Dips for increased muscle ?

ReaperX

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I'm trying to bring up my lower chest/triceps so I've been doing dips for quite awhile.

I see people putting on weights while dipping and I have not done this before but am considering doing it.


Should I just do more set/reps of dips to bring up my triceps/lower chest ?


Also if I put on the belt to start loading on weight what number of sets/reps should I do ?


I don't particularly like working triceps/biceps directly. I usually just work chest/back heavy and that usually is all the bicep work I get. And dips too.


Maybe I should start up again working those muscles directly.
 
3clipseGT

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When i started doing weighted dips is when i started noticing more slabs of lean mass added. Its a nice excersize for overall mass for chest, shoulders, tris.

Id start with 25 in rep range of 8-10 but thats just my personal preference.
 

ReaperX

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when I first started doing them I did 2 sets of 20.

Now I'm doing 3 sets of 30.

I think I'm plateauing here.

Should I add weight and do 3 sets of 12 ? 15 ?

I was thinking of doing 3 sets, 15 reps.
 
3clipseGT

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when I first started doing them I did 2 sets of 20.

Now I'm doing 3 sets of 30.

I think I'm plateauing here.

Should I add weight and do 3 sets of 12 ? 15 ?

I was thinking of doing 3 sets, 15 reps.

That would be good as well. I usualy work in the higher rep range, 8-15 reps most of the time and am really seing a great improvement on muscle hypertrophy.
 

ReaperX

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ok tonight I'll dangle a 30lbs weight and do 3 sets of 15 reps.


See how that works out.
 
3clipseGT

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ok tonight I'll dangle a 30lbs weight and do 3 sets of 15 reps.


See how that works out.
Ive got chest tonight myself! Ill be doing weighted dips as my first exercise!
 

ReaperX

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I train chest twice a week b/c I was trying to bring it up and once a week wasn't cutting it. Usually my chest workout looks something like this:


Workout 1:

-Flat Dumbbell
-Incline Barbell
-Decline dumbbell

I usually reserve my pressing exercises for one workout.

Workout 2:

-Dumbbell pullovers
-dips
-flies



I've almost stopped doing barbell all together. It does more damage for me than good.
 
3clipseGT

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Thats definately a nice program. I myself stay away from bench but i as well try and hit chest twice a week as its my weakest body part.

Mine usualy looks like this:

Incline chest
Incline Hammer strength
Flat Hammer strength
Pec Dec incline
Weighted dips.

Second day is usualy incline chest and pec dec incline since my upperchest is lagging but this is really helping.



I train chest twice a week b/c I was trying to bring it up and once a week wasn't cutting it. Usually my chest workout looks something like this:


Workout 1:

-Flat Dumbbell
-Incline Barbell
-Decline dumbbell

I usually reserve my pressing exercises for one workout.

Workout 2:

-Dumbbell pullovers
-dips
-flies



I've almost stopped doing barbell all together. It does more damage for me than good.
 
pmiller383

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I noticed a lot of improvement from doing dips with weight when i used this scheme for reps,

1Neg@120% of 1RM rest 45-60 secs then 6-8@80%1rpm
Repeat for a total of three sets of 1 and three sets of six
 

ReaperX

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For some reason I have a hard time getting a good pec workout with incline dumbbell which is why I use barbell.

I haven't done cable crossovers in 2 years. I've heard various things about them from being worthless, to only helping definition, not mass.

I dunno, we'll see.
 

ReaperX

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Actually doing dips TUT might be worth checking out.


I never thought about doing dips with TUT.
 
Hank Vangut

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when I first started doing them I did 2 sets of 20.

Now I'm doing 3 sets of 30.

I think I'm plateauing here.

Should I add weight and do 3 sets of 12 ? 15 ?

I was thinking of doing 3 sets, 15 reps.
3 sest of 30 is a great routine for a chick. lol.
although 30 solid form dips is impressive.

add enough weight until it brings your reps under 15. or even 5-8 sometimes.
if you can get 30 w/bodyweight you need to add at least a 45lb plate i would think. maybe even more.

the same mass building rules that apply to dips.
 

