Dip Station Dips

Dip Stations

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A dip station is a piece of exercise equipment that is mainly designed around dipping exercises with two parallel bars attached to a main support frame. With the frame usually leaving quite a bit of empty space, many manufacturers of this type of equipment started extending the frame upwards and added a pair of handles at the top for pull ups.

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Types of dip station

You can buy two main types of dip station, one that is made up of just a solid frame and dip / pull up bars, and one design that has a foot rest and weight tower. This isn’t for providing additional resistance, but rather for taking away some of your bodyweight and making it easier for people just starting to perform dips and pull ups to get to their target rep range if they can’t make it with just their bodyweight.

[one_half]Dip stations have also recently started adding an additional set of handles on the base of the support frame that can be used to perform push ups, either with both hands or single arm depending on your ability.

Similar to how smith machines started to expand in the exercises they offer and have begun to include more cable systems and pec dec movements to make the most efficient use of space, dip stations such as the Everlast VKR also include a hook for attaching a punch bag.

For a peice of exercise equipment that in terms of floor space takes up relatively little, you would now have something that allows you to perform dips, weighted dips, pull ups, weighted pull ups, push ups and boxing cardio.[/one_half]
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The Everlast VKR is an example of a dip station that offers a lot more than the usual dip bars.[/one_half_last]

To add to this upper body muscle building, many dip stations are designed with a padded back rest, arm rests and another set of handles to hold on and support you when performing leg raises. This adds abdominals and obliques to the list of muscle groups you can work with some of the better quality dip stations.

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Muscles worked with a pull up and dip station

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  • Lats
  • Abdominals
  • Obliques
  • Triceps
  • Shoulders
  • Pectorals
  • Biceps
  • [/checklist][/box]

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    What to consider when buying a dip station

    If you are looking to buy a dip station for home use there are really four main factors to think about.

    1. The first is of course cost.
    2. Second, each dip station will come with a weight limit. This is how much the bars can support when you add up your bodyweight and any additional weight you may use for your dips when attached using a dipping belt
    3. Thirdly is how much space it will take up. Although most dip stations don’t take up too much room on the floor, because their height will often exceed 200cm, plus a bit more for your head when performing pull ups, you need to make sure you have a room with a high enough ceiling if used indoors.
    4. The final point to think about is exactly what you need from your dip station. If you don’t need a punch bag attachment for example and only want a simple set of dip bars on a frame then don’t be distracted by product features you won’t use. Especially if they end up costing you more money.

    [one_half]Another important factor that may be worth considering is the actual bar design.

    Although most dip stations have rounded bars which are comfortable on your hands, it is a very personal choice whether you prefer the thicker or thinner bars more comfortable, and if you prefer straight or angled bars.[/one_half]
    [one_half_last]The dip bars on dip stations often differ in both thickness and angle. Choose a design that suits you.[/one_half_last]

    Without visiting a gym and trying something like this for yourself it can be difficult to know which bar style is best for you.

    If the bars are too thin though you can always wrap some form of padding over the top to make the bars a little thicker and more comfortable.

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    The importance of strict form

    With any dip station that isn’t attached to the ground or weighed down by a punch bag or weight stack, while you don’t necessarily need to worry about stability too much when dipping, when performing pull ups it is important to do each rep with strict form.

    Even with the more solidly constructed designs you may still find a little movement if you start rocking your body too much and sacrificing form when performing pull ups.

    Although this sounds obvious, it can be difficult to control the swing of your body particularly if you are wearing a weighted dip belt which will swing relatively easily when doing pull ups. (If it will provide enough resistance a weighted vest is often best in this situation)[/one_half]
    [one_half_last]As with any exercise, strict form is important when performing pull ups on dip stations that have pull up bars[/one_half_last]

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    Compare Dip Stations

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    Although usually designed with additional features, dip stations are a very effective product for building overall upper body strength. Many dip stations now also come with extra features such as pull up bars, push up bars and even punch bag attachments for boxing cardio after your weights.

    It’s important to know exactly which of these features you will need before buying a new dip station, so we have put together a selection of some of the best and strongest dip station products available.[/two_third]
    [one_third_last]Dip Station[/one_third_last]

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