# Dips - How deep?



## j.m. (Sep 11, 2006)

I went back to an old gym I used to traing at today after quitting JJB last month. I've always been able to do alot of dips with just body-weight and have added 30kg on for 3 reps whenh I was training alot more often.

Anyway, someone today stopped me when I finished a set and said I should be going deeper. I normally go to a depth so my upper arm is horizontal but he said go until your chest is about level with where your hands are.

I tried this and it was much harder, I want from doing a set of 25 quite easily to giving up after my 8th when doing them deeper.

So what I'm asking really is, is it right to go as far as you can? So your shoulders end up lower than your elbows, if so I will start traing them deep and slow and build up from there again.

Cheers

James


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## Phez (Sep 2, 2009)

Deep for chest shallow for triceps-depends on what your goals are


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

As deep as you can without stressing your shoulders. I wouldn't go to maximum stretch as it's easy to get an injury this way.


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## Joshua (Aug 21, 2008)

I aim to touch my nose or chin onto the bar ie to hand level. Whilst the points about risk of stressing your shoulders, I believe that if you build up slowly your body gets strong enough to deal with it.

J


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## j.m. (Sep 11, 2006)

I'm just using it for chest and Triceps really, I can only train once a week properly due to other commitments now so I'm just doing the basics compounds...

Bench

Dips

Chins

Military Press

Squats

Deadlifts (well will start them again once I can get my form corrected)

Calf Raises

Do it over a long session, not ideal but only way I can get everything in.

It didn't stress my shoulders going deeper so I will keep at it and see how it works out and start trying to add weight on again.

Cheers

james


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## lukeee (Aug 17, 2009)

Deep for chest and horizontal for tri's, the deeper you go the more muscles you bring in to play, keeping to the horizontal always keeps the tricep under strain and gives me better results


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## ekko (Dec 3, 2008)

j.m. said:


> So what I'm asking really is, is it right to go as far as you can? So your shoulders end up lower than your elbows,


 :confused1: is that realy possible ?


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## j.m. (Sep 11, 2006)

I was doing like this depth...






and he said go deeper like this...






Not much difference really, just deeper.

It came around when I asked for a dipping belt and he said he wanted to see me do them first, so I did a set and he said I can't use theirs until I can do my sets going deeper like on the second video...


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## ekko (Dec 3, 2008)

1st vid is absoloute pants Frantic lifting !!!!

2nd vid answers my 1st question easily

nice form going to be trying this myself

cheers


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## j.m. (Sep 11, 2006)

Yeah, I don't go like that though, thats just the depth I did, went up a bit higher than him and performed slower, more controled reps.


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## big (Sep 14, 2004)

Dtlv74 said:


> As deep as you can without stressing your shoulders. I wouldn't go to maximum stretch as it's easy to get an injury this way.


Spot-on IMO. Go as deep as your body will comfortably allow you to go.

You can also work on your flexibility to enable you to go deeper if you wish.


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## paulo (Feb 17, 2007)

just do your natural range til about parallel,dont bother with bollox head up/down either do dips to decent depth without aggravating shoulders using max weight for good form-that way best stimulation of triceps/chest and no injury to shoulders-comfortable form is safe and productive form


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## Dezw (May 13, 2009)

Depth will depend on your flexibility, the more flexible the deeper you can go.


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## treb92 (Jun 10, 2008)

Dips put my shoulders in pain, cant do them.


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## Joshua (Aug 21, 2008)

lambert said:


> Dips put my shoulders in pain, cant do them.


Have you tried retracting your shoulder blades throughout the entire movement and working the load up slowly?

J


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## BIG GRANT (Jan 12, 2008)

I go down til my bicep touches my forearm, seems to get a great pump.


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