ReaperX

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Ok, I'll strap on a 45lb instead. That will most likely bring my dip range to...8-9 reps I think.
 
Hank Vangut

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Ok, I'll strap on a 45lb instead. That will most likely bring my dip range to...8-9 reps I think.
i can get 10 clean reps with a 45lb plate but i'm not sure if i could even do 30 bw reps.

i guess it's what ever you condition your body to accomplish.
 
bolt10

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Yea weighted dips are great. It has taken me some time to get back at them due to limited shoulder range of motion in the past, but they are definitely a great exercise that i use on chest days
 

ReaperX

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Around 20ish I can start feeling some burning. The most I've ever done with perfect form is 32 (bodyweight) and it felt like a blowtorch on my triceps.
 
pmiller383

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Wait til you do a body weight set after a weighted set, you feel like you weigh nothing lol. I have gone from using 4plates and a 20lb db to bodyweight, and it was ridiculous lol. Good luck with them Reaper, make sure you warm up good though, b/c they can wreak havoc on your elbows otherwise.
 

ReaperX

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Wait til you do a body weight set after a weighted set, you feel like you weigh nothing lol. I have gone from using 4plates and a 20lb db to bodyweight, and it was ridiculous lol. Good luck with them Reaper, make sure you warm up good though, b/c they can wreak havoc on your elbows otherwise.

Thanks. That's what I'm kinda leary about and why I stopped doing direct tricep training was elbow pain.

If I start dipping heavier+heavier chest, I still might be able to get away without having to train triceps directly.
 
pmiller383

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If you want to try direct tricep work without elbow pain try doing skull crushers on a decline bench. The angle you are pressing at not only optimizes tricep fiber engagement, but it also takes some pressure of the elbows. I do just about all my tricep work on a decline and it rarely bothers my elbows.
 
Steveoph

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At my university we don't have a weighted dip-machine, but back home there's a Hammer Strength one that I absolutely love. I hit it up every time I go home and the next day my ant. delts , tris and pecs are brutalized but you can almost see the muscle it builds. Weighted dips are a great way to help build you upper front body.
 
pmiller383

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steveoph, if you have a squat belt, you can go to a hardware store and pick up some strong fabric straps that has loops on both ends. throw some weight on and dip away buddy. I actually use a set up like this and prefer it over a conventional dipping belt mainly because i dont trust chains near my cash and prizes.
 
Hank Vangut

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yeah, i don't even know what a weighted dip machine is??

this is what you need....
 

Maverick60

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yeah, i don't even know what a weighted dip machine is??


We have one at our gym, but I dont really care for it. I dont like having to seatbelt myself in...

I was just holding dumbells between my ankles when I did dips, but that starts to hurt after so much weight. So I bought a belt.
 

ReaperX

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I did my chest pressing exercises last night, but decided to toss in dips.

Set 1: bodyweight (180lbs)+45lb-12 reps
(45 sec break)

Set 2: bodyweight (180lbs)+45lb-12 reps
(45 sec break)

Set 3: bodyweight (180lbs)+45lb-12 reps


Finished off with 1 set of skull crushers I think for 10 reps.


Has a tremendous pump in my triceps. They feel sore today. Added weight with dipping is def. a good idea.
 

ReaperX

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Lol, people I see who used our weighted dipping machine is b/c they are too fat/lazy to do real dips.
 
RenegadeRows

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Just get a backpack and fill it with rocks
 

handzilla

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If you want to try direct tricep work without elbow pain try doing skull crushers on a decline bench. The angle you are pressing at not only optimizes tricep fiber engagement, but it also takes some pressure of the elbows. I do just about all my tricep work on a decline and it rarely bothers my elbows.
Correctamundo! Charles Glass approved:thumbsup:
 
KingMeso

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I owe a lot of my lower chest development to weighted dips.
 
dsade

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Just get a backpack and fill it with rocks
Fannypack will give you a better angle...plus it will give you mad gym cred.

