BFS PROGRAM

Rediscovering Chins and Dips

Now there is an easier way to perform these great auxiliary

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16-19_ChinDip.indd 16 8/19/08 10:00:29 PM n the early days of physical culture, Just look at the upper chin-ups and dips were considered back muscles of gymnasts, Ikey exercises that should be per- athletes who use chins and formed on a regular basis, whether your dips as key exercises in goal was to improve athletic prowess or their conditioning pro- to simply enjoy optimal health. These grams. And how about all two exercises worked all the major those magnificent Greek muscles of the upper body – chest, Olympians of ancient shoulders, upper back, and tri- times? The Greeks built ceps. What happened? their impeccable physiques happened, with its with basic calisthenic focus on isolation exercises to shape exercises such as chin-ups each individual muscle. And that’s fine, and dips. Oh, and let’s not if you’re a bodybuilder. Powerlifting forget those brave soldiers happened, with its emphasis on bench who defend our country presses and partial movements. Personal who get fighting trim with trainers happened, the modern-day bodyweight exercises. physical fitness experts who ultimately From an anatomical lost their way with Swiss balls and foam standpoint, the chin-up rollers and rubber bands. What also works the latissimus dorsi, happened, and this may be the most teres major, posterior important reason, is laziness. deltoid, rhomboids, the Chin-ups and dips are hard, so sternal portion of the hard that some individuals, espe- , the lower cially women or individuals who are portions of the , overweight, cannot perform a single and the elbow flexors. On the BFS Assisted Chin/Dip machine, a footplate is connected through a pulley mechanism to a se- repetition of either. They become How you position your lectorized weight stack. The more weight you add to embarrassed and frustrated, and so hands determines which the weight stack, the more upward force is applied to the footplate and the less strength is required to they stick to cable pulldowns and muscle groups are empha- perform the . pushdowns instead. Although sized. For example, chins an occasional lat cable crossover or with your hands about six inches apart press: anterior shoulders, pectorals and triceps pushdown is fine for variety, will emphasize the biceps brachii, while triceps. They also strengthen upper nothing packs on slabs of muscle like pull-ups with the same hand spacing back muscles, such as the trapezius, as dips and chins. will focus more on the brachialis and they are involved in providing stabil- CHEST DIP AND TRICEPS DIP brachioradialis. ity as the exercise is performed. Dips Also, perform- are probably the best single exercise to ing the exercise develop the triceps. The triceps consists with a parallel of three heads: lateral, long and medial. grip (so your According to research by Per A. Tesch, palms face each PhD, dips are superior to close-grip other) increases bench presses for developing all three the stress on heads of the triceps. your rhom- by Nick Evans, Human Kinetics, www.humankinetics.com boids and lats. The BFS Solution Dips Many individuals cannot perform affect many chin-ups and dips because the minimal Bodybuilding Anatomy of the same resistance level is a person’s bodyweight. muscle groups Women, overweight individuals and

Illustrations from as the bench larger athletes often will have problems

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performing these types of exercises. Regardless of the type of chin-up or horizontal, but those with shoulder However, BFS has recently introduced pull-up or dip you perform, your legs, problems may need to reduce the range a machine that effectively reduces torso and upper arms should remain of motion. As for breathing, inhale as bodyweight resistance. It’s called the in line and your legs should remain you lower your body and exhale as you BFS Selectorized Assisted Chin/Dip straight, with the feet centered on the straighten your arms. Machine. footplate. This heavy-duty machine has History has proven the effective- Chin-ups you perform dips and chin-ups while ness of chin-ups and dips in building Let’s go over a few basic concepts. standing on a footplate. The foot- overall upper body strength. Everyone Chin-ups are performed with your plate is connected through a pulley from athletes to those who just want to palms facing you (supinated grip). mechanism to a selectorized weight improve their overall physical fitness Pull-ups are performed with your stack. The more weight you add to the can benefit from performing them. palms facing away from you (pronated weight stack, the more upward force And now, with the BFS Assisted Chin/ grip), and one advantage is that they is applied to the footplate and the less Dip machine, you have another good work the forearm muscles more and strength is required to perform the reason to add these exercises to your tend to put less stress on the wrists. exercise. When your strength increases, workout program! Regardless of the type of chin-up you can fold back the footplate and or pull-up you perform, to achieve the perform the exercises with bodyweight, Dips fullest range of motion and thereby or you can attach a weight belt around There are two basic types of dips: increase the amount of muscle mass your waist for even more resistance. a triceps dip and a chest dip. With recruited during the exercise, at the However, when you get to this level, the triceps dip you stay as upright as start position your arms should be you may find that you are more stable possible throughout the exercise to straight and your shoulder blades if you cross your ankles when perform- emphasize the triceps, and with the elevated. Begin these exercises with the ing these exercises. chest dip you lean forward at the finish combined bending of the elbows and The following are the major types of the exercise to place more emphasis squeezing of the shoulder blades, and of exercises that can be performed on on the pectorals. For both variations finish with a full contraction of all the this exciting, versatile new machine. your upper arm should descend below muscles at the end of the exercise. As for breathing, inhale (or hold your breath) as you begin pulling and exhale as you lower yourself. Wrist straps can be used if you find that your grip fatigues before your upper back. However, you should always per- form at least one set of chins without straps to strengthen your grip.

When your strength in- creases, you can fold back the footplate and perform the exercises with body- weight, or you can attach a weight belt around your waist for even more resistance.

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16-19_ChinDip.indd 18 8/19/08 10:01:20 PM Here are several variations possible on the BFS Selectorized Assisted Chin/Dip machine.

Parallel Grip Chin-up Chin-up, Medium Grip Pull-up, Medium Grip Pull-up, Wide Grip A parallel grip provides This variation increases Because the biceps brachii This variation primarily have a less effective line of greater overload for the the overload on the elbow emphasizes the outer muscles that extend your pull compared to having the fl exors. In fact, if you include portion of the latissimus shoulders. You will also fi nd hands in a supinated posi- chins in your workout, you tion, this grip increases the dorsi. that this grip creates the overload on the brachialis least amount of stress on may not need to perform and brachioradialis muscles. your wrists, elbows and specifi c biceps exercises! In other words, it is more of shoulders. a forearm exercise.

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16-19_ChinDip.indd 19 8/19/08 10:01:40 PM Starting at only $2399 Stock version black paint/gray upholstery INTRODUCTORY PRICE! $1999 UNTIL OCTOBER 31 2008 Stock version black paint - Item #400117 Call for custom prices and colors

DEDICATED TO HELPING ATHLETES SUCCEED SINCE 1976 LIFT YOUR WORKOUTS - CALL 1-800-628-9737 online at www.biggerfasterstronger.com • email us at [email protected] 843 West 2400 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84119 • Fax (801) 975-1159 STRAIGHT • Combination Parallel / V-Handles • Solid 2” oversized handles • Built for heavy-duty use THE DIP accommodate all athletes ATTACHMENT Turn your • Convenient step-bar rack into a Dip Station $199 400018 Stock Version (Black Paint) Custom Color Paint $219 $299 V DIP Paint $349 Custom Color (Black Paint) Stock Version 400033

IMPROVE SHOULDER AND CHEST STRENGTH The shoulder dip should be performed on the parallel dip section and emphasizes the triceps and shoulders, whereas the chest dip should be performed on the V-dip section and emphasizes the pectorals and the lateral head of the triceps.

DEDICATED TO HELPING ATHLETES SUCCEED SINCE 1976 GET STRONGER - CALL 1-800-628-9737 online at www.biggerfasterstronger.com • email us at [email protected] 843 West 2400 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84119 • Fax (801) 975-1159