Avoid Dips for Impingement
Reference:Bayley JC, et al The weight-bearing shoulder. The impingement syndrome in paraplegics. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1987 Jun;69(5):676-8.
Dips are a commonly performed among regular gym goers as they can be great for the triceps…but at what expense?
Dips are the best way I can think of pushing the humeral head superiorly and anteriorly which will eventually guarantee an impingement …therefore I never do them!.
There is no shortage of other triceps strengthening options, so I strongly urge all weight trainers to avoid dips. Some listen to me, others think I?m a quack for even suggesting it.
I don’t particularly like dips as an exercise as they are not even functional except regrettably for paraplegics. They require their arms for transferring and for wheelchair use.
The stress placed on the subacromial structures during transfer or propulsion of a wheelchair, clearly explains the extremely high rate of shoulder problems in paraplegics.
In Summary: If you are not a paraplegic, then dips are of little value to you functionally, other than dramatically increasing your risk of developing impingement …so avoid them!
Posted on: December 22, 2014
Categories: Shoulder
