Dips -- to develop triceps strength -- kill. That's why I do them. But finding a good dip stand isn't as easy as it sounds.
Use chairs and they collapse in on you. My worst, most costly mistake was buying a monster of a dip/pull-up stand; You know, the kind that stands about eight feet tall and looks like a torture tool from a Medieval castle dungeon. The pull-up side was fine because I could easily grab the handles to match my shoulder width. The dip side, however, was pure hell. The handles were stationary at a preset distance apparently based on a gorilla's barrel chest. Every time I dipped, I could hear my joints and tendons pop like chicken bones. After a few uses spent straining to accomodate the monster, I had to quit.
I searched all over local sports stores and the Web for a practical dip stand, but none were to be found -- until I stumbled upon the Triceptor. I'd heard people scoff about the Triceptor in the 1990s. Apparently, there was an infomercial about the device that was a little hyper. I never saw it. What I did see was a piece of gym equipment that had great potential, so I ordered one.
I wasn't disappointed. The Triceptor is compact, made of steel, weighs about 36 lbs and is easy to assemble. But the most glorious feature is it's fully adjustable. So if you don't have a gorilla chest, you can move the handles closer together. This allows you to perform dips with less strain on your neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, joints and tendons. This setup lets you focus on developing your triceps -- the muscles at the back of your arms -- which is the whole point of dips.
I use my Triceptor all the time. The manufacturer says it's great for about 25 other exercises, including push-ups and modified pull-ups, but I don't use it for that. Add a Triceptor to your home gym and dip away.
The Triceptor is a sturdy and compact piece of gym equipment that excels when used for performing dips. The fact that it's adjustable means you can set it to match your shoulder width, which will lesson the chance of injury and increase the benefits you get from performing dips.
