Arms exercise
Tricep Dip
Dips lower and lift your bodyweight between two bars. Kept upright, they are one of the best compound exercises for the triceps, and with a forward lean they hit the lower chest hard.
By Khushi Gupta Reviewed October 2026
- Primary
- Arms
- Also works
- Chest, Front delts
- Equipment
- Parallel bars or dip station
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
- Grip the parallel bars and jump or step up to support yourself with straight arms, shoulders pushed down away from your ears.
- Keep your body fairly upright for triceps focus, legs straight or knees bent with ankles crossed.
- Lower yourself by bending your elbows, keeping them pointing back rather than flaring out.
- Descend until your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor, or slightly above if your shoulders feel strained.
- Press back up by straightening your arms until your elbows are locked.
- Keep your shoulders down throughout; do not let them shrug up at the bottom.
Coaching cues
- Shoulders down, chest proud
- Elbows point back
- Controlled depth
- Lock out at the top
Common mistakes and fixes
Going far too deep
Stop when your upper arms are about parallel to the floor. Extra depth stresses the front of the shoulder.
Shoulders rolling forward and shrugging
Keep your chest up and depress your shoulder blades before each rep.
Flaring elbows wide
Keep them tracking back and close to your body.
Kicking the legs to get up
Use a band or assisted dip machine until you can do strict reps.
Sets and reps
| Goal | Prescription |
|---|---|
| Strength | 4 sets of 5-8 weighted reps, 2-3 minutes rest |
| Hypertrophy | 3 sets of 8-15 reps, 90 seconds rest |
| Beginner | 3 sets of 5-8 assisted or bench dips |
Pick a starting weight with the one rep max calculator, and load the bar with the plate calculator.
Variations
- Bench dip Hands on a bench behind you; easier, but limit depth to protect the shoulders.
- Assisted dip machine A counterweight helps you build to bodyweight reps.
- Weighted dip Add a dip belt once you can do 12 strict reps.
- Chest dip Lean forward and flare the elbows slightly to shift work to the chest.
Muscles worked
All three heads of the triceps straighten the elbow, and dips let them work under your full bodyweight. The lower chest and front delts assist, more so the further you lean forward.
Benefits
Dips build pressing lockout strength that carries over to the bench press and overhead press. They need only a pair of bars and progress easily from assisted to weighted.
Safety and who should modify it
Dips place the shoulder in an extended position that some people do not tolerate. If you feel pain at the front of the shoulder, reduce depth or swap to close grip bench presses and cable pushdowns. Bench dips in particular should be kept shallow.
Frequently asked questions
Are bench dips safe?
In moderation and with limited depth, yes. Going very deep with your hands behind you puts a lot of strain on the front of the shoulder, so stop at about 90 degrees of elbow bend.
How do I make dips target triceps instead of chest?
Stay upright, keep your elbows close to your body and point them straight back.
How many dips should I be able to do?
Ten strict bodyweight dips is a good intermediate benchmark. After that, adding weight is more useful than chasing high reps.
Plans that use the tricep dip
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