Over the years I’ve always loved to say “if I weighed x pounds I could still do dips”
Back in high school I came up with the idea to always be able to dip 300lbs or more as a combination of my bodyweight and weight added.
Over the years this came to include 300lb pullups as well.
It’s not that I intend to get sloppy fat and actually put this to use, but it is fun to be able to say.
I tested low rep weighted dips a few days ago and ended up doing 2 reps with 114lbs added.
250.8 + 114 for a total of 364.8lbs for a double. My chest is far more sore than it’s been in years, apparently I needed to reintroduce weighted dips,which I hadn’t done in a few years.
I can bench and pushup all day long but doing 6 sets of 5 or less progressively heavier sets on dips apparently wrecks me.
I also went around with my biceps sore. I was unsure of why until it hit me, I’d doubled on a neutral grip chin with 61lbs added. Roughly 310lbs x2.
I passed the metric on both chins and dips.
I also learned a lesson; I need to get on both of these exercises pronto. They’re both new stimuli due to never having prioritized them (weighted chins) and not having prioritized them in years (weighted dips). I see no downsides to pushing both movements.
I’ve been only training at the gym 2-4x weekly and switching it up to a Ken Leistner inspired split feels right right now.
A Sample Split:
A Day:
Front Squat + Deadlift back to back
Weighted Dip up to top 1-5
Weighted Chin same as dips
Bench 1×15
Light Seated Row
Curl 1×6-12
Neck Harness 1×50-100
B Day:
Olympic Lifts
Bent Row
Back Squat Singles + 1×15-30
Back Extension
C Day:
Partial Squats
Shrugs
DB or Seated 1 Arm Row
Back Extension
Neck Harness 1×50-100
This is what sounds good to me so this is what I’ll do. Obviously my aversion to strict programming means there will probably be a little variance like say dropping bent rows some days, but it’s accurate overall and similar to what I’m already doing. I’ll be using a double progression system of add reps and/or 5lbs.
This is basically how I’ve been training naturally lately, I’ll only have to make sure I do those 15-30 sets.
I do want hypertrophy work in addition to all the strength work.
I won’t be living in the gym with this and will therefore have more time and energy for multiple other pursuits.
This will also allow me to hit multiple training properties at once.
I can do this split plus everything else is need to.
Progress on all lifts and all fronts.
Boom!
-J