Chin-Ups and Dips Program For Mass

What would you say if I told you that there are two exercises that will add more size to your chest, back, shoulders, and arms?

What if I told you that these two exercises have been around since the dawn of training but men have mostly ignored them?

You would probably think it sounds like the standard, fake hustle “results in 30 days” fitness pitch but you would be wrong.

What I am about to tell you is 100% true:  you can use chin-ups and dips to build more mass on your upper body.

Prioritizing Chins and Dips

Because of the microwave culture in today’s get fit quick society, most lifters do not want to put in the hard, consistent effort required to build the statuesque body that they want.

For example many men desire to have a muscular and ripped upper body but the problem is that many of these same men attempt to try to take the easy way out to achieve that goal.

Lame workout design, using too many machines, too much training volume, and avoiding anything hard are the 4 biggest causes for a lack of results.

The typical meathead International Chest Monday routine looks just like this:

• Wasting time in the “cardio” section before the workout

• Flat bench press 5×10 and added drop sets and a lame, heavily spotted “max out” on the last set

• Texting during the workout

• Incline press machine 4×10 with forced reps

• Chasing pie during the workout

• Cable crossover 3×15

• Watching the game during the workout

• Pec-dec fly 3×20

• Taking selfies during the workout

• Machine dips 3×15

In reality the above program is a total disaster and the complete opposite of what you need to do.

Using all of these exercises in the same workout with a ridiculous amount of volume is definitely not the answer for building a complete upper body.

When you add in way too many drop sets and then forced reps into oblivion, you have the recipe for an absolute abomination!  As a result you will not build a muscular body training in this haphazard fashion.

I have known many men who perform this routine weekly but have nothing except a flat, unsculpted chest to show for it.

The crazy part about this scenario is that despite the lack of progress, these men will still continue to do this “workout” for years hoping for a different result.

Success Leaves Clues

I love to study other disciplines in the world of athletics because every sport has a body part that stands out due to the training used in that field.

Sprinters have the greatest hamstrings and glutes on the planet while some speed skaters and sprint cyclists have dem quads that put some bodybuilders to shame.

When you think of the upper body, you must look to male gymnasts.

I watched a lot of gymnastics during the 2012 Olympic Games and I was highly impressed by not only their performances but also their level of muscular development in the upper body.  They look like superheroes up top.

These guys are doing a lot of upper body pushing and pulling.  They are primarily doing a great amount of advanced chinning and dipping variations utilizing not only the parallel bars but also the rings.

While we won’t be training to be professional gymnasts, we can borrow from them.  In other words if doing chin-ups and dips works for these gymnasts, why can they not work for you?

Classics

Chin-ups and dips have always been a staple of my training but in the past, they were just a cheap add-on at the end of a training session.

I was majoring in the minors at this time because many of the movements I would do instead of chin-ups and dips were lower on the iron food chain.

A new thought popped into my brain in early 2013: what if I dedicated a separate day to only chins and dips?

The mere thought of doing this had me fired up like Ray Lewis during a pre-game speech.

The results from putting a priority on a chin-ups and dips program for mass were astounding.

Performing a chins and dips workout on a separate day eventually led me to develop a thicker and more muscular upper body.

Specifically hitting chin-ups and dips for a few weeks using heavier weights offset with hitting them for a few weeks of high volume training definitely forced me to grow.

A bigger chest, a much wider back, and larger arms were all as a result of this programming change.

In the meantime I also noticed that as my chins and dips became stronger, my other pressing and pulling moves were getting stronger too.

During the peak of the time when I ran this program I was doing dumbbell flat presses with the 100lb dumbbells.

I also was pulling 225lbs in the barbell row all at a bodyweight of 165lbs.

Fake Hustle Fads Have No Value

A lot of phony fads in the iron game today promise you some unbelievable results in a very limited block of time.  You will hear bogus claims like:

• 4 weeks to 6 pack abs!

• 30 days to a massive chest!

