# DIPS WITH WEIGHT-HOW HEAVY



## paulo (Feb 17, 2007)

AWRITE lads, dropped doing flys after bench a couple of months back and decided to do dips three sets instead- now up to 8 at 40k round waist-was a struggle but hoping to keep progressing-feel its improved my chest shape and has bulked my triceps out-anyone else do this and what weights are yous using?


----------



## ewokbowes (Apr 27, 2006)

I do them at the end of my chest and tri workouts 2x10 1xfailure its a good end to the session never tried it with weight but would be interesting to see what i could do.


----------



## Delhi (Dec 8, 2005)

Be carefull when chasing weight on dips.

I managed to get up to 80kg for reps and then succeeded to tear my rotator cuff. Which has screwed my progress on MANY lifts.


----------



## Jock (Apr 8, 2003)

40kg is a good weight especially for 8 reps I think the most I ever got to was about 30kg.

It's a good exercise but very hard on the joints.


----------



## genesis (Jul 4, 2006)

I find lighter weight with more reps works better for me 15-20 kg 4 x 12


----------



## Nytol (Jul 16, 2005)

I've done 6 strict reps with 80kg at 100kg Bodyweight, but I do them for triceps, not pecs, so I am pretty upright.

I wanted to do a double bodyweight, but could not fit between the dip bars with 5 plates around my waist, 

A great exercise IMO, but as said above, be careful, and keep it strict, I find a very controlled negative, keeps the shoulders safe.


----------



## paulo (Feb 17, 2007)

cheers guys,am not intending to go any heavier-as i said its a struggle but got [email protected] so will keep working towards doing maybe more reps in future as progression as i feel its heavy enough, started at 20 k which felt heavy-thats easy now for slow controlled reps


----------



## Nytol (Jul 16, 2005)

paulo said:


> cheers guys,am not intending to go any heavier-as i said its a struggle but got [email protected] so will keep working towards doing maybe more reps in future as progression as i feel its heavy enough, started at 20 k which felt heavy-thats easy now for slow controlled reps


You need to progress mate, which will eventually mean going heavier, but just add another 2kg on, and work up in reps, then add another 2 etc.

This was all your reps will be controlled, your shoulders will be safe, and your chest and tris should get a lot bigger and stronger.

Dips are one of the few exercises I am able to do high reps on without shutting down, so I often go 15-20 reps, at the end of my chest/tricep session, this keeps the weight down a bit.


----------



## mickus (Aug 30, 2007)

I had same issues as delhi, got up to 40kg and now shoulder is knackered  canny do them anymore and also put alot of my lifts back a fair bit!!! Bloody rotator cuffs ay


----------



## Guest (Sep 19, 2007)

i am getting a belt so then i will be able to get more weight on but i have done 15 reps with 100lb db between my feet.


----------



## Aftershock (Jan 28, 2004)

I use about 40k usually. I can go heavier but its just one exercise where you just have to keep the form spot on.. Drop into the bottom position or reverse the drive quickly and you are going to get injured.


----------



## Nytol (Jul 16, 2005)

Con said:


> i am getting a belt so then i will be able to get more weight on


I find a long Karate/Judo belt works best, keeps the weight nice a secure.

Does not work when going 3+, 20kg plates though, not long enough.


----------



## toxictoffee (May 2, 2007)

the higher the weight the more delt you use

if you want to build a chest, work the chest, hlf the weight and control eccentric and concentric movement at half the speed and you have a chest


----------



## Porky Pie (Aug 2, 2007)

toxictoffee said:


> the higher the weight the more delt you use
> 
> if you want to build a chest, work the chest, hlf the weight and control eccentric and concentric movement at half the speed and you have a chest


You train like a woman.........but I still love you x


----------



## toxictoffee (May 2, 2007)

indeed, but it works 

bodybuilding is not about the weight you can lift, its about the way you stimulate a muscle and spark off the componenents required to grow

i train to be a BBer, doing heavy weights simply doesnt aid that goal if its not doing the job in hand


----------



## Porky Pie (Aug 2, 2007)

Train like a man. Put as much weight on the bar as you can, and then some more.


----------



## jw007 (Apr 12, 2007)

Im with porky.. lol


----------



## toxo (Mar 11, 2008)

i did 50kgx6 reps last week after inclines and flat presses so i think i should be good for about 10 reps if thay where my first exersice


----------



## newkidonthebloc (May 19, 2007)

Heh im only doing bodyweight +6kg 

6x6x6x6x5

once i get up to 6x5 ill put another kilo on.

im not big at all though


----------



## lukey (Dec 22, 2005)

so very true TT, what is heavy to one man is light to another. As long as its taxing you then thats what counts really.

having said that, my dips arnt weighted they're just body weight only but they still work great for my triceps


----------



## ianp (Aug 13, 2007)

not used any extra weight doing dips for years ... just do them nice deep and steady 3 or 4 sets thats it


----------



## Truewarrior1 (Jan 27, 2005)

i got up to 45kg on the weight belt.dipping wasnt easy,got ten once tho,booyaa!


