subsitute for dips?

N

naiveguy

New Member
Hi all,

My first post. I'm just starting with HST after about two years of steady weight training (mostly guided by Ian King's Book of Muscle). My HST workout, which I borrowed with slight modifications from a post in one of the forums here, looks like this:

Workout A:
high pull
squat
bench, slight incline
bent-over row
overhead press
abs

Workout B:
snatch-grip jump shrug
deadlift
dips
chins or lat pulldowns
overhead press
abs

I'm planning on alternating workouts A and B on a Tues Thurs Sat schedule. My question: I can manage about 15 body-weight dips, and was wondering what would be a good substitute for dips during the first two weeks of the 15-rep stage as i work toward the 15-rep-max at bodyweight. I was thinking about doing bench dips, with a weight on my lap, but was wondering if anyone has any other suggestions.

Thanks in advance,

Tim
 
Decline bench is the closest thing I think. If I am thinking correctly then bench dips are when you put your feet on a bench while doing dips. If this is correct just remember that putting any part of your body on the floor/bench/whatever reduces the total weight you are lifting. If you found you can do 15 with bench dips then thats fine, but it will make it more difficult to find a decline bench weight to use since it wont be body wt - 10lb increments or something like that. A way around that might be to placec your hands on a scale while putting your feet on something in the dip position and having another person read the weight to you.
 
Bgates is right, decline is the closest, but remember one thing, that is a n exercise to hit chest.

Bench dips are almost entirely (and they are great) for Triceps.

High pull? Snatch grip jump shrug?
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Thanks for the info, Fausto and bgates. I never would have thought of the decline bench as a substitute for dips. I'll do the decline bench press until the last workout of the 15s, when I'll do full dips (not bench dips). Then during the 10 and 5 weeks, I'll do weighted dips.

If you'd like to check out the high pull and the snatch-grip jump shrug here's one link that describes them. I basically use them as warmups for my hst workout.

What do you think about my overall plan?

Tim
 
Declines are no way near as good as dips. Why don't you just use a stool for a little assist with the dips in the early days of the 15's or just speed your tempo up? Bench dips are also a poor chest substitute for regular dips.
 
I've done what O&G said, and it worked well. This cycle is the first that I can actually do 15 body weight dips, so I'm doing them the whole two weeks. If you look at vanilla HST, Bryan suggests something like that.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">This cycle is the first that I can actually do 15 body weight dips, so I'm doing them the whole two weeks. If you look at vanilla HST, Bryan suggests something like that.</div>

That sounds appealing--I like dips, so I think I'll try your (and Bryan's) suggestion.

Thanks,

Tim
 
That's the way I would approach it Tim. Although you won't be progressing the load for the 15s it's no big deal at this stage. 15s are primarily for prepping you for heavier stuff anyway.

Depending on how long you SD, afterwards you may feel that you are going to reach failure before you get to 15 reps so just stop short if need be. Perhaps 12 reps will be all that you will manage. No worries. Once you have completed the first week you should find that your strength is back up again and for the second week you should get closer to 15 and hopefully surpass it by the final RM w/o.

After you have finished 5s I would really recommend that you do negatives. They work particularly well for dips and should really help you up the load for your second cycle.
 
Hi Lol,

Thanks for the advice about the negatives. I will try to do them to the extent that I can without a spotter, since I work out at home. I don't have a power rack yet, just squat stands, but I think I can figure out a way to do negatives for everything except perhaps the incline bench.

Tim
 
I agree with the other guys. You can use decline bench as a substitute for dips if you want, but I would suggest that you stay with dips right from the beginning, even if this means that you won't be increasing the weight at all during the 15's. After all, the purpose of the 15's is primarily the build up of lactic acid.

Regards,
Dimitris
 
decline bench press is better than no dips if you can't dip or don't have access to a dipping station.

decline dumbell bench press is closer than with a barbell. It is, of course not going to be as heavy.
 
Thanks for all the advice guys. Started determining my 15 rep maxes for my exercises this week, and found that I could do more than 15 full dips, so to start I'll do 15 dips for my first two weeks of hst training.
 
...here's a paraplegics 2 cents on this subject....

I don't use bench dips as my paralysis hinders my ability to do that type.

I use inexpensive, somewhat sturdy, plastic &quot;push-up handles&quot; that double as Dip Bars/Handles also.  
I use stacked phones books or tool boxes as a base to place the handles on top. Depending on the challenge in that cycle I will increase the height with additional phone books so I am able to go &quot;lower&quot; on the negative part of the dip, or i will raise the height of my feet... or both.

When I add weight, I do place some 10lber's in my lap..however, as I progress in the cycle, I turn to my Weight-Vest for 10 lb increments also.


p.s. I'm halfway through my second cycle and now I really enjoy lifting. HST works for me and has helped me advance my B-ball game.  Exactly as planned.  
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Siskin#55

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I'm halfway through my second cycle and now I really enjoy lifting. HST works for me and has helped me advance my B-ball game. Exactly as planned.</div>

You truly are an example to us all! We're glad you with us!
wink.gif
 
Bosbik, how are you doing them? Perhaps it's an angular problem. Or not. I had some shoulder trouble, cured by the broomstick method. As for the dips, I do them with hands in a &quot;V&quot; position (on the bench cradle of my machine) at about 3' apart, head down, back arched forward (hunchback?) legs curled under me, holding the weight chain off my belt steady. (Don't want the chandelier to swing into the doorknobs.)
 
I learned of the broomstick (or any other light stick you'd use) method when I was trying out the DC training...You take a broom or something and hold it as wide as you can, with a pronated grip, across your chest. Then push it forward (rolling the shoulders), up, and over your head, coming down behind the neck without letting go. Your palms will face upwards at the rear of the movement. Return in the same path.

I don't know how that works, but it did for me. It's supposed to help a host of shoulder problems. I did them in nonstop sets of about 20-30 reps, every day.
 
@quadancer

do you have more infos about the broomstick-method and the excact movement you do when using it?very interesting
greez
 
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