Triceps Dip

Muscles Worked

How to Perform

1. 1

   Setup: Position yourself on parallel bars or dip station with arms fully extended, supporting your body weight. Grip the bars firmly with hands shoulder-width apart. Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and engage your core. You can keep legs straight or cross your ankles behind you.

2. 2

   Body Position for Triceps: Keep your torso as upright as possible throughout the movement—a vertical torso emphasizes triceps over chest. Maintain a slight forward lean (no more than 10-15 degrees) and keep your elbows tucked close to your body, not flaring out. This position is critical for tricep focus.

3. 3

   Lower Your Body: Bend your elbows to lower yourself down in a controlled manner, taking 2-3 seconds. Lower until your upper arms are parallel to the ground or your elbows reach 90 degrees. Going deeper than this can stress your shoulders. Keep your core tight and body stable throughout the descent.

4. 4

   Drive Back Up: Press yourself back up by extending your elbows, focusing on contracting your triceps. Think about pushing the bars down and away from you. Keep your elbows tucked and maintain that upright torso position. Exhale as you press up with power and control.

5. 5

   Full Lockout: Continue pressing until your arms are fully extended at the top. Squeeze your triceps hard for a brief moment. Don't relax or shrug your shoulders—maintain tension throughout. If bodyweight becomes too easy, add weight using a dip belt or hold a dumbbell between your feet.

Common Mistakes

• Leaning Too Far Forward

  Excessive forward lean shifts the work from triceps to chest, turning this into a chest dip. Keep your torso as vertical as possible with only a slight forward angle. Think "stand tall" throughout the movement to maximize tricep engagement.

• Going Too Deep

  Lowering past 90 degrees puts dangerous stress on your shoulder joints and increases injury risk. Stop when your upper arms are parallel to the ground. This depth provides full tricep stretch without compromising shoulder health—ego isn't worth an injury.

• Shrugging Shoulders Up

  Letting your shoulders rise toward your ears removes tricep tension and can cause shoulder impingement. Keep your shoulders down and back, chest up throughout the entire range. Maintain active shoulder depression by "pulling the bars apart."

• Swinging or Using Momentum

  Kicking your legs or swinging your body to get reps defeats the purpose. Control every inch of the movement. If you can't maintain strict form, use an assisted dip machine or resistance bands until you build the strength for full bodyweight dips.

Pro Tips

• Build Up to Full Dips

  If full bodyweight dips are too hard, use an assisted dip machine, resistance bands, or do negatives (jump to the top and lower slowly). Negatives build eccentric strength fast. Once you can do 3 sets of 8-10 strict dips, start adding weight for progressive overload.

• Use a Dip Belt for Weight

  Once bodyweight becomes easy, add external load using a dip belt and weight plates. Start with 5-10 pounds and progress slowly. Weighted dips build tremendous tricep mass and pressing strength—many powerlifters use them as an accessory for bench press.

• Pause at the Bottom

  Hold the bottom position for 2 seconds before pressing back up. This dead-stop technique eliminates momentum and forces your triceps to generate all the power from the weakest position. It's brutally hard but builds explosive strength and serious size.

• Think "Push Bars Down"

  Instead of thinking about lifting your body, imagine pushing the bars down toward the ground. This mental shift activates your triceps harder and keeps your shoulders stable. It's a simple cue that makes dips instantly more effective for tricep development.

Variations

Alternatives

Related Arm Exercises