Parallel bar Dips lead to Chest and Collarbone pain

[Scuba Greaves]

Hey there people, I have been having some issues (pressure/pain) in the middle of my chest and collarbone while doing parallel bar dips (I believe that's what regular dips are called). It does not hurt when I'm doing them, but right when I am done and step down, the middle of my chest (sterum area) and collarbone area experience a brief, sharp pain. I don't know if I'm leaning too far forward, doing them wrong, or am just underdeveloped. I love the exercise, and am building in my triceps and chest nicely from them, but I am wondering if continuing to do dips despite the quick pressure like pain, will have a negative impact on me.

Thanks a bunch

-Scuba

[Marsoc]

I heard dips are super bad for u and if ur doing them for triceps they hardly even work them..mainly front delt I think. If I do them it's for lower chest with my elbows flared out and I'm leaning forward. It's just a weird awkward move that is probably hell on ur rotator cuffs


I.e risk to reward ratio is fucked lol

[600@50]

Dips can be a great chest, shoulders and tricep movement. However.......as with any other movement you can target different muscles based on how you do the movement. Dips get a bad rap because they are done sporadically and as with any other exercise it takes practice to do correctly. You can target different areas by varying grip width, whether you lean forward or go straight up and down and by how deep you go. I personally love dips as an assistance movement for the bench.

If doing dips is causing pain then change the way you do the movement. Work up to going lower. Don't just go all the way down until you have the flexibility to do so. Just use body weight until you can do dips correctly. Just remember that some movements just don't work for some people. Give them a good concerted effort before you make up your mind about dips.

[Marsoc]

Yeah I shouldn't say they are bad. If u do the, right. Yeah I like the, for chest. But they mes with my front delt area ..from all the masonry laboring etc it gets hot in there somewhat

[kelkel]

If an exercise hurts stop doing it. Continuing to do it could lead to something debilitating. Come back to it in a few months and see how it goes.

[Scuba Greaves]

right on, thanks guys...I forgot to mention that since getting back into dips a few months ago, I sometimes have a lil pressure in my sternum area, which goes away when I stretch my arms backwards, kind of popping my chest. doesn't hurt at all, but it's a little concerning considering it was never there up until I started "dipping" again lol. I'll have to run it by my doc when I see him here soon.
thank again!

-Scuba

[Mr.BB]

If an exercise hurts stop doing it. Continuing to do it could lead to something debilitating. Come back to it in a few months and see how it goes.

x2..

[Charlie67]

Alternatively, for triceps anyway, you could try bench-dips. I find them to be much more shoulder friendly. You likely need to load up your lap with weights, which is awkward, but its an option.

[hellomycognomen]

IMO dips, overhead press, and upright rows all belong in the iron graveyard.

Its only a matter of time before an injury occurs. High risk, low reward.

[Marsoc]

IMO dips, overhead press, and upright rows all belong in the iron graveyard.

Its only a matter of time before an injury occurs. High risk, low reward.

No way lol yeah if u don't tweak ur shoulder by going down all the way behind the neck military press. And upright rows. I think tht where I got a lot of my shoulder development from ..me likey

[kelkel]

Upright rows can be the road to injury for many. I'd suggest if you choose to do them do so one arm at a time with a dumbell. You can then follow a more natural path of movement as opposed to being restricted by the barbell.

[Proximal]

Upright rows can be the road to injury for many. I'd suggest if you choose to do them do so one arm at a time with a dumbell. You can then follow a more natural path of movement as opposed to being restricted by the barbell.

I have some some RC issues. Have no problems with uprights with a rope and low pulley - similarly, allows a natural path of movement.

[hellomycognomen]

Upright rows can be the road to injury for many. I'd suggest if you choose to do them do so one arm at a time with a dumbell. You can then follow a more natural path of movement as opposed to being restricted by the barbell.

I agree. You can also minimize RC injury risk by ending with wrists higher than elbows.
But why even put yourself in that scenario when a lateral raise is far superior with no risk.
IMO those exercises I mentioned above are maintained because of tradition and placebo effect. I guess in the end people have to decide for themselves what is best. -Cheers

[kelkel]

But why even put yourself in that scenario when a lateral raise is far superior with no risk.

My turn to agree.

[Marsoc]

Your right. Does the upright row actualy work all three delt heads..I like shoulder width for shoulders of course. And I use a close grip like hands touching grip to work upper traps.

