Stuck on Dips What to Do

Why You're Stuck on Dips (It's Not Your Strength)

If you're stuck on dips what to do is simple: stop training to failure and start doing 50-75% of your max reps for more total sets. You're stuck at 5 reps not because you're weak, but because your training strategy is working against you. That feeling of hitting a wall, where you can grind out 5 reps on Monday and still only get 5 reps two weeks later, is incredibly frustrating. You've probably tried just pushing harder, adding another forced rep, or doing dips more often. The result is always the same: you feel drained, your joints ache, and the number doesn't budge. This isn't a strength problem; it's a recovery and volume problem. Every time you go to absolute failure, you fry your central nervous system (CNS). This creates a massive recovery debt that prevents you from training productively for the next 48-72 hours. Progress in strength and muscle size isn't driven by how hard you can push in one all-out set. It's driven by the total amount of quality work you accumulate over weeks and months. By constantly maxing out, you're sacrificing high-quality volume for low-quality, high-fatigue reps that teach your body how to fail, not how to succeed.

The Math That Proves 'Trying Harder' Is Making You Weaker

Let's break down why your current approach is holding you back. The secret to getting stronger isn't intensity alone; it's the total volume of reps you perform close to, but not at, your limit. Imagine your current true maximum for dips is 6 reps with good form.

Scenario A: The Failure Method (What you're probably doing)

You go to the gym determined to break your plateau.

• Set 1: You hit 6 reps (absolute failure).
• Set 2: After resting, you can only manage 3 reps.
• Set 3: You're exhausted and barely get 2 reps.

Total Quality Reps: 11

Your nervous system is shot, your triceps and chest are screaming, and you leave the gym feeling defeated. You've accumulated a huge amount of fatigue for a very low amount of productive work.

Scenario B: The Sub-Maximal Method (The Mofilo Way)

Your max is still 6 reps, but you train smarter. You decide to work at 60% of your max, which is 3-4 reps per set.

• Set 1: 4 reps (feels easy).
• Set 2: 4 reps.
• Set 3: 4 reps.
• Set 4: 4 reps.
• Set 5: 4 reps.

Total Quality Reps: 20

You performed nearly double the high-quality reps, all with perfect form. You didn't train to failure once. You leave the gym feeling strong, not destroyed. Your nervous system is primed for growth, not begging for recovery. Over a month, the person in Scenario B will perform hundreds more perfect reps than the person in Scenario A. That accumulated volume is what forces your muscles to adapt and grow stronger, allowing you to break through the plateau.

Tired of guessing? Track it.

Mofilo tracks food, workouts, and your purpose. Download today.

The 8-Week Protocol to Double Your Dip Reps

This isn't a guess; it's a system. Follow it exactly for 8 weeks. Do not add more work. The magic is in the structure, not in trying harder. Before you start, test your true max reps on dips one time. Be honest. If you can only do 3 reps with a full range of motion, your max is 3. This number is the foundation for the entire program.

Phase 1: Volume Accumulation (Weeks 1-4)

Your only goal here is to accumulate perfect, high-quality reps. This phase will feel too easy at first. Trust the process. You will train dips twice per week, for example on Monday and Thursday.

• Workout A (e.g., Monday): Bodyweight Dips
• Sets & Reps: Perform 6 sets of 50% of your max reps. If your max is 6, you will do 6 sets of 3 reps.
• Rest: Rest exactly 90 seconds between sets. No more, no less.
• Progression: Each week, add one set. So in Week 2, you'll do 7 sets of 3. In Week 4, you'll be doing 9 sets of 3.
• Workout B (e.g., Thursday): Eccentrics & Assistance
• Negative Dips: 4 sets of 5 reps. Jump to the top of the dip, then lower yourself as slowly as possible, aiming for a 4-second descent. This builds strength in the exact pattern you need.
• Close-Grip Bench Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps. Use a weight that is challenging but allows you to complete all reps. This directly strengthens your triceps.

