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Bodyweight Regressions for Dips

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WhatWouldHulkDo

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Got any favorite regressions for dips?

I've been doing bi-weekly dips practice with one foot on the floor, particularly to reduce the load on the eccentric phase. I've got the strength to do dips with no support (last time I tested months ago could do 8 pretty easy), but something in my shoulder or elbow tends to get irritated afterwards. I don't get the irritation doing the one-foot-on-the-floor variation. Figure I need to spend more time building up support musculature, looking for ideas on what else I could do.
 
Got any favorite regressions for dips?

I've been doing bi-weekly dips practice with one foot on the floor, particularly to reduce the load on the eccentric phase. I've got the strength to do dips with no support (last time I tested months ago could do 8 pretty easy), but something in my shoulder or elbow tends to get irritated afterwards. I don't get the irritation doing the one-foot-on-the-floor variation. Figure I need to spend more time building up support musculature, looking for ideas on what else I could do.
Why do dips in the first place? I know it may be heresy to say that around here (especially amongst the body weight practitioners), but I’ve (and many others) get along quite nicely without them.
That being said... I am a big proponent of using a pulley / counterweight system to do pull-ups. The same idea could very easily be adapted to dips.
 
Bench dips
Feet on stool behind you
Someone support you feet
Slight jump to propel yourself upwards
 
Dips are a great exercise provided your shoulders, in particular, and elbows can cope. The shoulder opens too much for me and I get very sore shoulders so I don't do dips. They are popular though
 
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I have to really make sure my shoulders are packed down and back and keep elbows relatively close to my sides. This mimics my pushup technique that I find protects my shoulders. I also favor a more upright position. All this puts more emphasis on the triceps and less on my shoulders.

Maybe start shallow without the foot support and progressing the depth of your dips patiently over time to see if you find/develop a technique groove that is comfortable.
 
Why do dips in the first place? I know it may be heresy to say that around here (especially amongst the body weight practitioners), but I’ve (and many others) get along quite nicely without them.

Fair question.

First, they're part of my shoulder bulletproofing plan - trying to be strong from all angles. I get the horizontal press and vertical press covered in other work, the downward press is an angle I don't otherwise get.

Second, there remains the far-off dream of a proper muscle-up. Which, to at least some degree, has some application to OCR.

That being said... I am a big proponent of using a pulley / counterweight system to do pull-ups. The same idea could very easily be adapted to dips.

This got me thinking... I've never been a fan of band assistance for pullups, because the assistance decreases at the point where the pull is the hardests (the top). But the effort profile for dips is opposite- they are most difficult at the bottom. Maybe band assistance would be perfect...
 
Bench dips
Feet on stool behind you
Someone support you feet

The thing about those particular options is that the tend to change the angle of the press. That's why I've used the foot on the floor thus far, keeps the body perpendicular to the floor.
 
This got me thinking... I've never been a fan of band assistance for pullups, because the assistance decreases at the point where the pull is the hardests (the top). But the effort profile for dips is opposite- they are most difficult at the bottom. Maybe band assistance would be perfect...
Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. Good luck!
 
Hello,

@WhatWouldHulkDo
If you do ring dips, you can indeed use a counterweight and pulley system. So, +1 @offwidth The pulley can be placed at the bar.

The advantage is that you will have the same amount of assistance on the entire ROM.

Otherwise, you can use a resistance band. This can be place either on dip bars or directly on the rings. However, you will not get the same assistance on the entire ROM. You will get more at the bottom.

The dip technique remains the same, but you will bend your shins so the band will be right below knee level.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
If you’re doing Dips (or any other exercise) with proper form, but having pain, it’s time to see an orthopedist or physical therapist. Trying to modify the exercise to avoid the pain isn’t wise because avoiding the problem isn’t as healthy or as effective as addressing the problem.

I thought the shoulder and bicep pain that I had years ago was from Dips or Pull/Chin Ups. But after seeing an orthopedist, I learned that my problem resulted not from exercise, but from spending way too much time typing on a computer. I needed only physical therapy, but had I waited, the problem could have worsened, and I might have needed surgery.

Getting professional help now may be wiser in the long run than modifying exercises to avoid pain.
 
I have used bands for assistance with dips. It is easy to pass a band through both horizontal bars, put yourself in the starting position on the bars, place your knees on the band, and then straighten your body. This will allow you to perform the dips in fairly good form. The tension of the band(s) can be adjusted as progress allows. The band will take some stress off your forearms and shoulders, if they bother you. I would also say that adjusting the width of the bars to your sweet spot is important to avoid undue stress to your shoulders.
 
I second what @H. Mac said. Many people have issues with dips because their biomechanics are off. In my experience, its usually a shoulder extension issue. When you do them, squeeze your scapulae together hard and open up your chest, pulling your elbows together behind your back.

Dip info at about 2:50

 
You might try some isometric holds at different angles. Like you, I like dips and can do them, but can have some shoulder irritation when I do them regularly. Holds can help identify which positions are giving you trouble.

Blake
 
Do you use rings or bars?

For rings, why not lower them so you start at a more mechanically advantaged position above parallel or wherever you don’t have discomfort then gradually raise the rings to increase ROM a la Progessive Movement Training of Paul Anderson.

If in bars, you could use a box, or chair or something similar to stop yourself at the bottom. Of course the rings are ideal as we only have so many different barriers to place underneath the feet but the idea is to just work through a partial range of motion and gradually extend it.
 
If you can support yourself in the top position, that's all you need. There are small but significant carryovers to nearby ranges of motion, so just dip a little, doing what you can manage, and build up some volume that way, and then cut back the volume and go a little deeper, and so on. You can even add weight to a shorter range of motion then go bw-only for a deeper range of motion.

One more suggestion - see if you can get into the very bottom of the ROM with support from your feet and then gradually lighten the pressure on your feet, the goal being a "dip stretch" where you hang out in the bottom position but don't try to raise yourself. This stretch, btw, is great for lots of things besides dips, e.g., do it, wait 60 seconds, and try a set of bench presses.

-S-
 
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