----------



## dusty (Jul 22, 2007)

toxictoffee said:


> indeed, but it works
> 
> bodybuilding is not about the weight you can lift, its about the way you stimulate a muscle and spark off the componenents required to grow
> 
> i train to be a BBer, doing heavy weights simply doesnt aid that goal if its not doing the job in hand


totally agree people get lost about the weight they use i try to do everythink strict and its the best way in my opinion.

if i was to cheat i could up my weight no end but i would only strain the joints and muscles i dont want to be worked.


----------



## paulo (Feb 17, 2007)

fair point but when you can do 20plus slow and strict-its time to go heavier-hence the weights-i actually only did 3x8 with 20k and kept it slow yesterday

great pump and sore 2day


----------



## pauly7582 (Jan 16, 2007)

I don't see any reason for someone to sling so much weight around them for dips. dips aren't a movement that should be performed as a heavy compound. In that position, with the upper arm flared to the rear the rotator cuff as Del mentioned is massively compromised. you're asking for injury sooner or later trust me. I see so many ego lifters strapping 2 20k plates around them and dipping (not saying the guys posting here are). Yes they can do it, but no it doesnt safely build muscle or strength.


----------



## joepeeps (Nov 13, 2007)

im amazed at some of the weights being used here!i stick to one 20 plate and bang out three sets of 15-20 at the end of my tri workout..if i did them at the start maybe i could go heavier but it does feel painful and it's a pretty unnatural movement really so i prefer to keep it light and rep out.


----------



## X Adam X (Nov 15, 2007)

I do a start set of 15 reps with no weights then 2 working sets of 12 with 10kg bewteen my legs and then a last set with no weights - this time whatever amount of reps i can manage (usually around 10-15 reps).


----------



## Guest (Nov 20, 2007)

Con said:


> i am getting a belt so then i will be able to get more weight on but i have done 15 reps with 100lb db between my feet.


I got my belt and have done 4 45lbers for 3 proper reps:lift:


----------



## Nytol (Jul 16, 2005)

Con said:


> I got my belt and have done 4 45lbers for 3 proper reps:lift:


Not a bad starting place, now time to get strong,


----------



## Chris4Pez1436114538 (Sep 3, 2007)

TBH i agree with the post made earlier that too many people get caught up in how much can you lift how much can you this how much that etc when you have to remember that its not the weight that matters its the form and muscle generation as most of us on here are not power-lifters or anything like that and there are no prizes for who can lift the most weight as the name of the game goes its "BODYBUILDING" which means building the body to look its best!

A good example of this is MR.O if it was who could lift the most then people like Markus ruhl and a few other beast of natures would win especially if you watch their workout DVDs compared to others, however when it came/comes down to it there are people with better physiques in muscle definition and symmetry that win!

I personally do dips with just my own body weight for 2 reasons, 1 is that i personally feel i don't need no more weight (even though i can easily do it) 2 if working triceps properly you wouldn't need/want to weight the dips as this could not only cause long term injury while training but also it is not needed for this type of exercise!


----------



## Guest (Nov 21, 2007)

Chris4Pez said:


> A good example of this is MR.O if it was who could lift the most then people like Markus ruhl and a few other beast of natures would win especially if you watch their workout DVDs compared to others, however when it came/comes down to it there are people with better physiques in muscle definition and symmetry that win!


Coleman was one of the strongest bbs around and he was mr O for quite a while and what about Yates he didnt shy away from heavy weights.

IMO you have to go as heavy as you possibly can within your target rep range using perfect form aka slow negative no bouncing ext.

Nytol: :blowme: .........................................


----------



## Chris4Pez1436114538 (Sep 3, 2007)

i agree con but my point was m8 that people concentrate too much on how much weight rather than form and technique!

I am not saying don't go heavy as of course you have to go heavy as your muscles build up resistance and if you want them to grow you have to go heavier, the point i was making though is too many people do as i say just focus on more weight, more weight rather than if they are lifting that weight properly!:lift:


----------



## Chris4Pez1436114538 (Sep 3, 2007)

BTW if thats you in the pic con nice back muscles m8 how long you been training?


----------



## Aftershock (Jan 28, 2004)

I agree 100% go as "heavy" as you can in perfect form.

The actual weight you are using is irrelevant its just there to make you fail in the desired rep range.


----------



## jw007 (Apr 12, 2007)

Aftershock said:


> I agree 100% go as "heavy" as you can in perfect form.
> 
> The actual weight you are using is irrelevant its just there to make you fail in the desired rep range.


What do you mean perfect form??? one of my staple exercises for biceps is Heavy cheat curls on the olympic bar, have been known to go up to 140kg

I find this really stresses my muscles and hits all the fibres, so how do you do a perfect form cheat curl lol.

I personally get nothing from say something like concentration curls 1st exercise, to me they are akin to doing press ups, sure you get a great pump but you aint gonna get big.


