dips instead of bench...hmmmmmmmm

[D-bol]

what do yall think of doing weighted dips or gironda dips instead of flat benching?

should not be a substitute exercise, but great as a complement to bench press

[powerpack]

You have to be built for dips or it freaks out your shoulders
The only time I did a lot of them was when I was in the Army and bench was not an option.
It is a good general upper body work out along with chins.
But I think there are better options for the chest

[Soundness]

what do yall think of doing weighted dips or gironda dips instead of flat benching?

Dips are my favorite movement. If you want to ensure you hit the entire chest, do this:

Superset dips with a fly that is slightly inclined. Set the bench at about 30 degrees. Do a set of dips on the parallel bars to failure, then immediately, with NO rest, jump on the bench and do one set of incline flyes to failure. You'll finish off your entire chest.

You may be familiar with pre-exhaust.
I call this, moving from a compound (Dips) to an isolation (Flys), "post-exhaust." It works really well.

From to

[DK II]

good way to do chest.

Milos style giant sets take care of that problem. 

[Bluto]

Some claim flys is a worthless exercise

It might just be, might just be... discuss this possibility.

[DK II]

Some claim flys is a worthless exercise

It might just be, might just be... discuss this possibility.

no it's not, if you do it right.

Sure, you won't build a great chest only doing flies, but imo the key to flies is a) do them as a spuerset with presses and b) flex your chest as hard as you can all the way through the movement.

[Bluto]

no it's not, if you do it right.

Sure, you won't build a great chest only doing flies, but imo the key to flies is a) do them as a spuerset with presses and b) flex your chest as hard as you can all the way through the movement.

What if you don't superset them with presses and just do presses? I seem to remember quite a few people who built great chests that way by just sticking to presses...

I think the theory was something along the lines that the pressing movement already involves the entire chest area that any additional movements wasnt necessary for ultimate growth...

[DK II]

What if you don't superset them with presses and just do presses? I seem to remember quite a few people who built great chests that way by just sticking to presses...

I think the theory was something along the lines that the pressing movement already involves the entire chest area that any additional movements wasnt necessary for ultimate growth...

You asked about flies.

So i said how i would include flies.

Are you trying to start a fight again?



Why NOT do flies?? If you get that perfect chest with only presses, good for you. Eventually people want change, or work out for fun. Flies are a good movement, and they help develop the chest.

[Bluto]

You asked about flies.

So i said how i would include flies.

Are you trying to start a fight again?



Why NOT do flies?? If you get that perfect chest with only presses, good for you. Eventually people want change, or work out for fun. Flies are a good movement, and they help develop the chest.

I dont know man, aint sure about if they will help develop the chest.

How can you be so sure?

[jpm101]

Actually the lighter one joint exercise (flys, lateral raise, leg extensions, etc...usually extensions exercises) are done before a compound exercise, when doing the Pre-Exhause system. So doing a set of flys before the dips (or benches or inclines) is the idea. Theory being to "isolate" a specific muscle until it can not preform anymore rep's than quickly do a compound exercise to work that muscle even more. Dips bring in the triceps and delts to assist the pecs even more with their work load. The faster you do that compound movement after the "isolation" the better to take advantage of the Pre-Exhaustion on that muscle you may be target.

Can work very well with lateral raises and the Press Behind the neck (or even medium grip upright rows). Preacher curls followed by BB cheat curls work the biceps very, very strongly. Straight arm pullovers before pulldowns. A version that woks the back for me is straight arm pullovers followed right away with heavier bent arm pullovers. Must be dozens of combo that can be used when doing Pre-Exhause.

If some guy's would have Dips (with different hand positions) as the main chest exercise (not doing the BP at all), for 6 weeks or so, they may be surprised at the results achieved. Trick with the dips is not trying  for the ultimate stretch at the bottom of the movement, not really needed. But many trainee's are programs to think that benches are the prime chest builder only. Or even have dips with-in a sound chest program if you can not do without the BP. Good Luck.

[_bruce_]

So if my side delts are lacking I am doing side raises and quickly after that presses to bring them up?

[jpm101]

Yes you are. Classic Pre-Exhaustion system. Good Luck.

[pumpster]

So if my side delts are lacking I am doing side raises and quickly after that presses to bring them up?

Try that for a while, then try post-exhaust-reverse the order, give that a try for a while. Also try any 2 exercises together.

[Redwingenator]

I use weighted dips to primarily hit the triceps really heavy.  My bench numbers always increase after going really heavy on dips for a month.

[Cyrus The Virus]

I can't do dips in my gym. 

[leonp1981]

I can't do dips in my gym. 

Time Out after 7 posts?  That's got to be some sort of record.

[Soundness]

I can't do dips in my gym. 

Then do bench instead. Dips are like an extreme decline bench press.

Just do exactly what I suggested above, but do bench press instead of dips. 

[DK II]

Time Out after 7 posts?  That's got to be some sort of record.

on a side note: the record is timeout after one post. there are some gimmicks who achieved that.

[DK II]

I can't do dips in my gym. 

i really can't believe that. There's always a possibility to do dips. You can use two benches and do chest dips.

In a gym that i went to a few years ago, i did dips between two leg machines, putting the hands on the weight towers.

[jpm101]

Agree with DK. Most always you can rig something up to do dips at the gym (strange gym). Or maybe at home, setting up something. A friend of mine did dips where the kitchen counter's made a 90 degree turn. Worked well, even with added BB plates strapped on.

Declines are not like a extreme decline press. With dips your are pressing down and along side the body. Declines, your are pressing out and away from the body. Different muscle responses. Might have a bias here, but why do declines when dip can be way more effective for most people? That is, with added weight. Good Luck.

[Redwingenator]

I can't do dips in my gym. 

My gym has the Hammer Strength squat racks that look like this:


I put each rack arm at Armpit level and then put one 45lb bar across each end.  Works great for dips.

My gym has the Hammer Strength Dips machine:

This is a piece of crap.  It sucks to go heavy on because you have to load so many fricking plates, then you lose ROM by going heavy.  You're also so locked into a specific path of motion it just feels wrong.

[Get Rowdy]

Agree with DK. Most always you can rig something up to do dips at the gym (strange gym). Or maybe at home, setting up something. A friend of mine did dips where the kitchen counter's made a 90 degree turn. Worked well, even with added BB plates strapped on.

Declines are not like a extreme decline press. With dips your are pressing down and along side the body. Declines, your are pressing out and away from the body. Different muscle responses. Might have a bias here, but why do declines when dip can be way more effective for most people? That is, with added weight. Good Luck.

Yep this is what I did all of last year, the only chest exercise I did.  Made some great gains with it.