/don't screw with him, man, he dips with a fanny pack full of rocks. He'll f you up.
 
Hank Vangut

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Fannypack will give you a better angle...plus it will give you mad gym cred.

/don't screw with him, man, he dips with a fanny pack full of rocks. He'll f you up.
lol.

but make sure you only wear it as a front fannypack....
 
dsade

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ReaperX

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I lean in while dipping. I noticed it hits the lower inside pec.


What can I do other than decline bench to hit the lower outer pec ? Cable crossovers ?
 
pmiller383

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One of my favorites for overall chest development is the dumbbell pullover and decline barbell pullovers. If doing the decline grab short bar with arms in a wide grip, keep your arms straight as possible and raise the bar from behind you to where it is perpendicular with the floor. Great chest builder IMO
 

ReaperX

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ive heard of doing pullovers with a barbell. I've always used a dumbbell before. I'll have to try this out sometime.
 

AABigRick

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absolutly love dips, i used always do closegrip instead but had to quit due to shoulder problems. when i switched back to closegrips almost a year later i hit a pr on my 4th set of triceps at 325
 

ReaperX

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close grip bench dosen't seem to work my tri's that well.

Dips are incredible though.

I went my first year bb'ing without doing them. Huge mistake.
 

BifWebster

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close grip bench dosen't seem to work my tri's that well.

Dips are incredible though.

I went my first year bb'ing without doing them. Huge mistake.
Try close grip bench on the decline, makes a big difference.
On decline not only can you use more weight, due to taking the shoulders out of it, but it also recruits more muscle (according to those ekg studies... not sure how effective those are, but try em on the decline and you should feel it)
 
vpower

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you could do what i do for dips..get those strong man farmer handle pieces and add 45s to them..thats a killer workout
 
pantera101

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close grip bench dosen't seem to work my tri's that well.

Dips are incredible though.

I went my first year bb'ing without doing them. Huge mistake.
I used to be the same way.I have learned how to make em work though.I kind of pull my elbows in as i'm pushing up.My arms will scrape my lats.This works well,but if you realy want to feel them work,grip the bar hard and try to pull the bar apart.This works with any tricep bar exercise.For chest,try to pull the bar together.Seems to work much better for tris for me though.I love weighted dips too!
 
pantera101

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Try close grip bench on the decline, makes a big difference.
On decline not only can you use more weight, due to taking the shoulders out of it, but it also recruits more muscle (according to those ekg studies... not sure how effective those are, but try em on the decline and you should feel it)
After a tip from hate4theweak,I do my close grips on an incline now to help bring up my upper chest.It realy seems to be working.I try my hardest to completely take my chest out of the movement,but it's impossible.Especially when you start to wear out.You do feel your front shoulder heads working,but I just don't do front raises on shoulder day now.Or atleast less often and/or less volume.
 

ReaperX

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Yeah I've noticed tucking in your elbows makes a big difference.

I'll also try doing close grip on an incline as well.



I'm starting to consider possibly cutting out flat bench and focusing mainly on adjusting different angles for incline/decline.
 
pantera101

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Yeah I've noticed tucking in your elbows makes a big difference.

I'll also try doing close grip on an incline as well.



I'm starting to consider possibly cutting out flat bench and focusing mainly on adjusting different angles for incline/decline.
I have done that before too.Now I always start off with incline and do more sets than flat.Usually with some flyes for upper chest too.
 

mxdrsuzirider

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DIPS! oh my god. i started doing alot of dips in HS because they are good for your strength to weight ratio. and soon after i started to be able to do a lot of them, i began having the worst sternum problems!!!! i have not done any dips in over a year now, and my sternum cracks all day long, and it always feels like mike tyson just blasted me right in between my pecs. PAINFUL! be careful with dips, especially if your young
 

ReaperX

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I did some ego weighted dipping awhile back. I think I had like three or four 45lbs plates chained to my waist. I did 5 reps with that weight.

My sternum hurt for 2 weeks. I thought for a minute that I ripped my pecs right off.
 

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