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Dip Freehand Or Triceps Press Machine

DIPS, FREEHAND OR MACHINE

Taken from Dave Draper's book, Brother Iron, Sister Steel

Wing-whackers, these wide-grip dips. Lean forward, round the back and direct the effort toward your mid-back via partial reps. The more you lean forward and the deeper you go, the more the pec activity. The narrower the grips and the more totally you lock out your elbows, the greater the triceps effect. Bar dips are, of course, more demanding and potentially more mass-producing than regulated machine dips. When your rep ability exceeds twelve, you can always hang some weight from a harness around your waist.

Machine dips allow resistance control, muscle targeting and partial range of motion when limited by injury. When I first learned how to walk, I walked over to the dipping bars and began to dip. My mom had to count out the reps; math was tough.

• From a recent column by Dave, here's an expansion on his thoughts about machine dips:

Machine dips

Freehand dips work great if you have the faculty to do them. They, like chins, are priceless and preferred, but can be difficult to manage when introducing mid-set modifications. Considering this limitation, dips performed on a resistance-controlled machine enable the musclebuilder of every level to enjoy their benefits.

The basic up-and-down motion involves the triceps, shoulder and upper back muscles and along the pec line. Four to five sets of high reps -- 12-15 -- afford plenty of action to engage each muscle area sufficiently, and each area is accentuated by the particular groove of the exercise performed. Got that? Words are like meatballs at an Italian wedding; they’re everywhere, more than necessary, but there’s no celebration without them.

Groove one: Using a moderately wide grip -- shoulder width plus three inches on the left and right -- round your back, thus isolating the back region, and lower yourself fully; concentrate to locate and flex the targeted broad back musculature and push upward to the starting point. Repeat for six reps to maximize your upper back investment.

Groove two: Replace the rounded back with an arched posture and lean into your dipping motion as you seek to involve the pectoral area. Different muscle recruitment allows another four reps of burning action. Focus while you still can... sneak in a final smile. The pecs join the back in max-muscle saturation -- steam rises, and the triceps are beginning to sizzle.

Groove three: We’re zeroing in on the triceps, a high-tension muscle group familiar with reps. An erect upper body posture enables you to tilt backward, shifting the merciless resistance to the triceps. They’re good for three or four reps before they explode and a general mop-up is required. Windex and double-ply paper towels -- the mess is worth the pump and pain and eventual growth.

Exercises are for twits. Movements are for bombers.