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I've read that seated dips are for your triceps and outer chest, and armpit area.
However, the diagram on the machine says it's just for your triceps. What do you think?
Machines are very narrow focus. Free weight or body weight moves much less so. All kinds of stabilizer muscles are called in to keep you from crashing to the floor when you do bodyweight seated dips. The machine removes the risk of falling and can target the triceps directly.
It depends on your incline and the angle of the arm. If you keep it tucked in and sit straight it is pretty much the triceps. If you lean forward &/or open your arms, then the other muscles come into play.
Regular dips might be better. If you are already doing them then you can add weight to yourself, but the seated dip is another alternative.
Machines are very narrow focus. Free weight or body weight moves much less so. All kinds of stabilizer muscles are called in to keep you from crashing to the floor when you do bodyweight seated dips. The machine removes the risk of falling and can target the triceps directly.
Be careful with the weighted bar dips. For years I started my chest workout days with that exercise and always felt the lower I could go to feel the separation in my chest the better workout I received. I have had two shoulder impingement's that required Distal Clavicle Excisions which are no fun at all to come back from. I always thought I practiced better than average form and it has never been about how much weight I use, I am a firm believer you can make a hundred pounds feel like 200 pounds if you have great form and concentrate on the negative portion of the exercise. I am convinced it was the weighted bar dips that led to my shoulder troubles.
I also do not like the weighted bar dips and now use the machine for doing all tricep dips. I'm lucky enough to belong to a gym that has a good machine for this. The arms and chair are adjustable to minimize putting yourself in a bad position and the weights go up to 250lbs. I feel like the regular/standard bar dips limit you in terms of the weight you can use and you put a lot of strain on your wrists and shoulders.
So do what you feel most comfortable with. To answer your question, if you use a machine it will likely hit your tris (mostly) and using a weighted dip you incorporate a ton more stabilizers and I see a lot of guys doing it on chest day.
Dips are designed more to develop the pectoral muscles with a side of tri. Although as stated above you can change the way you do them and change the focus muscles.
The further you drop down the more you'll develop. Chin tucked, legs back, and deep dips. Go slow.
And seated dips are almost useless. Use a dipping bar where you keep your entire body off the ground. I too have found seated aggravated my shoulders where as the parallel bar dips do not.
I love dipping, but it doesn't love me. My left shoulder is very prone to being hurt by dips. I believe in full range of motion for most moves but life has taught me to be very careful with exercises that involve shoulders.
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