Our Ring Dip Guide is a helpful resource to help improve upper body muscle mass, strength, and shoulder integrity in the ring dip, specifically: proper progressions, benefits, and exercise demos needed to properly perform the movement. While the benefits of the ring dip (as well as the bar dip) are briefly discussed in previous articles, we chose to go in more depth on how this exercise can be used to promote serious muscle growth, joint stability, and increase strength and movement throughout a wide array of ranges of motion.
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The Benefits of Ring Dips
Below are four reasons why adding ring dips can benefit your health and performance. Note that many of the benefits can easily become consequences when the ring dip is done in a highly ballistic, uncontrolled manner, which is why the development of the dip strength and movement should be mastered on the bar first, then slowly introduced and practice on rings at slow and controlled speeds.
Muscle Hypertrophy
Ring dips take parallel or straight bar dips to the next level. While I do feel bar dips are great for going heavier with loads and really fatiguing the chest and triceps with greater volume, ring dips do a great job of increasing the muscular contractions and time under tension. Through increasing those variables, muscle damage is sustained and can promote muscle growth and size, especially when paired with more stable dip variations, such as bar dips.
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Joint Health
Increasing the ability to apply force throughout a fuller range of motion will almost always result in greater injury resilience, connective tissue health, and control at end ranges. Lack of control, coordination, and force output via muscular contractions (rather than relying on tissues and ligaments) often results in injury to joints and tissues that ultimately result in longer recovery times (weeks instead of days). Ring dips can be used (only when done properly) to bulletproof the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints for most individuals (with the exception of those with pre-existing joint issues).
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Body and Core Control
The ability to control one’s body in space and promote force is at the basis of functional movement and athletics. Ring dips are no easy feat, as they require strength, coordination, mobility, and a strong mind muscle connection to properly perform repetitions in a slow and controlled manner. Ring dips (strict) can also teach individuals to contract the core, legs, back, and total body as the rings place a lifter in a very challenging position, one that can quickly become unstable and unsafe if someone tries to rush or cheat the reps.
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Sport Skill Enhancement
Two sports that come to mind immediately are CrossFit and gymnastics, since both require athletes to perform various movements and hold positions on the rings. The dip is a strengthening exercise, however can and should also be used to properly progress lifters into a supported ring position, muscle up, or any other variation on the rings. Without fully mastering the holding dipping, and transitioning movements on the ring dip, athletes are very susceptible to side-lining injury and decreased performance.
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In addition, many other sport athletes may benefit from such controlled yet unstable training exercise to help increase proprioception, muscular coordination, and joint/connective tissue strength to bulletproof vulnerable joints.
What You Need to Know About Dips!
Take a look at our most recent articles on dip training, rings, and more!
Featured Image: @crossfitdux on Instagram
