The Rogue Matador: One Attachment for Multiple Upper Body Movements

The Rogue Matador is a heavy-duty, adjustable dip attachment that can be used on a Rogue rack, squat stand, rig, or wall-mounted Strip allowing you to perform many pushing, pulling and core movements. Manufactured in the USA, the Matador includes welded joints and a heavy duty pin to attach to your upright for maximum stability throughout a workout. The two handles measure 1 7/8″ in diameter and are set at an angle to allow a greater variety of grip width options for athletes of all sizes. The Matador can help build upper body strength and stability before advancing onto other gymnastics movements, like the gymnastics ring dips.

Who Can Benefit from Using the Matador?

In short, anyone who is looking to build upper body strength can benefit from using the Matador, here’s how different types of athletes can benefit:

• Beginners: Due to the adjustable nature of the Matador, it can be set at heights where the bodyweight can be supported by the legs. The fixed handles means that the dip bar is super stable and can assist to build confidence in positions that some may find difficult or be nervous of.
• Rehabbing/Stretching: Add bands to assist with rehabbing injuries or use the Matador to stretch the upper body.
• Power and Strength Athletes: The dip is commonly used as an accessory movement to help strengthen the upper body and arms, particularly the triceps, chest, and shoulders.
• MMA & Contact Sports Athletes: The Matador is widely used to build strength and stability around the shoulders, allowing athletes to brace harder during contact or be stronger through greater ranges of motion around the shoulder.

Pushing Movements

Dips

Dips primarily target the chest, triceps, upper back and shoulders, while the core is also engaged to help with stability. Posture of the athlete, width and angle of the hands will both subtly change the stimulus of the movement and can be used to focus certain muscle groups over others. The set angle of the bars allows the user to change the set up of the dip according to their goals

• The hands should start at a width directly under the shoulders and the chest should travel forwards and down, while the forearms remain close to vertical throughout the dip. Elbows should remain close to the body.
• All experience levels can use the dip, as the Matador can be set at a height where the feet may assist in the dip or bands can be used to create a cradle for the knees which will help support body weight.
• To progress the dip, external loads may be added using the Rogue Dip Belt

Variations of the dip include:

• TL-Sit Dip – a dip with the legs in the L-Sit position, focusses on core strength.
• Russian Dips – athlete dips, then lowers themselves with the upper arms on the dip bars, back to bottom of dip and then to full extension of the arms, good exercise for developing the strength and awareness for the muscle up.
• Archer Dips – athlete dips and leans to the left or right, this emphasizes the work done by that side of the body and is a good movement to further develop strength.

Holds

• L-Sit Hold – the legs can be straight or tucked at the top of the dip. This will help develop core strength in a static, stable environment and also isometric upper body strength which can assist with joint stability. This hold can be developed into scissor kick and flutter kicks in the L-Sit position to further target the hip flexors and lower abdominal muscles.
• The static gymnastic holds can be advanced to planche holds depending on space and clearance.

Pulling Movements

If you have the space to set the Matador high enough it can also be used for neutral grip pull ups which will help strengthen the back and biceps.

The angle of the dip bars allows you to vary your width on pullups from wide to narrow, allowing for a customizable grip for any training.

While the Matador offers a classic, proven design, Rogue also offers other dip attachment options to meet different training needs. The Velocidor Dip Attachment and Mutant Metals Ultimate Dip Attachment add versatility to your dip bar training by allowing you to customize the width of your dip bars. The Velocidor adds even more customization by allowing you to change the angle of your bars from wide to narrow, and their pitch so they can angle up or down to fine-tune your training. Both are great alternatives for those looking to expand their training options.

Whether you’re building foundational strength, recovering from injury, or pushing toward advanced bodyweight movements, the Rogue Matador offers the stability and versatility to meet your goals. With its ability to support dips, pull-ups, static holds, and more, it’s a valuable addition to any home gym or training facility looking to maximize the utility of their rig or rack setup.