Primary
Triceps
Secondary
Chest, Front Shoulders
Equipment
Dip Station
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Push
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The example below shows one possible placement. Your purchased plan is built from your assessment, and Ely checks every exercise before approving it.
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This page is not medical advice or a rehabilitation protocol. Ely's personal review applies to purchased workout plans and does not replace an in-person assessment by a licensed healthcare professional.
Dips are a compound tricep builder that allows you to move significant load using your bodyweight or added weight. The parallel bar position targets all three tricep heads while also engaging your chest and front shoulders. Keeping your torso upright shifts more emphasis to your triceps rather than chest.
When to use it
Use as a primary compound tricep exercise.
Who it's for
Intermediate to advanced lifters with healthy shoulders.
Stay as upright as possible to maximize tricep involvement—leaning forward shifts work to your chest. Keep elbows close to your body, not flared outward. Lower until your elbows reach about 90 degrees; going deeper risks shoulder strain. If bodyweight becomes easy, add weight via belt or dumbbell between your feet.
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Grip parallel bars and push yourself up to straight arms.
Keep body upright for tricep emphasis.
Lower yourself by bending elbows to 90 degrees.
Keep elbows close to body, not flared.
Press up by extending elbows.
Squeeze triceps at the top.
Stay upright for tricep focus, lean forward for chest.
Dont go too deep to protect shoulders.
Add weight when bodyweight becomes easy.
For general fitness, start Dip with 1-2 light, controlled sets and increase only when the movement remains comfortable. This is not rehabilitation dosage; use the frequency and progression given by your licensed healthcare professional for an injury or surgery.
Dipping too deep - stresses shoulders.
Changing your shoulder position during the Dip can redirect the movement away from your Triceps. Use the shoulder-blade position described in the setup and keep the motion controlled.
Flaring elbows wide - shifts to chest.
Letting your elbows drift away from the intended path during the Dip can change which muscles carry the load. Use the elbow position described in the setup cues and keep it consistent through each rep.
Swinging for momentum.
Bouncing or using momentum during the Dip makes the movement harder to control and can shift work away from your Triceps. Use a load you can move smoothly through the intended range.
Intermediate to advanced lifters with healthy shoulders.
Recommendation: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps. Rest 90 seconds.
8-12 reps
Rest 90s-2min
4-6 reps
Rest 2-3min
15-20 reps
Rest 60s
Place dips first or second in your push or arm workout—they require the most energy and coordination of any tricep exercise. 4-8 sets per week, counting toward both tricep and pressing volume. Rep range: 6-12 for strength and hypertrophy, bodyweight to failure for endurance. Rest 2-3 minutes between sets (compound movement). Tempo: 1-2s concentric, 2-3s eccentric, no pause at bottom. Master bodyweight for 3x12 before adding 5-10 lbs via dip belt every 1-2 weeks.
Push Day (Tricep Emphasis): 1. Weighted Dip — 4x6-8 (2-3 min rest) 2. Close-Grip Bench Press — 3x8-10 (2 min rest) 3. Tricep Pushdown — 3x12-15 (60s rest) 4. Overhead Cable Extension — 2x15-20 (60s rest) Total tricep volume: 12 sets (dips and CGBP count as partial chest volume too)
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Sample workout
MySetPlan guides you set by set, times your rest, records your work, and tells you what to do next from the plan Ely approved.
Start My $19 WeekStandard parallel bar dip with added load via a dip belt, weighted vest, or dumbbell between your feet. This is the primary progression once bodyweight becomes easy. Allows heavy progressive overload—advanced lifters regularly add 90+ lbs.
Performed on gymnastic rings, which adds an extreme stability challenge. Your stabilizer muscles work overtime to prevent the rings from splaying outward. Use only after mastering strict parallel bar dips for 15+ reps. Ring dips build functional pressing strength.
Hands on a bench behind you, feet on the floor or elevated on another bench. Easier than parallel bar dips and accessible without specialized equipment. Useful as a regression or high-rep finisher, but the shoulder position (behind the body) can be problematic for some lifters.
Performed with the bars behind your body rather than at your sides. This extreme shoulder extension position heavily targets the long head of the triceps and rear deltoids. Advanced movement only—requires excellent shoulder mobility and strength.
Pushdowns are an isolation exercise that targets the lateral and medial heads with constant cable tension. Dips are a compound exercise that loads all three heads plus chest and shoulders with much heavier absolute loads. Dips build overall pressing strength and mass; pushdowns refine and isolate. Most programs benefit from both.
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Frequently Asked Questions About the Dip
Start with bench dips (feet on floor), then progress to feet-elevated bench dips, then band-assisted parallel bar dips, then negatives (jump to the top, lower slowly for 5 seconds). Most people can achieve their first bodyweight dip within 4-6 weeks of consistent practice with these progressions.
It depends on your goal. Stay upright to target triceps. Lean forward 20-30 degrees to shift emphasis to your chest. For a pure tricep workout, think about driving your body straight up and down. For chest, think about pressing your body forward and up.
Add weight once you can perform 3 sets of 12 reps with bodyweight using full range of motion and controlled tempo. Start with 10 lbs and progress in 5-10 lb increments. A dip belt is the most common loading method; a dumbbell between your feet or a weighted vest also work.
The Dip typically requires a dip station, which most home gyms don't have. For a home-friendly alternative targeting the same muscles, check the variations section above.