Bench dips vs. parallel bar dips

[Scott Cros]

Hey everyone,

I was just wondering what people think is the better exercise
for the triceps, either bench dips or parallel bar dips. I
used to do a lot of parallel bar dips and I found I got
excellent tricep definition out of them. Then I read Arnold's
encyclopedia of bodybuilding and it said that bench dips were
better that parallel bar dips primarily because not as much
chest is involved so it isolated the tricep more. So now I
try to do parallel bar dips one week and then the next week I
switch to bench dips and I try to alternate between the two.
I was just wondering what people thought of these two
exercises in terms of which is better for your tricep. I feel
bench dips are, especially if you load a few plates on your
legs for extra resistance. So what is it...bench dips or
parallel bar dips?

Scott

[Goran Miko]

Scott Crosbie wrote: /cut

Parallel bar dips are superior in any possible way. In bench
dips load is much lighter, involvment of muscles is lesser
and there is a big chance of chronic shoulder injury. Bench
dips are to parallel bar dips what push ups are to bench
press and what lat pulldowns are to chin ups and pull ups.
You get the picture. Throw bench dips out of the program and
forget about them.

--
"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

[Stephen Mu]

Scott Crosbie <secrosbie@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:<EQw6c.858258$ts4.711823@pd7tw3no>...
> Hey everyone,
>
> I was just wondering what people think is the better
> exercise for the triceps, either bench dips or parallel bar
> dips. I used to do a lot of parallel bar dips and I found I
> got excellent tricep definition out of them. Then I read
> Arnold's encyclopedia of bodybuilding and it said that bench
> dips were better that parallel bar dips primarily because
> not as much chest is involved so it isolated the tricep
> more. So now I try to do parallel bar dips one week and then
> the next week I switch to bench dips and I try to alternate
> between the two. I was just wondering what people thought of
> these two exercises in terms of which is better for your
> tricep. I feel bench dips are, especially if you load a few
> plates on your legs for extra resistance. So what is
> it...bench dips or parallel bar dips?

Parallel bar dips. IMHO, of course. I found that bench dips
were hard on my shoulders. If you want to hit your triceps
more, stay more upright. I just let my body find its own
groove, as it were, and dip like that.

I also think it's easier adding extra weight on parallel bar
dips. Plates can slide off your legs, and, given the leverage
involved, I'd say you'd need to add quite a few plates to give
any substantial extra resistance. Parallel bar dips - just get
a dip belt, and hang whatever you need to off it.

But...if you want to do a triceps isolation exercise, why not
just do one? I wouldn't count any kind of dip as an isolation
exercise. But that's just me.

Stephen
>
> Scott

[Kenn Lynch]

On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 13:24:17 +0100, "Goran Miko" <goran.mi-
koSPAM_IS_EVIL@REMOVE_THISemail.htnet.hrMAKNI_OVO> wrote:

>Scott Crosbie wrote: /cut
>
>Parallel bar dips are superior in any possible way. In bench
>dips load is much lighter, involvment of muscles is lesser
>and there is a big chance of chronic shoulder injury. Bench
>dips are to parallel bar dips what push ups are to bench
>press and what lat pulldowns are to chin ups and pull ups.
>You get the picture. Throw bench dips out of the program and
>forget about them.

what exactly is a bench dip???

[Sooky Grum]

Kenn Lynch wrote:
> On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 13:24:17 +0100, "Goran Miko" <goran.mi-
> koSPAM_IS_EVIL@REMOVE_THISemail.htnet.hrMAKNI_OVO> wrote:
>
>
>>Scott Crosbie wrote: /cut
>>
>>Parallel bar dips are superior in any possible way. In bench
>>dips load is much lighter, involvment of muscles is lesser
>>and there is a big chance of chronic shoulder injury. Bench
>>dips are to parallel bar dips what push ups are to bench
>>press and what lat pulldowns are to chin ups and pull ups.
>>You get the picture. Throw bench dips out of the program and
>>forget about them.
>
>
>
>
> what exactly is a bench dip???

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/WtBenchDip.html

--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

[Bc]

On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 00:34:08 +0800, sooky grumper
<sookygrumper@fishies_.com> wrote:

>Kenn Lynch wrote:
>> On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 13:24:17 +0100, "Goran Miko" <goran.mi-
>> koSPAM_IS_EVIL@REMOVE_THISemail.htnet.hrMAKNI_OVO> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Scott Crosbie wrote: /cut
>>>
>>>Parallel bar dips are superior in any possible way. In
>>>bench dips load is much lighter, involvment of muscles is
>>>lesser and there is a big chance of chronic shoulder
>>>injury. Bench dips are to parallel bar dips what push ups
>>>are to bench press and what lat pulldowns are to chin ups
>>>and pull ups. You get the picture. Throw bench dips out of
>>>the program and forget about them.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> what exactly is a bench dip???
>
>http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/WtBenchDip.html

We used to do those outside the dorm rooms in college. We'd
get a chair, hang our ankles on the railing, and have
contests. The most fun was when the cute girls would come by
and sit on our laps. It's amazing how many of those you can
crank out when you're that age and a hot chick, (um, beautiful
female, excuse me ladies) is in close contact.

