I've noticed that some does dips as chest exercise, while others do dips as triceps exercise. Does dips target both of these muscles? How to do dips so that it targets chest more than triceps, and vice versa?
- Josh
- Josh
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Dips
- Thread starter Josh
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On your dip go down as far as possible and try to lean forward during your whole movement. I have only just started doing these as a chest exercise and they are awesome i get a real good burn inthe chest when finished and nice and sore the next day!! If you are doin them too easy, say above 12reps sling a wieght around your waist (this will depend alot on your body weight) i am 86kgs and tie a 15kg plate to my wieght belt. 
They cab be used for both. If you lean forwards as far as possible and dip they rip your lower chest to shreds
but also utilise your Tri's. If you just go up and down straight they primarily use your tricpes.Animal
I do mine on the day I work triceps.
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Your elbow and torso positioning will dictate which muscle gets worked by dips. As Animal already stated, the further forward you lean the more pectoral stimulation you get. Also, the more to the side your elbows travel the more you target your pecs. If your body is straight up and down and your elbows travel straight to the rear the movement becomes a triceps exercise. As an interesting experiment try this next time you do dips. Instead of crossing your heels and bringing them up behind you, keep your feet together, your legs straight and put your feet slightly out in front of your body. Keep you chin down on your chest like normal and your elbows out to the side like normal. The only variation is your foot position. Do that and tell me if you notice any difference.
Neil
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I think they are a great move to do on a chest/tri day. I feel them in my tri's more then benching, but they also hit my chest really hard. I think they are the best upper body compound move. Like everyone said, leaning at different angles will put the emphasis on different muscles.
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Right on Neil !! Have you every tried weighted bench dips ?? They are IMO one of the best tri mass building exercises ever !!TJohn
KryptoAllez
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I guess it's time for me to add a weight plate when doing dips, kewl. I've been doing dips but still seem to lack tricep mass. I've even been saving the dips til the end of my workout after my triceps are already exhausted. So either I need to do weighted dips or figure out how to kill my triceps MORE, before the dips. It just seems like in order for me to keep my form perfect, I have to use a weight where I can do 12-15 reps cause when I do more weight to keep me in the 8-10 rep range, it seems my form won't stay. Geesh, anybody else have this problem? I think I just have some stubborn, ungrowing triceps! 
Vale Tudo
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I do weighted dips on both of my chest and then again on my shoulder/tri day. But I vary the movement exactly like AlBob explained. They are and awesome workout. Krypto allez, I would definitely say that you should do them earlier in your workout with some heaver weights becasue they are such a huge compund exercise. It is way too good of a builder not to get the most from the movements. That change alone in your workout might kick in some new growth on those tris.
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Where do you have triceps in your routine? I prefer to hit them immediately after chest because they're already pretty pumped by then and only need a couple of more MASSIVE sets to fry them completely.
KryptoAllez
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Yeah, maybe it's time to put them back at the beginning of my tricep workout. I was doing that but then changed and started doing them at the end of my tricep workouts.
Last two weeks I have trained triceps with chest. Prior to that I was training triceps & biceps together which is my normal split. I suppose it's best to vary every so often, sometimes training triceps with chest (as well as biceps with back) and sometimes training triceps and biceps together on their own day.
Last two weeks I have trained triceps with chest. Prior to that I was training triceps & biceps together which is my normal split. I suppose it's best to vary every so often, sometimes training triceps with chest (as well as biceps with back) and sometimes training triceps and biceps together on their own day.
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I find that I can do many dips ... so I add two 45lb plates ... of which brings my total from many to about 6 - 8. I try and lean forward to incorporate my chest more ... and I do this as my last exercise.
Dips -- the scoop
I haven't read everyones comments but Animal and Albob seem to have it right. One thing needs to be added -- the WIDTH of your hand position will effect which muscle gets "targeted" (any variation will hit both).
If your hands are closer you focus on tris and if your hands are wide you focus on chest.
I think this is a GREAT tri exercise especially weighted, but only marginal chest exercise. As a chest exercise it is a decline replacement, and I feel that declines are overrated.