Phase 2: Intensity Introduction (Weeks 5-6)

Now that you've built a strong base of volume, we introduce a little more intensity to prepare your body for a new max.

• Workout A (e.g., Monday): Bodyweight Dips
• Sets & Reps: Perform 4 sets of 80% of your *original* max. If your max was 6, you will now do 4 sets of 5 reps.
• Rest: Increase rest to 2 minutes between sets.
• Workout B (e.g., Thursday): Assistance Strength
• Overhead Press: 3 sets of 6-8 reps. Focus on strict form to build shoulder stability and strength.
• Weighted Push-ups: 3 sets to failure (with a 25-45 lb plate on your back). This builds raw pressing power.

Phase 3: Deload and Retest (Weeks 7-8)

This is the most important part. You cannot skip the deload. This is where your body recovers and supercompensates, getting stronger than before.

• Week 7 (Deload): Do only ONE workout. Perform 3 sets of 50% of your original max reps. That's it. The rest of the week, stay out of the gym or do light cardio. Your body needs to fully recover.
• Week 8 (Retest): After a full week of recovery and light work, go to the gym, warm up thoroughly, and test your new max on dips. You will be surprised by the result.

What Progress Actually Looks Like (And When to Worry)

Progress isn't a straight line, and this program is designed to manage the peaks and valleys. Here is what you should expect to feel, week by week.

• Weeks 1-2: You will feel like you're not doing enough. The workouts will seem too easy, and you'll be tempted to add more reps or sets. Do not. This initial phase is about building a foundation of perfect reps without fatigue. Resisting the urge to go to failure is the main challenge here.
• Weeks 3-4: The accumulating volume will start to catch up with you. The last few sets of your 8x3 or 9x3 will feel genuinely challenging. This is the sweet spot. You are pushing your work capacity without redlining your nervous system. Your negative dips will feel more controlled.
• Weeks 5-6: The shift to higher intensity (4 sets of 5) will feel heavy, but manageable because of the volume base you built. You should feel powerful. Your assistance lifts, like the close-grip bench press, should be increasing in weight.
• Week 8 - The Retest: If you started with a max of 5 reps, hitting 8-10 reps is a realistic and massive victory. If you started at 3 reps, getting to 6 or 7 is a huge leap. This is what real progress looks like. The warning sign is if you are consistently failing to hit your sub-maximal rep targets in Phase 1. If you're supposed to do 6 sets of 3 and can only get 2 reps on the last few sets, your initial max was wrong. Drop your working number by 1 rep and continue.

You read this far. You're serious.

Track food, workouts, and your purpose with Mofilo. Download today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What If I Can't Do a Single Dip?

Focus on regressions. Start with negative dips, aiming for a 5-second descent for 4 sets of 3-5 reps. You can also use a dip assistance machine, setting the counterweight to allow you to perform 6-8 reps. Reduce the assistance weekly until you're using your full bodyweight.

The Best Assistance Lifts for Dips

To improve your dips, you need to strengthen the primary movers. The three most effective assistance exercises are the close-grip bench press for triceps, the overhead press for shoulder strength and stability, and weighted push-ups for overall pressing power and chest development.

Training Frequency for Dips

Training dips twice per week is the optimal frequency for most people. This provides enough stimulus to drive adaptation while allowing for the 48-72 hours of recovery your muscles and central nervous system need between sessions. More is not better; it just leads to burnout.

When to Start Adding Weight

Do not even think about adding weight until you can comfortably perform 3 sets of 15 perfect, full range of motion bodyweight dips. Adding weight before you own your bodyweight is a recipe for stalled progress and shoulder injury. Master the movement first, then load it.

Bench Dips vs. Parallel Bar Dips

Parallel bar dips are superior. Bench dips place the shoulder joint in a compromised, internally rotated position, which can lead to impingement and pain. Parallel bar dips allow for a more natural range of motion and are far more effective for building your chest and triceps.