Why Do My Shoulders Hurt When I Do Dips on a Chair and How Do I Fix It

Why Chair Dips Hurt Your Shoulders (It's Not Weakness)

The answer to 'why do my shoulders hurt when I do dips on a chair and how do I fix it' is almost always because the exercise forces your shoulder joint into extreme internal rotation, pinching the tendons inside. It has very little to do with your actual strength.

You feel that sharp, pinching pain in the front of your shoulder and think you must be too weak or doing something fundamentally wrong. You're not. You're trying to get stronger with a bodyweight exercise, but the specific mechanics of a chair dip create a biomechanical trap.

Unlike dips on parallel bars where your hands are in a neutral position (palms facing each other), chair dips lock your hands behind your body. This position forces the head of your humerus (the upper arm bone) to roll forward and upward in the shoulder socket.

As you lower your body, this forward roll closes the small space at the top of your shoulder, causing a structure called the acromion to pinch the rotator cuff tendons and bursa. This is called shoulder impingement.

It’s not a sign of failure; it’s a sign of bad leverage. The pain is a warning signal from your body that the joint is being compromised. Pushing through it is the fastest way to create chronic inflammation and a serious injury that could take you out of training for months.

The fix isn't to get stronger or to just 'tough it out.' The fix is to change the geometry of the movement to give your shoulder joint the space it needs to operate safely. We can do this with a few simple adjustments to your form.

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The 3-Inch Mistake That Wrecks Shoulders

The number one reason chair dips cause impingement is a small but critical form error: letting your hips drift more than 3 inches away from the chair. This single mistake dramatically increases the stress on your shoulder capsule.

Think of your shoulder joint like a door hinge. It's designed to move smoothly within a specific range. When your hips are too far forward, you're essentially trying to force that hinge past its natural stopping point. The 'door' gets stuck, and the 'hinge' (your shoulder joint) takes all the strain.

Here’s what happens inside your shoulder: as your hips move forward, your arms are forced into greater internal rotation to compensate. This brings the head of the humerus into a position where it's almost guaranteed to collide with the acromion bone on every single rep. That collision is the pinching pain you feel.

The second part of this trap is going too deep. Many people believe deeper is better for more muscle growth. With chair dips, going past a 90-degree angle at your elbow is where the danger multiplies. Once your elbows are higher than your shoulders, the impingement becomes severe.

Combining these two errors-hips too far forward and depth beyond 90 degrees-creates the perfect storm for shoulder injury. You are putting maximum strain on the joint when it is in its most vulnerable position. It's not a matter of *if* you'll get hurt, but *when*.

Fixing this isn't about complex new exercises. It's about respecting the anatomy of your shoulder. By keeping your hips close and controlling your depth, you can get all the triceps-building benefits of the dip without sacrificing your joint health.

You now understand the mechanics of shoulder impingement from chair dips. But knowing *why* it hurts doesn't fix the habit. Can you feel the difference between 85 degrees and 95 degrees of elbow flexion in the middle of a set? If you're not tracking your form cues and range of motion for each workout, you're just guessing and risking injury.

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The 3-Step Protocol to Rebuild Your Dip

Stop doing dips that hurt. Instead, rebuild the movement from the ground up with these three steps. This protocol will eliminate the pinching pain and put the focus back where it belongs: on your triceps.

Step 1: Correct Your Setup (Hips Close, Chest Up)

This is the most important fix. Before you even begin the movement, your setup determines whether the exercise will be safe or dangerous.

Place your hands on the edge of a sturdy chair, about shoulder-width apart, with your fingers pointing forward. Walk your feet out, but keep your glutes as close to the chair as possible. Your back should almost scrape the edge of the chair on the way down. This minimizes the internal rotation of your shoulder.

Next, correct your posture. Don't let your shoulders slump forward. Pull your shoulder blades back and down, as if you're trying to tuck them into your back pockets. Lift your chest high. This creates space in the shoulder joint and engages your back muscles for stability.

Step 2: Obey the 90-Degree Depth Rule

Forget everything you've heard about going 'ass to grass.' For chair dips, the safe and effective range of motion ends when your upper arms are parallel to the floor. This corresponds to a 90-degree bend in your elbow.

