French Fitness Shasta Assisted Chin Dip Review | Military Grade

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An assisted chin dip machine is an excellent fit for you if your goal is to hone upper body functional strength through chin dips, chin ups, and pull ups. You’ll build bigger biceps and forearms.

You’ll also receive the extra benefits of increased grip strength, a combination of push and pull movements, improved overall fitness, and increased body strength. Assisted chin dips and chin ups are excellent for beginners who are striving for great form and their first strong dip and/or chin up. The French Fitness Shasta Assisted Chin Dip is ideal for exactly this purpose.

Plus, its adjustable weight stack and foldable kneepads mean you can advance to multiple sets and reps of full-on dips and chin ups. You can decrease/increase the level of assistance as you want.

We’ll take an in-depth look at French Fitness’s assisted chin dip station here. But first…

What is an assisted chin dip machine?

This machine counterbalances your body weight with actual weights. The weight plates / stack reduce the amount of weight you need to pull up as you perform the exercise.

The assisted chin dip machine allows you to build strength and master the proper form until you can perform a dip / chin up / pull up without assistance.

Interestingly, the assisted chin dip machine works differently to most gym stations. The more weight you add to the stack, the less the exercise difficulty becomes.

Now, you know what it is, let’s look at the French Fitness assisted chin dip machine and its design features.

Design features

When it comes to assisted chin dip equipment, there are a few factors you need to take into account. Stability and strength are two major things to look at.

You don’t want a machine that wobbles or is built with sub-quality materials. You want a reliable product that can easily take your weight.

This brings up another factor, how tall is it? Can you perform the exercises without scrunching or having to manipulate your body in unnatural ways? And, how much of an “assist” will it give you with the weight plates?

Purchasing a sizable machine just for a dip or chin up may seem like a large investment on the financial front. You’ll want a machine that gives you different exercise options and variations.

Lastly, grips are important both in comfort and number. In fact, the entire machine should be comfortable, no matter the exercise being performed.

Let’s take a look at how French Fitness’s machine measures up against these factors.

Solid build

The French Fitness Assisted Chin Dip meets the market norm with its 11 gauge steel build. The Q235 steel frame upholds maximum structural integrity and stability. And, it ensures maximum adhesion thanks to the electrostatic powder coat finish.

The nylon-coated cable also meets U.S. military specifications, which is a great indicator of the build’s strength.

Weight stacks and height

French Fitness’s chin dip product sports a 212 lb weight stack, which is in line with the benchmark for the market. There are stations out there that offer 310 lb stacks. You’ll need to decide what your needs are in terms of the level of assistance you want.

In terms of height, this product is 47″ x 45″ x 87″ (1180 x 1130 x 2200 mm). So as long as you’re not bordering on 7 feet tall, you won’t need to contort your body to work out.

Different grip positions and exercise variations

Thanks to the multiple chin up handles and grip positions, this chin dip machine targets an admirable number of upper body muscle groups. In addition, you’ll get the best of pull moves and push moves thanks to the availability of pull up / chin up grips and dip handles.

You can use the different handles to perform variations of:

• chin ups
• chin dips
• pull ups, and
• elbow flexion

Muscles worked include:

• traps
• lats
• erector spinae, and
• biceps

Even better, you can fold up the knee pads so you can also target core and lower abs with knee raises and leg lifts.

The grips are retained with aluminum collars, which ensures stability and prevents slipping during use.

Final thoughts on the French Fitness Shasta Assisted Chin Dip

Any personal trainer or experienced weight lifter will tell you how important correct form is, with any exercise. If you want to develop your upper body, perfect your dip/ chin up/pull up form, and increase your overall strength, this machine is a great fit for you.

With multiple grips and a solid build, you’ll enjoy a variety of positions and the security of stability. Plus, you’ll get the additional perk of targeting several muscle groups and activating your core too.