Tricep pushdown vs. dips

[33sun33]

Well, I guess I agree with everyone here but my personal experience was different. Starting out, I couldnt do a single dip. Not even close. So I avoided them and worked on building up my chest and triceps with various excercises (generally flat and incline DB presses, maybe some CG bench here and there).

One day, well over a year later, after I had gained (as a newbie) quite a bit of strength in my chest and tris, I decided to jump on the dip bars just as a lark (and when no one was looking bc I still thought I wouldnt be able to do a full dip). I was shocked that I could easily do between 10-15 bw dips, and soon started messing around with weighted dips.

That said, my efforts to increase the number of BW reps I can do on chin-ups follows the advice here -- I just do as many BW chins as I can, and then do assisted chins. I guess its working. Ill try some negatives though!

 

[Phred]

Not really. Your knees are sitting on a platform, you move on a fixed path. With the platform there, I would think you aren't using any muscles to stabilize your movement, the platform does that for you.

Bottom line is, if you want to better your BW dip #'s, do bodyweight dips.

You don't improve your pull-up by doing pulldowns....

Oh crap, now you tell me.

 

[maxpro2]

Not really. Your knees are sitting on a platform, you move on a fixed path. With the platform there, I would think you aren't using any muscles to stabilize your movement, the platform does that for you.

I disagree. You are not locked in so much as you are with a traditional machine. It is not as fixed, and you still basically can move your legs around on the platform. As long as you have it on a challenging weight, you still have to stabilize yourself.

Bottom line is, if you want to better your BW dip #'s, do bodyweight dips.

I agree, but only once you can work your way up to a strength foundation with assisted dips. If you can't do 2 BW dips, I don't think you should be doing regular dips just yet... only if you are pushing yourself with the assisted dips though and making progress.

You don't improve your pull-up by doing pulldowns....

This has no relevance; the analogy would be true though if you had said assisted pullups... which I would then argue are crucial for developing pullup strength if you cannot do any pullups. Build that fundamental strength base, as you would do with any other exercise, instead of jumping right into the max.

 

[VILBAUGH]

I would suggest perhaps a "jumping dip" where you hop off the ground and in to a dip..this eliminates the "fixed path issue", grab a box to accomodate your height to the bar. also this will allow you to acheive repitition which tends to be more fun and metabolic than fighting for 1 or 2 bad reps would be.
another option would be to plant your toe on the step of the bars or a box and assist your self accordingly
pushdowns and pulldowns are IMO unneccesary in any fitness routine