Lower yourself slowly and under control. Look in a mirror or record yourself. The moment your elbow hits that 90-degree angle, stop. Pushing even an inch or two deeper is where the risk of impingement skyrockets with very little added benefit for your triceps.

At the bottom of the rep, your shoulders should not be shrugged up by your ears. They should still be pulled back and down. From this 90-degree position, press back up by focusing on extending your elbows and squeezing your triceps. This controlled, shorter range of motion is safer and more effective for targeting the intended muscle.

Step 3: The Progression Path (If It Still Hurts)

If you've corrected your form and still feel a pinch, your shoulder is likely inflamed and needs a break from that specific angle. You need to regress the movement to build strength in a safer range of motion.

Start with Floor Dips. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Place your hands on the floor behind you, fingers forward. Lift your hips off the ground. This is your starting position. Now, bend your elbows to lower your glutes toward the floor, stopping at a 90-degree elbow bend. Press back up.

This variation puts significantly less strain on the shoulder joint. Work on these until you can comfortably perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions with no pain. Once you've mastered that, you can try returning to the chair, focusing intently on keeping your hips close and your depth at 90 degrees.

Your First 4 Weeks: Less Pain, More Triceps

Switching to proper form will feel different. Your ego might take a hit because you'll be using a shorter range of motion, but your shoulders will thank you. Here’s a realistic timeline for what to expect.

Week 1: Awkward and Weaker

Your first few workouts with the new form will feel strange. You will be intensely focused on keeping your hips back and stopping at 90 degrees. Because you're stopping shorter, you'll feel like the exercise is 'easier,' but your triceps might fatigue faster because they are now doing all the work, not the shoulder joint.

You should feel zero pinching pain. If you feel a slight stretch in the front of your shoulder, that's okay. But if there's any sharp pain, you need to stop and move to the floor dip progression from Step 3.

Weeks 2-3: The Movement Clicks

By the second and third week, the new motor pattern will start to feel natural. You'll no longer have to think so hard about every detail. You will start to feel a strong muscle contraction and burn in your triceps, with no stress in your shoulders.

This is when you can start focusing on progressive overload. Aim to add 1-2 reps to each set compared to the week before. For example, if you did 3 sets of 8 reps in week 2, aim for 3 sets of 9 or 10 reps in week 3. The progress will be clean and pain-free.

Week 4 and Beyond: Building Strength Safely

After a month of consistent, pain-free practice, the correct form will be your default. You should be able to perform 3 sets of 12-15 reps with perfect technique. The primary feeling will be a deep fatigue in your triceps after your sets, not a nagging ache in your shoulders.

This is the sign that you have successfully fixed the movement. You've turned a risky exercise into a safe and effective triceps builder. Now you can confidently include it in your routine.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Safety of Chair Dips

Chair dips are not inherently 'bad,' but they have a very low margin for error. Unlike other exercises, a small mistake in form can lead directly to joint pain. For them to be safe, form must be perfect, specifically keeping the hips close and limiting depth to 90 degrees.

Alternatives for Sensitive Shoulders

If chair dips continue to cause issues, switch to exercises that are kinder to the shoulder joint. Close-grip push-ups, dumbbell overhead triceps extensions, and skull crushers are all excellent choices for building triceps size and strength without risking shoulder impingement.

Hand Placement on the Chair

Placing your hands with fingers pointing straight forward is the best position. This keeps your wrists in a neutral alignment and encourages better shoulder posture. Avoid turning your hands out to the sides, as this can increase internal rotation and wrist strain.

Dealing with Lingering Pain

If you still have pain after correcting your form and resting, the shoulder joint is likely inflamed. You must stop performing dips and any other exercise that causes the pinching sensation for at least 1-2 weeks to allow the inflammation to subside. Focus on other muscle groups during this time.

Dips on Parallel Bars vs. Chairs

A neutral grip (palms facing in) on parallel bars allows the shoulder to move in a more natural plane. It reduces the amount of internal rotation required, which is why it is a much safer and superior option for dips if you have access to the equipment.