Dips
Also known as: Parallel Bar Dips, Bar Dips, Triceps Dips
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Description
Lower your body between parallel bars until your upper arms are level with the floor, then press back up to build your triceps and lower chest. All three heads of the triceps work hardest, mostly as you lock out. The lower and middle chest pick up a big share at the bottom, and the front delts help along the way. You lean forward a little on the way down, less than in Chest Dips, so arms and chest split the work. Pick it when you want a heavy press with no machine; once body weight gets easy, add weight on a belt.
How to Perform
- Step between the parallel bars or the dip handles of a power tower. On V-shaped bars, stand where your wrists will stay under your elbows.
- Grip with your palms facing each other and thumbs wrapped around, the bar in the heel of your hand so the wrists stay straight.
- Jump or step up to straight arms. Push the bars down so your shoulders sit low and away from your ears, chest up.
- Bend your knees and keep your feet together behind you, off the floor. A light squeeze of the glutes stops the legs from swinging.
- Bend your elbows and take about 2 seconds to lower. The elbows go straight back as your torso tips forward 20–30°.
- Stop when your shoulders are level with your elbows: about 90° at the elbow, forearms close to vertical. Hold for a beat without bouncing.
- Push the bars down and away until your elbows are straight and you're upright again, shoulders still low.
- At the top of the final rep, step down onto the frame or a box from the top instead of dropping out of the bottom.
What Muscles Work
Primary Muscle:
Secondary Muscles:
Tips
- Three sets of 6–12 reps is a good plan.
- Build the reps before you add weight. When all three sets reach 12 clean reps at full depth, hang 2.5 kg from a dip belt and build back up from 6. Once there's weight on the belt, get on and off the bars from a box.
- Fewer than 5 clean reps? Use the assisted machine or a band looped across the bars under your knees, or do 3–5 slow negatives a set: start at the top and take 3–5 seconds to lower.
- The backs of your upper arms work hardest as you straighten them, and your lower chest at the bottom. A sharp or pinching pain at the front or top of the shoulder means end the set and stop higher next time.
- Want the chest to do more? Switch to Chest Dips, with a deeper lean and the elbows slightly wider.
- Substitutes: Assisted Machine Dips, Seated Dip Machine, Close Grip Bench Press, Diamond Push-Up. The machines and the push-up are easier starting points; the close-grip press loads your triceps with a barbell when the dip bars are taken.
Common Mistakes
- Shoulders creeping up to your ears and rolling forward at the bottom. Keep pressing the bars down with your chest up, and end the descent where you can still hold that position.
- Sinking far below parallel to stretch the chest. Stop when your shoulders reach elbow height; going deeper mostly loads the front of the shoulder.
- Half reps that turn around well above 90° or never lock out. Use the same depth every rep and straighten the elbows fully. If the reps start shrinking, finish the set on the assisted machine.
- Elbows flaring out to the sides. Point them back and keep them close to your body as you lower.
- Kicking the legs or bouncing out of the bottom. Keep the knees bent and feet together, lower over about 2 seconds and pause before you press.
Recommended Exercises
Explore exercises related to Dips for triceps training and similar movement patterns.
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