Dips for Development

[BendtheBar]

Dips for Development
by Melvin "Mal" Crosby (1947)


We are going to try to bring to the body-builders' attention in this article the value of dipping on the parallel bars. As we all know, there are various styles of dipping, on the floor, and also with chairs but the best result come from dips on the bars. Some of our best hand balancers use this exercise for their upper body work. Parallel bar dips get triceps, deltoids, pectoral, latissimus and trapezius muscles. In my own program I have used dips for the past year each time I worked out, which was three times a week.

One of the best systems for dips is to do 6 to 8 bodyweight reps, take 10 deep breaths and repeat until you have finished 25 total reps. You can add 1 rep every other workout until you can do 12 bodyweight reps without stopping. When you can do this it is time to add some weight attached with a belt or chain. Start out with 5 pounds tied on and do the same system as above. After about three months of dipping you should be using fairly heavy weight. It is then time to alter this system.

For instance, if you have advanced to 25 pounds you then should do a series of 5 sets of 6 reps each for 30 total reps, with 10 deep breaths between each set. From here on you can add a few pounds a week but do not increase the reps. This system will tend to give the triceps a lot of bulk in a short time. Constant practice will pay off.

[IronWill]

Nice article BtB.

[Off Road]

I have always thought that bar dips were a superior muscle builder when compared to the bench press.

[BigJosh]

Very good article. What I find the most interesting is the rest/pause approach he recommends. I'm going to use this. Very awesome.