• 21 day big booty blast!

• 28 day flat belly tea!

These ads can entice people because many people want to really believe that building a great physique is an overnight process.

Think about this, if it took you many years of inactivity to get into horrendous shape, how is it possible to turn it around overnight?

It’s not.  None of these promises ever come true due to the fact that they are just bad gimmicks like Doink The Clown and the Repo Man.

I do not stand for the fake hustle because real results require time and a consistent, quality effort.

All I will promise you is this.  If you consistently follow my chin-ups and dips workout for mass, you will have a stronger and more muscular upper body at the end of 18 weeks.

If you eat accordingly and also get good sleep you will get even better results.

Chin-Ups and Dips Workout Program For Mass

The most important components in determining whether a training program will work is your belief in the program and how consistent you are with training.

All set and rep schemes work, but if a lifter does not believe in the program or skips too many workouts, they will not get the big-time results they expected.

My 18 week chin-ups and dips program for mass (CD-18) will be performed as a separate day each week.

During these 18 weeks you will add more muscle mass to your chest, back, shoulders, and arms.  This is a meathead’s dream.

In total, there will be 3 upper body lifting days, 1 lower body lifting day, and 1 day of sprinting.

Although this program is purposely unbalanced you still have one legit lower body lifting day and two days of post-workout sprinting.

Remember our main goal during this program is to specialize on building your upper body.

Everything cannot be specialized on at once.  Your training during the week will look like this:

Sunday: Off
Monday: Chin-Ups and Dips Workout For Mass
Tuesday: Lower Body
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Upper Body 1 and Sprinting
Friday: Off
Saturday: Upper Body 2 and Sprinting

Note:  You can download my comprehensive guide on sprinting below.  You will learn everything you need to know about how to add sprinting to your workouts.

Use Speed To Get Lean! The Sprinting Handbook For Lifters

CD-18 Program

First, you have to accept the fact that progressive overload is a very important key to making great gains.

You are not doing all of the advanced and difficult movements that gymnasts perform daily.  As a result your challenge has to be adding more weight, doing more reps, or working faster.

Secondly, this means that you will need to purchase a dip belt in order to do weighted chin-ups and dips so go order it now.

Once you can complete the whole workout without a missed rep, it’s time to move up in weight.

Doing bodyweight dips for 3 x 10 for three weeks when you have already completed the series without a missed rep is the definition of sloth.

When you are a lifter who is too comfortable with their workout, your progress will stop cold.

You have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable and this means looking for ways to make your workout slightly more difficult each time you are in the gym.

In other words, you do not want to be stagnant like the typical, run of the mill lifter who is always afraid to challenge themselves.  In order to have success, you have to face struggles.

Before you get into the program please check out my videos on how to properly do chin-ups and dips.

Check out my chin-ups and dips program for mass below:

Weeks 1-3 (RP-21 Training System)
Chin-Ups SS Dips 7×3
• rest 45 seconds between exercises
• rest 75 seconds between sets
Chin-Ups SS Dips 6×5
• rest 30 seconds between exercises
• rest 60 seconds between sets

Weeks 4-6 (8×8)
Chin-Ups SS Dips 8×8
• rest 30-60 seconds between exercises
• rest 75-90 seconds between sets

Weeks 7-9 (5×5 Plus)
Chin-Ups SS Dips 5×5
• rest 60 seconds between exercises
• rest 2 minutes between sets
Chin-Ups SS Dips 2×10
• rest 60 seconds between exercises
• rest 2 minutes between sets

Weeks 10-12 (RP-21 Training System)
• during weeks 10-12 you will repeat weeks 1-3 with added weight and/or intensity techniques like pause reps or 1 and 1/4 reps.

Weeks 13-15 (8×8)
• during weeks 13-15 you will repeat weeks 4-6 with added weight or intensity techniques like pause reps or 1 and 1/4 reps.