----------



## Aftershock (Jan 28, 2004)

jw007 said:


> What do you mean perfect form??? one of my staple exercises for biceps is Heavy cheat curls on the olympic bar, have been known to go up to 140kg
> 
> I find this really stresses my muscles and hits all the fibres, so how do you do a perfect form cheat curl lol.
> 
> I personally get nothing from say something like concentration curls 1st exercise, to me they are akin to doing press ups, sure you get a great pump but you aint gonna get big.


:doh: because a cheat curl aint a dip is it dopey 

You have the option of dropping the bar if something goes wrong which isnt an option with dips obviously.

140kg is mighty impressive but I still think you could get just as good a workout using much less weight and cheating less, eg just cheating at the end of the set to prolong the suffering..


----------



## jw007 (Apr 12, 2007)

Aftershock said:


> :doh: because a cheat curl aint a dip is it dopey
> 
> You have the option of dropping the bar if something goes wrong which isnt an option with dips obviously.
> 
> 140kg is mighty impressive but I still think you could get just as good a workout using much less weight and cheating less, eg just cheating at the end of the set to prolong the suffering..


lol.. yeah but i dont see how you can cheat on dips????? a dip is a dip whats a cheat dip or a dip thats not perfect form???? and im also confused about Chris4pez comment about training a muscle for shape and definition by using lighter weights???? what a load of bollox ha ha.

As for the cheat curls they sort of serve 2 purposes, 1st purpose is to train biceps (lol) 2nd purpose i use them as my first exercise so i can gauge my current strength\power levels. I generally keep all my first execises on each body part the same again to gauge my current strength\power levels. I only do 2 exercises per muscle group so the 2nd exercise i can play around with and change as to how im feeling










Ps i cant drop bar as im usually strapped to it with wrist wraps ha ha


----------



## Nytol (Jul 16, 2005)

To me cheating on dips would involve dropping fast and trying to bounce, which is really asking for a shoulder injury, on dips my neg is slower than most of my other exercises to keep all tension on the triceps (as I do them at the end of my triceps session), so I lift as heavy as I can, but the target muscle is always the one stressed, it is never a case of seeing how much I can move from A to B.


----------



## Aftershock (Jan 28, 2004)

jw007 said:


> Ps i cant drop bar as im usually strapped to it with wrist wraps ha ha


Some people have an answer for everything 

I hope you are doing them in the power rack.

Agree with Nytol re the dipping form.


----------



## jw007 (Apr 12, 2007)

Nytol said:


> To me cheating on dips would involve *dropping fast and trying to bounce, which is really asking for a shoulder injury, on dips* my neg is slower than most of my other exercises to keep all tension on the triceps (as I do them at the end of my triceps session), so I lift as heavy as I can, but the target muscle is always the one stressed, it is never a case of seeing how much I can move from A to B.


My god who would do that lol, i cant see how dropping and trying to bounce on a dip is in anyway beneficial, your correct a recipe for disaster..... however the odd bounce off the chest on bench press is always good on occasion


----------



## jw007 (Apr 12, 2007)

Aftershock said:


> Some people have an answer for everything
> 
> *I hope you are doing them in the power rack.*
> 
> Agree with Nytol re the dipping form.


Yeah use the squat rack so all good


----------



## shauno (Aug 26, 2007)

how do you use a judo belt for dips?


----------



## BLUE(UK) (Jan 9, 2008)

shauno said:


> how do you use a judo belt for dips?


Wrap it around the waist and tie it.

Personally i use a lanyard i got from the building site i was working at.


----------



## warren (Jun 16, 2008)

Nytol said:


> I've done 6 strict reps with 80kg at 100kg Bodyweight, but I do them for triceps, not pecs, so I am pretty upright.
> 
> I wanted to do a double bodyweight, but could not fit between the dip bars with 5 plates around my waist,
> 
> A great exercise IMO, but as said above, be careful, and keep it strict, I find a very controlled negative, keeps the shoulders safe.


i never knew there was a different way to hit tri or chest , could you explain please as im new lol thanks

and im onto 5kg for my next set of dips on mon woo hoo lol


----------



## BLUE(UK) (Jan 9, 2008)

warren_1987 said:


> i never knew there was a different way to hit tri or chest , could you explain please as im new lol thanks
> 
> and im onto 5kg for my next set of dips on mon woo hoo lol


Lean forwards and try and flare the elbows out(if you can),this will hit the chest.(or using a V-shaped dips station...face your chest into the narrower side of the bars....into the V)

Lean back and keep elbows inwards,this will hit triceps.(using the V-shaped dips station,face out of the V so opposite).


----------



## warren (Jun 16, 2008)

cheers mate , wel at my gym its just a parallel bars station so gues ill try it chest more


----------



## BLUE(UK) (Jan 9, 2008)

If you're doing it for both chest and tri's.....lean forwards at as you go down and as you come up start to lean back on the triceps.


----------



## paulo (Feb 17, 2007)

just do the dip whichever way is natural/comfy for you-that way you be able to do max weight or reps and not get injured,some folk have less/more shoulder flexibility-do whats comfy for you


----------