Ah, thoughts of college and springtime and youth, what a nice
vision for the day.

- bc

[Drs]

sooky grumper <sookygrumper@fishies_.com> wrote in message
405dc487@quokka.wn.com.au
> Kenn Lynch wrote:

[...]

>> what exactly is a bench dip???
>
> http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/WtBenchDip.html

Is it good for your shoulders to go so deep? In that example
the guy's elbows are above his shoulders, which automatically
makes me think, "Ouch."

--

"I'm proud that I live in a country where witnessing two hours
of bloody, barbarous torture in gloating detail is considered
indicia of religious piety, whereas a mere second gazing upon
a woman's breast is cause for outraged apoplexy." Betty
Bowers, http://www.bettybowers.com/melgibsonpassion.html

[Alphaomega]

"DRS" <drs@AlphaOmega2004sucksdonkeydicks.ihug.com.au> wrote
in message news:c3kjpe$f8s$1@lust.ihug.co.nz...
> sooky grumper <sookygrumper@fishies_.com> wrote in message
> 405dc487@quokka.wn.com.au
> > Kenn Lynch wrote:
>
> [...]
>
> >> what exactly is a bench dip???
> >
> > http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/WtBenchDi-
> > p.html
>
> Is it good for your shoulders to go so deep? In that example
> the guy's elbows are above his shoulders, which
> automatically makes me think,
"Ouch."

Wrong again.

>
> --
>
> "I'm proud that I live in a country where witnessing two
> hours of bloody, barbarous torture in gloating detail is
> considered indicia of religious piety, whereas a mere second
> gazing upon a woman's breast is cause for outraged
> apoplexy." Betty Bowers,
> http://www.bettybowers.com/melgibsonpassion.html

[Proton Sou]

On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 04:35:41 +1100, "DRS"
<drs@AlphaOmega2004sucksdonkeydicks.ihug.com.au> wrote:

>sooky grumper <sookygrumper@fishies_.com> wrote in message
>405dc487@quokka.wn.com.au
>> Kenn Lynch wrote:
>
>[...]
>
>>> what exactly is a bench dip???
>>
>> http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/WtBenchDip.html
>
>Is it good for your shoulders to go so deep? In that example
>the guy's elbows are above his shoulders, which automatically
>makes me think, "Ouch."

It's not like he's using a ton of weight there, so it can't
hurt too bad. Supporting the ankles makes this a less than
bodyweight exercise.

Proton Soup

[Bluesman]

Scott Crosbie <secrosbie@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:<EQw6c.858258$ts4.711823@pd7tw3no>...
> Hey everyone,
>
> I was just wondering what people think is the better
> exercise for the triceps, either bench dips or parallel bar
> dips. I used to do a lot of parallel bar dips and I found I
> got excellent tricep definition out of them. Then I read
> Arnold's encyclopedia of bodybuilding and it said that bench
> dips were better that parallel bar dips primarily because
> not as much chest is involved so it isolated the tricep
> more. So now I try to do parallel bar dips one week and then
> the next week I switch to bench dips and I try to alternate
> between the two. I was just wondering what people thought of
> these two exercises in terms of which is better for your
> tricep. I feel bench dips are, especially if you load a few
> plates on your legs for extra resistance. So what is
> it...bench dips or parallel bar dips?
>
> Scott

I like both - although i think of parallels as a core
exercise, and bench dips as an isolation for the tri's.

Bench dips are fun when you are alone and trying to balance s
couple of 45's across your crotch.

Bluesman

[Kenn Lynch]

On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 00:34:08 +0800, sooky grumper
<sookygrumper@fishies_.com> wrote:

>Kenn Lynch wrote:
>> On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 13:24:17 +0100, "Goran Miko" <goran.mi-
>> koSPAM_IS_EVIL@REMOVE_THISemail.htnet.hrMAKNI_OVO> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Scott Crosbie wrote: /cut
>>>
>>>Parallel bar dips are superior in any possible way. In
>>>bench dips load is much lighter, involvment of muscles is
>>>lesser and there is a big chance of chronic shoulder
>>>injury. Bench dips are to parallel bar dips what push ups
>>>are to bench press and what lat pulldowns are to chin ups
>>>and pull ups. You get the picture. Throw bench dips out of
>>>the program and forget about them.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> what exactly is a bench dip???
>
>http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/WtBenchDip.html

AHH Thanks.. good pointer!!. I forgot the reference was to
bodyweight exercises and thats a "barless" dip solution I'd
never seen before.

I have a machine but no dip bars so I was thinking more along
the lines of the levered chest dips. (more pec than tricep)

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/LVChestDi-
p.html (like a tricep pushdown but without keeping your elbows
at your sides)

I learned something new KJL