Another good tri exercise is seated dips -- put two benches paralell to each other with your feet on one and your hands and butt on the other; lift your butt off and press your weight up and down. Have someone place 1, 2, or 3 plates across your thighs for a real mass exercise!
I haven't read everyones comments but Animal and Albob seem to have it right. One thing needs to be added -- the WIDTH of your hand position will effect which muscle gets "targeted" (any variation will hit both).
If your hands are closer you focus on tris and if your hands are wide you focus on chest.
I think this is a GREAT tri exercise especially weighted, but only marginal chest exercise. As a chest exercise it is a decline replacement, and I feel that declines are overrated.
Another good tri exercise is seated dips -- put two benches paralell to each other with your feet on one and your hands and butt on the other; lift your butt off and press your weight up and down. Have someone place 1, 2, or 3 plates across your thighs for a real mass exercise!
Re: Dips -- the scoop
Thanks for all the comments, I now know how to do dips to target chest and triceps.
I've again tried dips yesterday, but as before (see one of my earlier thread), I still have problem doing this exercise. I tried started with arms full length then lowered my body, but as when my upper arms are about parallel to the floor I already felt shaky and could not continue further down, so I needed to push up again without a chance to feel enough stretch on chest nor tri. When I tried the other way, started from bottom position with full stretch chest, I was unable to push myself up. So I guess I'm still not ready for proper (full) dips, not strong enough yet.
But doing bench dips, this I can do (without additional weight, though). Now I know that this is primarily a triceps exercise, but can it be modified to target on chest as well (like dips can be modified to target more on chest or on tri)?
- Josh
Thanks for all the comments, I now know how to do dips to target chest and triceps.
I've again tried dips yesterday, but as before (see one of my earlier thread), I still have problem doing this exercise. I tried started with arms full length then lowered my body, but as when my upper arms are about parallel to the floor I already felt shaky and could not continue further down, so I needed to push up again without a chance to feel enough stretch on chest nor tri. When I tried the other way, started from bottom position with full stretch chest, I was unable to push myself up. So I guess I'm still not ready for proper (full) dips, not strong enough yet.
But doing bench dips, this I can do (without additional weight, though). Now I know that this is primarily a triceps exercise, but can it be modified to target on chest as well (like dips can be modified to target more on chest or on tri)?
- Josh
Because I heard that dips is one of good exercise for chest (as well as for tri), so since I can't do proper dips yet I though maybe doing "modified" bench dips for chest may help.
- Josh
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Bench dips are tri's only. And a great stretch for the shoulders.
TJohn
TJohn
Re: Dips -- the scoop
Yeh, one of my favorites......I'll do four sets of bench dips, starting with a single plate on my lap, and move up in weight with each set. Then I'll go right into six sets of push-up with a plate on my back, moving up in weight with each set. My son thinks I'm crazy.
Yeh, one of my favorites......I'll do four sets of bench dips, starting with a single plate on my lap, and move up in weight with each set. Then I'll go right into six sets of push-up with a plate on my back, moving up in weight with each set. My son thinks I'm crazy.
Neil
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Originally posted by TJohn
TJohn
I did them for a while when I had a partner to put the weights on my lap. They brought out my tri's better than any tri move I have done. Unfortunately I can't do them when lifting solo.
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Sure you can, just pre fatigue your tri's first, then finish up with no-weight dips. Doesn't matter if there's weight or not if your tri's are ripped apart b4 hand, you're still gonna stimulate some fibers.
TJohn
Neil
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I spose I could tri that 
I'm one of those high intensity/low volume guys so I usually steer clear of the fancy stuff.
I'm one of those high intensity/low volume guys so I usually steer clear of the fancy stuff.
Chin on chest dips while leaning forward will hit more chest while head up and body up will hit tris. Try this, drag a flat bench over to the dip bench and superset dumbell flys with chin on chest dips, 15 reps strict on the flys and failure on the dips. You will not need to strap weight to ypur waist no more FEEL THE BURN
