Dips-Pain in Sternum

[Barry101]

Hi all

Just switched from push ups to dips about three weeks ago. Last night was able to do ten on my first set...great . On my second set I experienced a burning sensation in my chest, close to the sternum, on reps 5 and 6. I didn't try a third set because of this.

Today I feel as if my sternum is slightly bruised if I pull my arms back and down to stretch my chest. The pain is not severe. I feel like I could have pushed out at least 8 on my second set but thought it would be best to post this question to the forum before pushing on.

Is this normal with dips? Maybe a flexibility or form issue?

Thanks for any insight!

-Barry

[hardestgainer]

I have also had this problem, it felt like I broke my rib at first. I've found that if you raise your knees towards your chest when doing dips the pain goes.

[Vlad]

You have overused the pecs by doing dips. Your BW is 220 lb, but your bench is only 160 lb. So your pecs have not been conditioned to 220 lb, which is the load on them when you do dips.

I would recommend to massage the area where it hurst either with fingers of the two hands simultaneously or with a tennis ball against a wall. It might hurt a lot, but the pain means that there is a problem there. Just massage as hard as you can tolerate a couple of times a day, and after a week you'll be fine.

[Barry101]

You have overused the pecs by doing dips. Your BW is 220 lb, but your bench is only 160 lb. So your pecs have not been conditioned to 220 lb, which is the load on them when you do dips.

Thanks Vlad
That sounds reasonable. So, I should lay off of dips this Friday and not hit them again until next Wed. But I should go ahead to 165 with my bench though, correct? I am familiar with the tennis ball routine, I'll give it a go.

[Vlad]

Try the massage and if it works well - no pain when doing dips - you can continue doing dips if you want. It is also a good idea to do massage right before dips (then you are most likely not going to have any pain) and then afterwards. For the bench, I would ramp the weight as usual.

IMO, I don't think you need dips at your level. I don't do them, and I am just fine. My bench numbers are good from doing only bench and overhead press. I don't do even push ups. I can see from the logs of many people who started lifting at approx. when I started, and most of them do dips, but their bench numbers as a rule are not better than mine and often worse. I think many people just overtrain their arms by doing a lot of dips, and this stops the progress. However, at a later stage, I will probably add dips to my routine to increase the strength of triceps.

[maui]

I also had the same problem, it worried me. But I just skipped one dip day and was all good after.

[tenkev]

Pain is weakness leaving the body.

[Barry101]

Pain is weakness leaving the body.

Then I've lost ALOT of weakness lately