. I only have about 40 kgs worth of weight to add, so the one set of high rep squats is really brutal. Do you think that this would be sufficient for muscle mass if my diet and rest would be in order?
Happy New Year Dan. I do dips 3 times a week. I might need to assess my form a little to make them safer. Something about a "gunslinger pose" to make them safer. I think they are awesome but need to be done right.
Benches are always full and the place to do dips is always empty😳👍🏾💪🏿
Truth!
Nice pun, nice pun.
Just like hanging, do "parallel bar holds" (don't know what to call them) have any value?
On me, the hanging parallel holds did not stretch my lumbar region as much as pull up bar hangs. Seems I don't relax my back as much with the dip bar hangs.
it must have, surely, but would probably work best in the stretched position?
Why not do ring dips instead of weighted dips?
Would bench dips be a good substitute than bar dips?
No. Bench dips put too much stress on the shoulder and it's a different movement altogether.
You might be better doing db bench if you want chest hypertrophy or even deficit or rings pushups
@@bjiffy10 Thanks. Im in my cutting phase now so no more heavy work or hypertrophy right now. Lots of conditioning lol
If we do dips, high reps up to even 100 will be safe and improve your other pushing lifts.
Wow...that's a fair amount!
Hurt the long head of my biceps tendon doing weighted dips. Never again, for me.
Too heavy
🚩sorry Dan, gonna have to issue you a flag, for that skinny dip dad joke
For long periods I focused almost exclusively on ring dips and pull ups as main upper body push/pull with really good results. But a couple of times I've messed up my lower back weighting them. Using a dip belt I find it's almost impossible not to unconsciously stick your butt out a bit to prevent the belt slipping off. Any sensible alternatives on loading them?
Backpack with plates
I've not actually used it, but the king of weighted belt by micha Schulz is designed to prevent this...he did a you tube vid on it...doesn't mean it works as intended of course but could be worth a shot
You just need a better belt, one that you can tighten.
Kensui ez vest might be your answer, it allows weight to be added to any body weight or ring movement and doesn’t get in the way of the exercise, and you can load a ton of weight on them. It uses your Olympic plates
Doug Brignole used to say that contrary to popular belief, dips are a terrible chest and triceps exercise, but a very good anterior deltoid exercise!
Actually, he did say dips primarily work the anterior deltoid, but never said they were a good exercise.
Dips are great with Nachos! Woohoo!
Ah yes...the classics.
Hi Dan! You certified me for HKC at Mike Krivka's gym in Maryland circa 2016 0r 2017 and I am still at it every single day! I teach from my house basement but just for fun and to help folks out since I have a day job. More power to you Dan! @@DanJohnStrengthCoach
Skinny dip? Groan. 😂
The lost art of humor.
!!!