[Proximal]

I agree. You can also minimize RC injury risk by ending with wrists higher than elbows.
But why even put yourself in that scenario when a lateral raise is far superior with no risk.
IMO those exercises I mentioned above are maintained because of tradition and placebo effect. I guess in the end people have to decide for themselves what is best. -Cheers

Seriously, placebo effect with shoulder press? The lateral raise has no risk? Minimizing RC issues because wrists are higher than elbows? You're knowledge of biomechanics is very suspect.

[Proximal]

Your right. Does the upright row actualy work all three delt heads.

Not likely, just anterior and lateral. If the wrists do manage somehow to get above the shoulders then you do get some lateral/external rotation & can get some rear delt activation, but you still can irritate the GH joint. To get back to the main issue of this thread, 600@50 nailed it.

[hellomycognomen]

Seriously, placebo effect with shoulder press? The lateral raise has no risk? Minimizing RC issues because wrists are higher than elbows? You're knowledge of biomechanics is very suspect.

Are you suggesting that shoulder press is safer and superior to front/side/rear raises? How much development would you attribute to shoulder press vs raises? I would almost guarantee that if done exclusively one against the other the raises would win every time, both in gains and less risk. Most shoulder injuries with high percentage can be pin pointed to overhead pressing movements. You have impingement, balance control, movement angle control, etc all being applied in the set, a massive chain where one wrong link and an injury is highly likely, its just a matter of time. Compare that with the standard raises, what are the risks there? Perhaps an injury due to explosive jerking at the most?

What is the purpose of the upright row? Work the shoulder and perhaps the traps. Why would shortening the shoulder lever by bending the elbow and adding the stress to the rotator cuff be better than just doing a lateral raise? And then doing a set of shrugs after for the traps?

I may have used the wrong term "placebo" effect. I will agree that, yes you can make shoulder gains with overhead press, dips, upright row, etc any exercise for that matter regardless of its effectiveness or composition but IMO if you remove them entirely from your workout you will have not lost much.

I stand behind my upright row wrist higher than elbows. Ideal would be to keep wrist and shoulders both at neutral levels. If one is conscious of this, great. IMO however most people I have seen who perform this exercise will inevitably seek to lift higher weight and invariably end with wrist below elbows placing RC in very vulnerable position. If one ever goes to a physical therapist for RC/shoulder impingement issues one of the first tests they will perform is an impingement provocative test by have you lift your arm laterally and bend your elbow, next they will push down on your wrist and check for shoulder pain, this is exactly the same as doing an upright row and ending with wrist below elbows.

Dips are another can of worms that I dont want to get into because they will make this already long comment go even longer.

There is no such thing as a bad exercise generally speaking. Some exercises are however far safer and all around better than others. In such a case what is the benefit of variety when the gain in minimal and the risk is high? This is the column I place overhead press, dips, and the upright row. High risk, low reward.

I will welcome any information to the contrary. -Cheers

[Proximal]

Cheers back. Recently posted on another thread of my lack of tolerance for members who can't get along and then I do the exact same thing by being inflammatory, apologies.

Yes, I was confused by the usage of placebo.

Impingement occurs between the greater tubercle (which has the RC tendon attached to it) and the acromion. Scapation is when you elevate the arm at about 30 degrees of horizontal adduction (if your nose was pointed to 12 on a clock that would put your arm at about 2). Scapation has far less impingement than raising your arm purely laterally (using the clock analogy, that would be 3).

You make an excellent point about the shoulder press, however, depending on the width of the grip and the elbow position, preferably you can press in scapation as compared to flaring out the elbows laterally, and then the kiss of death imo is the behind the head press.

Again you make an excellent point again about upright rows, but once again based upon the grip, you can attain scapation and decrease impingement. I prefer a narrow grip and bringing in my elbows slightly forward and stopping the motion before my humerus hit 90 degrees (shoulder level).

You and I are in complete agreement about dips being a large can of worms. 600@50 really nailed it by discussing the variety of positions they can be done in and how they differ in the effect they each have. I believe our OP has something related to costochondritis, which is an inflammation of where the ribs attach to the sternum. I'm guessing he probably went too deep, too aggressively with his dip and perhaps doing so not as warmed up as he should have been.

[600@50]

It all goes back to what kelkel said: if an exercise hurts then don't do it. We all have different bio-mechanical issues and limitations that affect what movements are productive for us, which ones to modify our form on and which ones to totally avoid. The only way to avoid injury is to learn to listen to what your body is telling you while you're doing the movement and also after. If something hurts we have to make the choice of continuing to do the movement or drop it altogether. Unfortunately we sometimes don't make the change soon enough to avoid an injury. When I post a comment it's based on my experience and nothing else. It's left up to all to decide for themselves what works for them and what doesn't. If people would learn that principle first they would be more productive in the gym and prevent many injuries.