Dips make middle of my chest hurt?...

[Thewhite9t]

Really? No one? Ever?

Not in my years of weight lifting have I ever heard of someone with sternum pain from flyes.

Obviously if someone has a broken sternum...

[Jbert112]

Tearing is tearing...minor tearing is slight pain...tearing "the whole damn" pec would have been obvious to the OP who would be in the OR not online, OK?

The cartilage in your sternum is most likely not fully fused so the pressure of your pecs pulling on it would still register as pain.

I think you were the one that assumed the OP's pain was no problem which can be dangerous advice.

Not trying to disresepct you, son, but I have been lifting weights longer than you have been breathing. A little repsect both ways would be ideal. Deal?

sure, i respect you have been lifting longer than me, and im not trying to disrespect you. but you're evidence did state "verge of tearing" which doesnt mean anything IS actually tearing. and i did not assume the OP was no in pain, i have the same thing myself. However i know that doing dips, especially staying straight for triceps, and working through a good amount of the pain will not rupture or tear the pec. I've done it many times. the pain is also locate din my low sternum, closer to the upper abs than the lower chest. i have no chest muscle in this region. this makes me believe the pain could be cause from the amount of pressure being distributed over the entire lower sternum area. i still dont see how any microtears or anything are taking place. when i still get the pain when doing tricep dips, when chest has very minimal involvement, i dont see how the problem is coming from the chest/sternum attachment point. but i will take your view into consideration.

[papi93]

C'mon, Papi!

No one wants science!!!

They want gymology from some guy whose brother's wife's friend's neighbor got huge pecs snorting whey powder and clapping for 3 hours per day with wrist weights!

I was waiting for Dominik to post it but I haven't seen him around in a while. I hope he has gotten sick again.

[ab-swing asianbabe]

Interesting dips hurt my chest a lot as well. Now I haven't been leaning forward nearly as much, and they've pretty much turned them into tricep dips, and no pain to be felt. Other chest exercises don't cause that pain, so I have just been avoiding chest dips for a while.

[harryellerm]

Hey guys,

Im real new to lifting so yeah im no guru or anything yet but just my personal experience:

I recently started working out properly like 4 months ago and about a week ago I was doing weighted dips (15 kg) and I noticed some inner chest tightening but powered through (it wasnt to the point where I was worried about it really just mild pain)

Anyway went to go do dips for triceps and honestly my chest was just in agony so I stopped (thank goodness) and didn't keep powering through.

Anyway its been about a week and Ive noticed it starting to feel better. I can still do other chest exercises like pushups (these hurt a little but when I have warmed up the pain tends to go away) incline bench, bench, flys, cables, decline bench without aggravating it too much. Its definitely feeling a lot better. My chest is pretty weak anyway to be honest and the thought of not being able to work it was terrible.

Interested to see how other people have actively recovered from this and how they are going

[Sporkthefirst]

I experience the pain also, it is lessened by finding a happy medium between triceps and chest. Took a few tries to get it right but leaning back more as others have said has worked for me. I was doing dips for months before I felt the pain so obv it was my change in technique.

Edit: Other chest exercises do not hurt



Oh also reducing the width of the bars did not help.

Thanks for all your posts. Helped me alot

[borrocka]

Do Gironda dips. You'll feel it in your chest

[Squid24]

Do Gironda dips. You'll feel it in your chest

Since OP posted 10 yrs ago, who you saying this too?

LOL

[Ripped Force138]

Old thread, but still may be relevant. I have been lifting seriously for over 20 years and I just started doing dips 1.5 years ago. I was benching 275 for reps but every time I did chest dips 1.5 years ago, my sternum hurt, felt clicking, in the bone and cartilage. All I can say is that I would just do 3 sets once a week and finally my body adapted and I don't feel it in my sternum anymore after about 6 months. I think the cartilage and bone had to grow in that specific part of the sternum and ultimately did.

[UNIcodeX]

i had the exact same thing for years, started doing them again recently and no pain at all.

the only thing i'm doing different is a strong scapula contraction. or it may just have healed. who knows.

Give this guy a medal! This recommendation made me realize I wasn't utilizing my back muscles. Problem solved. Thank you!