Dips Progression - From Beginner to Advanced
A Step-by-Step Guide to Improve Your Vertical Pushing Strength
Dips are a classic bodyweight exercise that many fitness enthusiasts swear by. Why? Because they're a killer workout for your upper body, especially the chest, triceps, and shoulders. For those new to fitness, dips might look a bit challenging at first. But trust us, once you get the hang of it, you'll see why they're a favorite. Not only do they help build muscle, but they also improve your overall upper body strength and stability. Plus, there's something pretty cool about being able to lift your whole body using just your arms. In this article, we'll break down the basics of dips, giving you all the info you need to get started and make them a regular part of your routine.
Bench or Chair Dips
Purpose: Bench dips are a popular bodyweight exercise designed to target and strengthen the triceps. They also engage the shoulders and chest to a lesser extent. Being a versatile exercise, they can be performed virtually anywhere, making them a favorite for many fitness enthusiasts.
Potential Issues: While bench dips can be effective, they have garnered criticism for the potential strain they place on the shoulders, especially when performed incorrectly. The traditional method, where the shoulders jut forward in relation to the trunk, compresses the structures inside the shoulder joint. This repetitive stress can lead to inflammation, pain, and injury, especially in the rotator cuff. The position of the hands, when turned inward, can exacerbate this issue by promoting internal rotation of the shoulders.
Technique:
Hand Position: The position of the hands plays a crucial role in the safety of the exercise. Placing the thumbs inward (towards the body) leads to internal rotation of the shoulder, which can be problematic. Instead, turning the hands outward promotes external rotation, pulling the shoulder back and placing it in a safer position.
Shoulder Position: Ensure your shoulders remain down and back throughout the movement. This position not only protects the shoulder joint but also ensures that the triceps are doing the majority of the work.
Movement: As you lower your body, keep your elbows tucked close to your sides. When pushing back up, focus on using your triceps, ensuring they bear the brunt of the work.
Progression Criteria for Bench Dips:
Beginner: Start with your feet closer to the bench and knees bent. Aim for 2-3 sets of 8-10 repetitions. Ensure you maintain proper form throughout.
Intermediate: As you become more comfortable, extend your legs further out, increasing the resistance. Aim for 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions.
Advanced: Once you can consistently perform 4 sets of 12-15 reps with perfect form, consider transitioning to more advanced dip variations like the parallel bar support hold.
Remember, the key is to ensure that you're able to maintain proper form throughout all sets and repetitions. If form starts to deteriorate, it's a sign that you might be progressing too quickly or that fatigue is setting in. Adjust accordingly to ensure safety and effectiveness.
Parallel Bar Support Hold
Purpose: Parallel Bar Support Holds are foundational exercises that serve as a precursor to more advanced movements on parallel bars, such as dips. Achieving a stable support position is crucial for ensuring safety and maximizing the effectiveness of subsequent exercises.
Technique:
Body Positioning: Before mounting the parallel bars, ensure you adopt a 'hollow body position'. This involves a slight rounding of the shoulders, tucking the hips under, and maintaining a rounded core from head to feet. This position ensures stability and reduces the likelihood of slipping through the bars.
Scapulae Depression: Once you're in the support position, actively depress (push down) your scapulae. This means you're pushing your shoulders down away from your ears, engaging the muscles around your shoulder blades. This action provides additional stability and strength in the hold.
Mounting the Bars: Depending on the height of the bars, you might need to jump to achieve the support position. If the bars are low, it's acceptable to bend the knees while maintaining the hollow body position. Aim to jump high enough so that the bars are up on your thighs. As you jump, transition from an open chest position to the hollow body position, pushing out of the shrug to achieve a strong, stable hold.
Outside Bar Variation: For beginners unsure about the hollow position or concerned about slipping, practicing on the outside of the bars can be beneficial. This allows you to achieve the hollow position with added security, as your hands in front prevent you from slipping backward. Once comfortable, you can transition to practicing inside the bars.
Progression Criteria: Beginners should practice the support hold until they can comfortably maintain the hollow body position and scapulae depression for at least 20-30 seconds. Once this is achieved, they can progress to more advanced exercises like scapular shrugs.
Scapular Shrugs on Parallel Bars
Purpose: Scapular shrugs primarily target the stabilizing muscles around the shoulder blades, enhancing their mobility and strength. This foundational exercise lays the groundwork for more advanced parallel bar movements by ensuring the scapulae can move freely and with control.
Technique:
Positioning: Start by holding yourself up on the parallel bars in a support position. Your arms should be straight, and your body elevated, with your feet off the ground. If the bars are low, it's acceptable to bend the knees.
Engage the Core: Adopt a slight hollow body position by engaging the core. This ensures stability throughout the movement.
