Arms / Beginner / Compound (multi-joint)

Dips - Triceps Version

A dip exercise for the triceps, with the chest and front delts assisting.

At a glance

Primary

Triceps

Secondary

Chest, Front delts

Equipment

Dip bars

Movement pattern

Overhead push, Elbow extension

Level

Beginner

Type

Arms, Compound (multi-joint)

Loads the shoulder, elbow. Use a load you can control and skip it if it causes pain.

How to do it

1. To get into the starting position, hold your body at arm's length with your arms nearly locked above the bars.
2. Now, inhale and slowly lower yourself downward. Your torso should remain upright and your elbows should stay close to your body. This helps to better focus on tricep involvement. Lower yourself until there is a 90 degree angle formed between the upper arm and forearm.
3. Then, exhale and push your torso back up using your triceps to bring your body back to the starting position.
4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Dropping too deep.

  Why it hurts: The upper arm goes far behind the body and stretches the front of the shoulder capsule, a common cause of shoulder pain.

  ✓ Instead: Stop when the upper arms are parallel to the floor, or earlier if the front of the shoulder hurts.

• ✗ Shoulders shrug up to the ears.

  Why it hurts: The shoulder blades lose control and the joint sinks into an unstable position.

  ✓ Instead: Keep the shoulders pushed down away from the ears through every rep.

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