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Dear Reader,

Today I’ll address a question that has been asked ad infinitum by exercise fanatics, gym gorillas, muscleheads, the bros, and just about anyone with any interest in strength and muscle.

That being – – dips vs pushups. 

Which are better? Which should I do for overall strength and MUSCLE building – as well as a rock solid chest with pectorals that look like slabs of cement sitting on my chest?

Well, the answer for this one – it depends.

Horses for courses, as they say!

I’m currently doing more dips than pushups in my routine, but does this mean I prefer one over the other?

Not necessarily – it depends upon my goals at the time.

For most people, including most gym fanatics, I’d recommend nothing but pushups for the upper body to start off with.

Why – because pushups done 0 Excuses style literally work the entire body – and you get strength plus cardio plus flexibility benefits – all in ONE package, my friend.

And get this – certain forms of pushups work the LEGS heavily as well – including, but not limited to the “best darn exercise ever ” (a variant of a pushup), the Hindu pushup, and plenty more.

That might sound hard to believe, but it’s 100% PLUS TRUE!

Do a high rep pushup workout, and I guarantee you’ll start to blow torch fat off your frame – and quickly, at that.

Now, dips, you ask? Well, they’re an advanced movement, and as I state in Shoulders like Boulders – it is IMPERATIVE (due to the nature of the movement) that these be done in PROPER form!

I’ll say this again. Form on dips is way more important than in the other exercises. I’ve know folks that have really ruined their shoulders on first bench presses – and then dips – don’t be one of those folks!

That said, dips are an excellent exercise if done right. And they’re almost unparalleled (along with the mighty pull-up) for building strength in the upper chest and triceps area – in a way that either pull-ups or regular pushups cannot build.

And believe it or not, dips can give you plenty of cardio as well – if done right!

Try knocking out sets of 20 on the dip – and do that for 5 sets – – and then tell me how you do  – – and feel BOTH “cardio wise” and strength wise!

Try meshing dips in with a workout on pull-ups and watch your upper body explode before your very eyes.

The core difference between dips and pushups though is this – dips are far more of an upper body killer than pushups are if done for reps – but that’s true for pushups too if done for enough reps – and enough styles!

So it all boils down to this –

Pushups – as I state in 0 Excuses Fitness – are the BEST exercise ever – ahead of squats – sprints -or just about any other exercise except perhaps those with a HILL involved.

Dips are an excellent exercise -but they don’t quite have the same OVERALL body benefits as pushups do – but if you’re looking to focus on the upper body (like my buddy from the Marines was doing a while back – and believe me, he’s as close to Giant Gonzalez as it gets) – – then dips are what you should be doing – if you can do ’em right!

Horses for courses, as they say – and if you don’t know how to do dips as yet – well – I’ve got you covered in Shoulders like Boulders – replete with a new “FAQ” section as well!!

Push on over, and see what the fuss is all about – http://0excusesfitness.com/shoulders-like-boulders/

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. One forgotten yet EXTREMELY (if not just as or MORE) effective exercise is the handstand pushup – the mainstay of Shoulders like Boulders – and an exercise which you really need to get good at if you’re looking to get ’em cannonball delts and massive lats. This exercise can literally be called the upper body “pushing” equivalent of the pull-up and with good reason. Form is key on these too – learn how to do’em right here – – http://0excusesfitness.com/shoulders-like-boulders/

P.S #2 – And remember too that you need to build a base first before progressing on to the advanced stuff – a solid base. A skyscraper is only as solid as it’s base, my friend, and the same holds true for your fitness. Build your base FIRMLY with the exercises in 0 Excuses Fitness first – which you can and should grab right NOW – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/