Dips and Shoulders

[wheyman]

Anybody have some tips on performing dips (for tri's)? I feel them in my tri's when I'm not using weight, but as soon as add weight to the belt I feel stress in my shoulders. I feel like my shoulders get more of th workout. I've had someone watch me do them to make sure I'm staying upright and my arms aren't flaring out. Any ideas?

WM

[beefcake]

I thought when you're doing dips for tri's, you want to allow your arms to flare out. I thought keeping your arms from flaring was to hit the pecs. At least, that's how i've always done them.

[wheyman]

I thought when you're doing dips for tri's, you want to allow your arms to flare out. I thought keeping your arms from flaring was to hit the pecs. At least, that's how i've always done them.

Really? I've always read that when targeting tri's to keep your elbows close to your body.. I guess I could try it and see if that helps. I just keep reading about dips being the main mass builder for tri's, but I just don't feel them working when performing the movement.

WM

[shortz]

KEEP ELBOWS IN TO PROTECT YOUR SHOULDERS!!! Elbows out are hell on your shoulders.

THe difference between focusing more on tris is you stay nice and vertical and you don't need to go as deep because ROM is shortened in this position. If you want to focus more on chest, you lean forward and can go a little deeper.

[wheyman]

KEEP ELBOWS IN TO PROTECT YOUR SHOULDERS!!! Elbows out are hell on your shoulders.

THe difference between focusing more on tris is you stay nice and vertical and you don't need to go as deep because ROM is shortened in this position. If you want to focus more on chest, you lean forward and can go a little deeper.

That may my problem then, I'm going too deep. I know I'm staying vertical and keeping the elbows in, but I do down as far as possible. I will try and shorten my ROM and see how that works.

WM

[beefcake]

Really? I've always read that when targeting tri's to keep your elbows close to your body.. I guess I could try it and see if that helps. I just keep reading about dips being the main mass builder for tri's, but I just don't feel them working when performing the movement.

WM

Nevermind dude, I just checked up on it and it's keep them close to your body. I don't know what I was thinking. At least I still felt it in the tri's though. Not a complete waste of workout.

[shortz]

Nevermind dude, I just checked up on it and it's keep them close to your body. I don't know what I was thinking. At least I still felt it in the tri's though. Not a complete waste of workout.

I think if you don't have bad shoulders, you may not feel that it's uncomfortable, but as someone who has injured mine a feew times, I can tell you elbows out causes terrible pain. THat's mainly the reason I know elbows out are no good.

[beefcake]

I think if you don't have bad shoulders, you may not feel that it's uncomfortable, but as someone who has injured mine a feew times, I can tell you elbows out causes terrible pain. THat's mainly the reason I know elbows out are no good.

Very possible. My shoulders are one of my best parts. Been doing behind the neck presses and upright rows for years and still no problems so far.

[muscle_n_blood]

Try pre-exhausting tris with pressdowns or overhead extensions before doing dips. You won't be able to add as much weight, but you will be able to feel just how much your tri's are involved

[BBAddict]

Sometimes I'll do dips after chest to make sure that my chest doesn't do most of the work. but like shortz already said, if you keep your body more vertical, it should focus most of the effort on your tris instead of your chest.

[coffee-guy]

I've always liked dips between two benches - feet up on one - hands up on the other. It completely eliminates the chest and your spotter can load 45's onto you lap to get a good heavy workout.

[shortz]

Nothing beast parallel bar dips...it's the squat of the upper body IMO.

[Taylor]

i didn't read what everyone else posted but as far as dips go


when i let my legs hang straight down i get a bigger workout in my tri's.....if i cross my legs and sorta lift my feet up towards my butt it targets my chest a ton, i really feel it

i've never really felt my shoulders getting much of the workout when doing dips

[ROCKETW19]

like everyone else said elbows in thats for sure. i also do tris with chest and do dips almost last to make sure they are already beat up i also flex the shit out of them at the top. that realy wears them out quick.

[lxorl]

elbows in..stay more upright... concentrat on putting the stress in the tris and then squeez them and hold for 2 seconds.

I prefer using the nautalus machines for dips.... 1. i get tendonitis in my elbows with weighted true dips, and 2. i can concentrate on th contraction and put it where i want better on the machine.