1: Sometimes I think a reason dips are so effective is because they are as hard if not harder for me on the lowering part than the raising up (I often feel the same way about squats), but sometimes I also feel my biceps are a bigger limitation upon my dips than my triceps (the inside of my elbow will hurt more than the outside after dips). Has anyone else had that experience?
2: I’ve been doing a lot of dips, clean and presses, and push presses recently, and they seem to be getting in each other’s way more than bench press and clean and press do. Would it make sense to spread that work load out over more days?
I can only handle one day a week, so only do all my delts, chest, triceps one day, i may so high rep triceps kickbacks, etc. When i was younger i split uo days, but when i got my bench in 400 range had to condense. Dips are exellent chest, tricep, serratus, shoulder exercise. But i stopped doing them it seams like the bother my shoulders to much, and they have negative effect on others presses. When i did do them it was at end of bench workout, for a couple high rep sets. I know a lot of people who dont do for same reason.
The two parts of my body that seem to always get worn out first are the backs of my knees and in the insides of elbows where my biceps attach. I’d do a lot more back exercises if my biceps could handle it.
My gym only has two dip stations. One for body weight and one that allows you to decrease your body weight with counter weights. I’m thinking about switching to the second station for awhile and build back up to body weight dips. The second station offers wide grip and narrow grip options.
Why do dips? If you are over 35 then your enemy is excessive wear and tear. Pain anywhere from an exercise (especially as you age) usually means either the mechanics are breaking down (soft tissue out of whack, strength imbalance) or there is a structural issue (e.g. shoulders can no longer handle the ROM because they have changed). Remember that either of these plus a good work ethic means you get injured unless you can deal with the underlying problem.
Dips are really just extreme decline presses, so I’d do those instead, which works about as well and is a lot more shoulder friendly. (Elbow pain usually means shoulder mechanics are off, BTW).
I have to echo @jj_dude that shoulder/pec/lat tightness or internal rotation can be the culprit with elbows.
I have shoulder/forearm/tricep issues manifesting in the elbow-
the elbow is tricky- less so then the direct feedback that can happen with the knee. knee pain - is often easier to diagnose the source.
( tight or over worked quads , tight hips- glutes that dont fire etc)
I love pullups- but they kill my elbow- or so it seems.
it turns out - it isnt the pull ups
its squats, front squats and pulling that does the damage - but the pain manifests on pushing work.
over 40 - if it hurts stop seriously as sad as it may be stop