Weighted Dips are the Best for the Chest by: Anonymous
Hi Pete!
I am in favor of weighted dips anytime, anywhere. Marvin Eder performed weighted dips with an additional 434 lbs weight, but if we add his bodyweight, then he totaled around 632 lbs. Usually the ratio for the bench press is 80-85% of your maximal rep used on weighted dips.
Pat Cassey Bench Press was also around 80-85% of the weight used on the dips.
Train your weighted dips 2 x per week using a 5x5 protocol or moderate number of sets 5-6 sets of 5-6 reps.
Vince Gironda praised the Dips too. Old School = Golden Rule.
In prison most of the inmates who are training - and for them the training is like a religion - will perform pull-ups and weighted dips rather than bench press.
Rating
Marvin Eder Bench Press - 515 pounds by: Lee
Hi Pete,
A Marvin Eder bench press of 515 pounds is certainly something to shoot for, but you're right, a parallel bar dip of 434 pounds is truly staggering!
So how did Marvin Eder do it? The story goes that Eder had two guys hanging off his legs in the gym while he completed the dip exercise. Amazing!
And to answer your second question: changing from the bench press to the dip exercise is something well worth your consideration. Why? The parallel bar dip - for those who are able to perform it - targets more muscle than its bench pressing cousin. Consider how the dip has been likened to the squat as the king of exercises for the upper body, and you can understand why this exercise is worthy of your effort and time.
Unlikely any of us can ever come close to reaching the above figures, but it certainly provides some inspiration, don't you think?
