German, Dutch or Open Chest dip?

Streetlifting is growing daily, with that also different techniques to move as much weight as possible.

There are 3 main styles of dips to be seen:

• The German Dip, fairly upright but still some forward lean, allowing the elbows to move back and having the knees slightly tucked.

• The Dutch dip, very compressed, more ‘crunching’ meaning more forward leaning.

• Open chest dip, the most upright position, straight legs.

 These aren’t official names, but they’re commonly used within the streetlifting community to describe different movement strategies.

You’ve been practicing weighted dips for quite some time, but don’t seem to get past 100kg. Your favorite athlete is using a specific technique, so you’ve figured this also works for you. Unfortunately, it doesn’t anymore.

Every athlete does it a bit differently.

The question is: which one is the best?

Simple answer: all of them.

Dipping to the theory

There are more variables than just moving the most weight. Some variables, among many, are:

• Shoulder flexion angle – depending on the style, the chest needs to work harder because of an increase of the moment but also more torque.

• Shoulder extension – greater extension mobility may allow more of the movement demand to be handled through the elbow joint rather than the shoulder.

• Torso inclination – not only a difference visually, but also a change in where your center of mass sits relatively to the bars, altering the demands.

Let’s have a look at the most common techniques in streetlifting:

-   Dutch dip

This one’s characterized by having a significant forward lean and the hips staying behind the bars. May be the better choice if:

o   Longer torso, shorter arms

o   Strong chest and anterior delts

o   Comfortable with greater shoulder flexion demand

-  German dip

Moderate lean and neutral torso, having the most efficient bar path. Both shoulder and elbow moments don’t become excessive.  May be for you if:

o   Balanced strength profile

o   Good shoulder extension, longer arms

o   Looking for an efficient compromise

-   Upright dip

As the name implies, the lean here is the least and demands a great ability towards shoulder extension.  A better option if:

o   Strong triceps, longer arms

o   Shorter torso

o   Excellent shoulder extension mobility

This is just a brief look at it. When choosing the right technique, other factors such as limb length, injury history and where the ‘weakness’ is during the movement are also important.

Pushing away

An athlete has nagging pain at the front side of the shoulder, being a strong ‘Dutch dipper’. Taking it a bit easier did help to reduce the injuries, but as soon as the intensity increases the pain is back. Massaging, dry needling, rest, all without the desired affect. Main question here: ‘What technique is best suited to keep injuries at bay and progress most efficiently?’

Looking  at the shoulder mechanics, this athlete has a good ability to extend the shoulder. His arms are relatively long and have strong triceps. Because of this, the moment arm might have been too great, leading to increased torque in the shoulder and with that injuries. With this in mind, we’ve adopted a more ‘German  style dip’. This takes some stress off the pecs, for the triceps can contribute more efficiently. Of course, the intensity has been scaled down first to get used to the new technique. When everything clicks, a controlled ramping of the intensity follows with the thought of progressing as pain-free as possible for the longest period of time.

Common mistakes 

This is just to name a few:

-            Copying other athletes without considering your own build.

-            Assuming stronger always means better

-            Changing technique too often

What’s in it for you?

Like most submaximal, complex lifts, the main question is and remains: ‘which technique allows you to exert the most force efficiently whilst staying injury-free the longest?’ If one technique only gives you pain, why keep doing that one hoping it’ll get better soon?

It may take some experimenting to find the right technique, and that’s totally fine.

Final thoughts

Instead of labeling the dip techniques as stated, I’d rather look at them based on movement capabilities. No technique is wrong, nor one is perfect. There is, however, a ‘perfect’ technique for each individual.

If you’ve experimented with different techniques but still feel stuck or your shoulders keep flaring up after every heavy session, it may not be about working harder. Rather, it may be about finding the movement strategy that best fits your body. That’s the kind of problem I enjoy helping athletes solve.