Dips are usually thought of as a tricep dominant movement; however, the way you position your chest during the lift has important implications on what muscles are being targeted. The straight chest and lean forward variations are the two primary ways you can alter your chest position. Overall, dips are one of the most effective exercises you can perform for improvements in muscular strength and growth for your upper body.
Straight Chest
The straight chest dip variation requires you to keep your chest as close to perpendicular to the floor as your body allows. To perform, step up to the dip bars and grab with each hand so that your arms are parallel to each other. Lift up your legs and bend your knees so that your arms are supporting your bodyweight. Allow your body to slowly descend to the floor by allowing your elbows to bend. Your wrist and forearms should not move while you lower your body. Continue to lower your body until your shoulders become level with your elbows. From this point, push down on the bar with your hands and try to get your arms back to full extension.
Lean Forward
The lean forward dip variation requires you to tilt your chest at a 45-degree angle as you descend toward the floor. The initial position is the same as the straight chest dip variation with your hands on the parallel bars and your knees bent. Now, lower your body by flexing at your elbow and tilt your chest forward. A straight line that is perpendicular to the floor from your wrist, forearm and elbow should be maintained throughout the lift. Once your triceps are parallel to the floor, contract the muscles in your chest and triceps by pushing down on the bars.
Muscles Worked
The straight chest variation, or traditional dip, mainly targets your triceps muscles. Your shoulder and chest muscles assist with this movement while your biceps help stabilize your body. The lean forward dips mainly target your pec major or chest muscles. The assisting muscles for this variation are your shoulders and triceps while your trapezius muscles must help stabilize your body.
Potential Issues
One of the biggest issues with the dips exercise is shoulder pain. The lean forward dips are especially tough on the shoulders because it decreases the space in your shoulders where your tendons and ligaments run. The other issue with dips is elbow pain. This is often alleviated by ensuring that your elbows stay close to your body throughout the lift. Do not allow your elbows to move away from your body.
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