Are dips a dangerous exercise, or are they an excellent drill for triceps, shoulder stability, and the lower chest?

Dips often get a bad rap for being dangerous in that they sometimes cause shoulder injuries. To some extent that’s a fair criticism. On the other hand, if you do dips properly they’re a terrific exercise for many people.

The challenge with dips is that the exercise places the shoulder in a position that’s 1) difficult to control and 2) often has restricted mobility. All that to say: dips are relatively more difficult to perform correctly - i.e. with great positions and control throughout the movement - than many other movements that work the same muscles.

In that regard, dips are a nice way to train your shoulder control and are something that people can strive to build up to if they’re not able to execute them with proper form yet. Just make sure you’re up to the challenge and you progress properly. If they do cause pain, stop and assess why that’s happening.

In this week’s video I explain the most common cause of pain when doing shoulder dips and what good form looks like. Enjoy!