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There’s a good chance you’re overlooking one of the most growth-promoting chest exercises available—and it doesn’t require a ton of equipment, either.
In a recent Reddit thread, one natural bodybuilder shared what he believes is the most underrated chest-focused exercise: weighted dips.
“I rarely see people do dips in the gym, but they are incredible. They are called the upper body squat for a reason, no exercise hits chest, tricep and shoulders all at once to the same extent as weighted dips do,” the original poster wrote.
The user shared with others in the r/naturalbodybuilding subreddit how progressing your strength on dips will inevitably bring up your bench press weight.
Dips are a solid compound exercise, hitting multiple upper-body muscles at once while simultaneously engaging the core and stabilizing muscles. Leaning forward on the dip bars brings more focus on the chest and shoulders, while an upright position hits the triceps.
When working through dips, your chest is heavily engaged as you lower and lift your body, particularly during the eccentric portion of the movement. The one component many folks miss is aiming for a full range of motion to maximize the exercise’s chest-building benefits.
“My absolute favorite push exercise. Work into them slowly and gradually progress range of motion and technique before adding weight and you’ll have much healthier shoulders in addition to an amazing chest exercise,” another user agreed.
Men’s Fitness advisory board member Jim “Smitty” Smith, C.P.P.S., agrees with the high praise around dips.
“Without a doubt, weighted dips are a powerful upper body exercise that will help you supplement your bench press and pec fly volume,” he says.
If you want to add dips to your chest routine, aim for around 10 to 20 reps per set, per this Instagram post from exercise scientist Mike Israetel. If you do the dips with added weight, finish your last set with just bodyweight to enhance the mind-muscle connection.
Build a Thick Upper Body With This Simple Dips Workout
Dips are the go-to exercise for seeing chest, shoulder, and tricep gains. Here's your guide to proper dip form and how to use them in training.