Elevation: Without bending your arms, allow your shoulders to rise towards your ears, letting the scapulae elevate.
Depression: Actively push through your hands, driving your body upwards and depressing the scapulae. Imagine trying to create as much distance as possible between your shoulders and the bars.
Fluid Movement: The motion should be smooth, moving between elevation and depression in a controlled manner.
Potential Issues:
Avoid bending the arms, as this shifts the focus away from the scapulae.
Ensure the movement is isolated to the shoulders and scapulae, without excessive sway or rotation in the body.
Consistency and control are key. Before advancing to more challenging parallel bar exercises, aim to perform 3 sets of 12-15 scapular shrugs, maintaining proper form throughout.
Negative Dips
Purpose: Negative dips focus on the eccentric, or lowering, phase of the dip movement. This technique helps to build strength and muscle control, preparing the body for the demands of full dips. By emphasizing the downward motion, individuals can develop the necessary strength and technique in a controlled manner.
Technique:
Starting Position: Begin in a support position on the parallel bars, arms fully extended, and body elevated above the bars. Engage the core and maintain a slight hollow body position.
Controlled Descent: Instead of pushing up, as in a regular dip, focus on a slow and controlled descent. Bend the elbows and lower your body down, ensuring the elbows remain close to the body and don't flare out.
Depth: Aim to descend until the shoulders are slightly below the level of the elbows or as far as your mobility and strength allow.
Return to Start: After reaching the bottom of the movement, instead of pushing back up, you can place your feet on the ground, reset, and jump or step back into the starting support position.
Potential Issues:
Avoid rushing the descent. The goal is to maintain control throughout, which builds strength and muscle memory.
Ensure the elbows remain close to the body to prevent unnecessary strain on the shoulders.
Progression Criteria: Before progressing to full dips, aim to perform negative dips with a 4-8 second controlled descent for 3 sets of 6-10 repetitions. As strength and control improve, the duration of the descent can be increased.
Band-Assisted Dips
Purpose: Band-assisted dips provide a supportive mechanism for those who aren't yet able to perform unassisted dips. The resistance band reduces some of the body weight the individual has to lift, allowing them to practice the movement pattern and build strength in a more manageable manner.
Technique:
Setup: Loop a resistance band around the parallel bars, ensuring it's secure. The thicker the band, the more assistance it will provide.
Positioning: Step or kneel onto the band, placing it either under your knees or feet, depending on your comfort and the height of the bars.
Starting Position: With the assistance of the band, lift yourself into the support position, arms fully extended, and body elevated above the bars. Engage the core and maintain a slight hollow body position.
Descent: Bend the elbows, lowering your body in a controlled manner. Ensure the elbows remain close to the body and don't flare out.
Ascent: Push through the palms, extending the elbows, and return to the starting position. The band will provide an upward assist, making the movement easier than a regular dip.
Potential Issues:
Relying too heavily on the band. While the band is there for assistance, ensure you're still engaging the necessary muscles and not letting the band do all the work.
Not progressing to a thinner band. As strength improves, it's essential to decrease the assistance by using thinner bands.
Progression Criteria: Once you can perform 3 sets of 8-10 reps with good form, consider moving to a thinner resistance band or attempting unassisted dips. The goal is to gradually reduce the band's assistance until you can perform dips without any support.
Standard Parallel Bar Dips
Purpose: Parallel bar dips are a compound upper-body exercise that primarily targets the chest, triceps, and anterior deltoids. They are essential for building strength, stability, and muscle mass in the upper body.
Technique:
Setup: Position yourself between parallel bars, gripping each bar with your hands.
Starting Position: Jump or step up to lift your body off the ground, locking out your arms and holding yourself up in a support position. Keep your legs straight or slightly bent, with your feet crossed, and engage your core to maintain stability.
Descent: Slowly bend your elbows, allowing them to angle slightly outwards, and lower your body down. Your chest should move forward slightly, and your elbows should remain close to your body. Lower until your shoulders are just below your elbows or as far as your flexibility and strength allow.
Ascent: Push through your hands, extending your elbows, and lift your body back to the starting position.
Potential Issues:
Flaring the elbows too wide can place undue stress on the shoulders.
Not going through a full range of motion, either not descending deep enough or not fully extending at the top, can limit the exercise's effectiveness.
Arching the back excessively can shift the focus away from the target muscles and may lead to back discomfort.
Progression Criteria: Once you can perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps with proper form, consider adding weight using a dip belt or progressing to more advanced dip variations.
Additional Tips:
To emphasize the chest more, lean forward slightly during the dip. To target the triceps more, keep your body upright.
It's essential to warm up the shoulders and triceps before performing dips to prevent injury.
If you experience shoulder pain during dips, it's crucial to reassess your form, reduce the range of motion, or consider alternative exercises.