Weeks 14-16 (5×5)
• during weeks 14-16 you will repeat weeks 7-9 with added weight or intensity techniques like pause reps or 1 and 1/4 reps.

Lower Body Workouts

Weeks 1-3
Squat SS GHR 7×3
Dumbbell Walking Lunges SS Barbell Hip Extension 6×5 (10 lunges total)
Seated Calf Raises 5×10

Weeks 4-6
Barbell Reverse Lunges SS GHR 8×8
Standing Calf Raises 8×8

Weeks 7-9
Trap Bar Deadlift SS GHR 5×5
Barbell Hip Thrust SS Barbell Hack Squat 3×10
Seated Calf Raises 5×10

Upper Body Workout 1

Weeks 1-3
Incline Bench Press SS Neutral Grip Pull-Ups 7×3
Flat Dumbbell Bench Press SS T-Bar Rows 6×5
Push-Ups SS Prone Rows 2 x failure

Weeks 4-6
Barbell Neck Press SS Barbell Rows 8×8
EZ Bar Skullcrushers SS Incline Dumbbell Curls 4×8
Reverse Wrist Curls SS Heavy Dumbbell Holds 4×8 and 30 seconds

Weeks 7-9
Incline Bench Press w/pause SS Pull-Ups 5×5
Decline Dumbbell Bench Press SS One-Arm Rows 3×10
Lateral Raises SS Rear Delt Raises 5×10

Upper Body Workout 2

Weeks 1-3
Overhead Press SS Pull-Ups 7×3
Decline Dumbbell Tight Press SS EZ Bar Curls 6×5
Seated Lateral Raises SS Seated Rear Delt Raises 4×12

Weeks 4-6
Seated Dumbbell Press SS Lateral Raises 8×8
Decline Dumbbell Skullcrushers SS Seated Dumbbell Curls 4×8
Reverse Wrist Curls SS Heavy Dumbbell Holds 4×8 and 30 seconds

Weeks 7-9
Push Press SS Neutral Grip Pull-Ups 5×5
Close Grip Bench Press SS Preacher Curls 3×10
Incline Lateral Raises SS Prone Rear Delt Raises 3×12

Notes: 

• In weeks 10-16, you will repeat these workouts in the same fashion as you would the chin-ups and dips workout for mass. The rest periods during these workouts will also be the same.

• You can deload every on every 4th week to keep your body fresh for the long run.

• SS denotes Superset

• Rest between 30-60 seconds between the moves and and 60-120 seconds between sets.

Sprinting Workouts

Note: Do not begin sprinting without going through a proper sprinter-warm up.

Weeks 1-3
3 x 30 meters
3 x 30 meter flys
1 x 100 meters
• the short sprinting reps (30m) should be performed at 90 percent of your maximum speed
• the medium sprinting rep (100m) should be performed at 80-85 percent of your maximum speed.
• rest is the walk back

Weeks 4-6
2 x 80 meters, 2 x 100 meters, 2 x 120 meters
• perform all of the reps at one distance before moving up
• reps should be performed at 85-90 percent of your maximum speed
• rest is the walk back

Weeks 7-9
1 x 300 meters, 200 meters, 150 meters
• reps should be performed at 85-90 percent of your maximum speed
• the rest is the walk back

Notes:

• You can learn about how to add sprinting to your workout program in this article.

• For more sprinting workouts, you can purchase my groundbreaking eBook, Use Speed To Get Lean! The Sprinting Handbook For Lifters.

Conclusion

With my chin-ups and dips workout program for mass, all you need to do is simply record your weights/reps/rest during the workout and absolutely stay committed to the program.

Ishmael Reed, who is featured in the images of this article, used my chin-ups and dips program for mass multiple times during the 18 months he was directly trained by me.

He transformed his entire body and even placed 2nd in the Mr. Natural Philadelphia Over 40 Division in 2015.

If you train hard and consistent enough, you can eventually develop that superhero upper body.  It’s possible.

I’ll holla at you next time.
The People’s Trainer,
Fitman