Tricep Dips in foundation are too hard

[ruru96]

Hi folks!

I have done the foundation light and foundation programs previously with no issues, however, this time around, despite coming from Foundation light, the tricep dips in the foundation program are tipping me over into intense tension headaches and shoulder pain. What can I do to build up strength to get there? Do you recommend replacing it or going back to foundation light or a completely different program? help me please, I'm scared I'm never going to be able to do that or a single pushup. I am 28F.

 

[TopNotch]

First thing you should do is check your form. Make sure you're not hunching up your shoulders. You can change the angle of your hands - if possible, rather than hold the forward edge of a chair or whatever you're using, can you hold the side edges? Sometimes a simple change in hand position can make all the difference. Ensure that you're not going too low. Do you get pain immediately, or does it start when you are at a certain depth? If the latter, and you want to continue doing these dips, just go down to that depth. You can move your feet in closer so that your arms aren't taking so much weight. Additionally, you could try something like this workout to ease the shoulders.
BTW, the ability to do tricep dips is not essential to being able to do push-ups!

 

[ruru96]

First thing you should do is check your form. Make sure you're not hunching up your shoulders. You can change the angle of your hands - if possible, rather than hold the forward edge of a chair or whatever you're using, can you hold the side edges? Sometimes a simple change in hand position can make all the difference. Ensure that you're not going too low. Do you get pain immediately, or does it start when you are at a certain depth? If the latter, and you want to continue doing these dips, just go down to that depth. You can move your feet in closer so that your arms aren't taking so much weight. Additionally, you could try something like this workout to ease the shoulders.
BTW, the ability to do tricep dips is not essential to being able to do push-ups!

It doesn't start at a particular depth, but just after very few reps. Thanks for tagging that workout, I desperately need to work on my shoulders. I want to understand, when I'm doing tricep dips, what muscle groups should hurt? coz I feel like mainly my shoulders and scapula are hurting and judging by the name of the exercises, it should be my triceps. No?

 

[TopNotch]

If you are hunching your shoulders or rounding them forward, then yes, you will probably hurt your shoulders and feel it in your back. Really not a good thing. No muscles should hurt, but you are quite right, you ought to feel it in your triceps.
I just tried a few variations (not all recommended!) and I noticed that if my elbows were not pointed to the back but were more out to the side, then I felt it in my shoulders, and that's not what we're after. Could this be what you're doing?
So, a few things just to check while you're doing a dip:
1) shoulders down
2) shoulders not rounded in - go for good posture here
3) elbows don't flare out to the side
4) keep wrists in line with forearms - don't twist them to the side
5) don't go below 90 degrees

 

[Damer]

@ruru96 Foundation Light has been recently updated to not include dips. However, if you do want to get better at them the suggestions placed above by @TopNotch would certainly do the trick. I would also suggest working on your push-ups. They basically work the same muscle groups, albeit in a different way.