No Arm Workout is Complete Without Tricep Dips. Here's How to Get the Most from Them
Dips are simple, they're effective, they look cool and they pack on slabs of muscle. So why aren’t we doing more of the king of tricep exercises?
Tricep dips, bodyweight, bench dips — whatever you call them – are a tried-and-tested bodyweight exercise that can thicken your arms without a dumbbell in sight.
Having said that, they can take a while to master and you'll want to pay attention to your form the whole way through the movement. But, master the tricep dip and it'll be your fast-track ticket to bigger arms. And why's that, we hear you ask? Surely you should be concentrating on your biceps, right? Hell no. The tricep makes up approximately 60% of your upper arm, meaning that this bodyweight staple is crucial to building T-shirt-straining muscles.
'Dips are an excellent movement to build size, strength and power into the triceps,' explains, body-transformation coach, Charlie Johnson. '[Having] some variation of dips within a training programme is a wise idea if you're looking to develop this muscle group and improve your pressing strength.'
But that doesn't mean you can start repping out tricep dips to the point where there's no muscle tissue left to tear. You've got to start somewhere. Here, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about the tricep dip — from regressions and progressions to workouts to try. Follow our advice and we'll have you grinding out reps in no time.
The Benefits of Tricep Dips
As you'd expect, tricep dips smoke your tricep muscles, which are made of three 'heads' (the long, lateral and medial head), but they do so much more than that and can also be an effective move for your chest, shoulders and core too.
Not only that, because tricep dips are a bodyweight move, they can be done anywhere. Usually they're performed on parallel bars, at a 'dip station', on gymnastic rings, or a weight bench or a pull-up station, but if you're stuck at home with none of the above, two sturdy chairs will do the job just as well.
If (or when) you reach a point where standard tricep dips feel like a breeze, there are always ways to progress the movement. You can add additional weight using a dip belt or a chain to make the movement harder. Alternatively, you make them easier by attaching a resistance band to the dip station or gymnastic rings, or you can just use a chair to support your lower-body.
Should You Lean Forward or Back for Dips?
Did you know you can tweak the exercise to slightly adjust which muscles you're working.
To hit your triceps: keep upright with elbows tucked in.
To hit your chest: lean forward and let your elbows flare out slightly.
Simply put, tricep dips are the king of bodyweight arm exercises.
How to Do Tricep Dips
Here's how to nail it:
Grab your bars with your palms facing inward and your arms straight.
Slowly lower until your elbows are at right angles, ensuring they stay tucked against your body and don't flare out.
Drive yourself back up to the top and repeat.
Best Tricep Dip Variations
Bench Dips
Position your hands shoulder-width apart on a weight bench, wall or chair.
With your palms on the bench and knuckles pointed towards your feet, extend your legs in front of you.
Push upwards to the starting position, then slowly lower your body until your elbows are at right angles.
Keep your elbows as close to your body as possible and maintaining tension, hold for a second at the bottom of the movement.
Press down into the bench to straighten your elbows and return to the starting position.
Box Dips
With your hands on a box, support your weight with your arms.
Shift off the edge, lowering your body until you feel a stretch across your chest.
Push back up hard. Try a count of three down and one back up.
Ring Dips
With the gymnastic rings set shoulder-width apart, get a full grip on the rings with your palms facing inwards.
Start with your arms extended and push down into the rings to support your body.
Drop your chest forwards and move your elbows back to lower in the movement — your shoulders should descend lower than your elbows and hands stay close to your body.
Reverse the movement to push yourself back up.
Tricep Dips: What's the Injury Risk?
Because it's a bodyweight movement, the risks associated with tricep dips are low. However, as Johnson explains, there are a couple of ways to make the exercise even safer.
'If you're not controlling the movement and staying with your active range where you feel comfortable, you could be putting your pecs and shoulder muscles into a weakened position,' Johnson explains.
'The main cue I would suggest is that everyone should focus on not 'bouncing' out of the bottom of the movement. Instead, think about getting to the bottom of the dip, hold for a millisecond, then consciously contract your muscles to lift you up out of that position.'
Tricep Dips: The Common Mistakes
If you want to get the most out of tricep dips make sure you avoid these common beginner mistakes.
Leaning Forward
As we mentioned before, leaning forward during dips makes the move chest dominant, which is great if you're working your chest, but not so good if you're looking to pump up your arms.
Dipping Too Low
You want to stay within a comfortable range when doing dips. That way, you won't be putting your pecs or more likely your shoulder muscles under any undue strain.
Locking Your Elbows
You're meant to be maximising your time under tension with dips. All locking your elbows at the top of the movement is going to do is release that tension, so don't do it.
High Shoulders
You don't want to be too hunched up and tight doing dips. Try to keep your shoulders down and stay relaxed.
How to Do Tricep Dips for Beginners
Everyone has to start somewhere and not having a complete set of dips — never mind several, solid sets — is completely normal. You'll need to start a regressed version of the movement to build strength for a full set of traditional tricep dips. Try these moves in your tricep dip programme:
Bench Dips
Bench dips, for example, are a safer and easier way of building strength to progress to tricep dips. You can do them by:
Positioning your hands shoulder-width apart on a weight bench, wall or chair. With your palms on the bench and knuckles pointed towards your feet, extend your legs in front of you. Push upwards to the starting position, then slowly lower your body until your elbows are at right angles. Keep your elbows as close to your body as possible and maintaining tension, hold for a second at the bottom of the movement. Press down into the bench to straighten your elbows and return to the starting position.
Floor Press
Floor press can help you build the prerequisite strength for tricep dips. You can do them by:
Lying flat on the floor with your knees bent and feet planted. Bring the dumbbells up above your chest with the arms straight and the palms facing away from you. Lower the dumbbells either side of your chest, at 45 degrees below your shoulders. Feel a stretch across your chest before pushing the dumbbells away from you, ready to repeat.
Decline Chest Press
The decline chest press mimics the angle of the tricep dip, making it a great chest and tricep builder for your tricep dips. You can do them by:
Adjusting a bench to a decline angle. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, shoulder-width apart and overhand grip. Lie back on the bench and extend your arms straight above you. Lower the weights slowly until they reach either side of your chest, then push the dumbbells back to starting position.
Banded Tricep Pressdown
The banded tricep pressdown will help build tricep strength for your tricep dips. Complete them by:
Looping a resistance band over a high anchor point, and grip the bottom half with both hands. Tuck your elbows close to your body and position your forearms parallel to the ground. Push the band directly downwards, keeping your elbows and upper arms pinned tight to your torso, squeeze your triceps hard as you straighten. Slowly control the band up until your forearms are parallel again.
Close Grip Press-Up
The close grip press-up will target your triceps more than the traditional version, making it a suitable exercise to include in your tricep dip programme. You can do them by:
Beginning in the high plank position with your hands close together. Lower your chest towards the ground with your elbows tucked in close to your waist to work your triceps. Explosively push the floor away from you until your arms completely straighten.
Decline Press-Ups
Increasing the load (your bodyweight) on the target muscles like with decline press-ups will help you work towards tricep dips. Here's how to do them:
Hit a high plank position with your feet elevated on a bench, block or stack of plates. Keep your body in a straight line with your core and glutes engaged. Lower your chest to the floor with your elbows at a 45 degree angle. Push the floor away from you and straighten the arms, ready to repeat.
Assisted Dip Machine
Alternatively, you can use the fixed-weight machines at your local gym to build the strength needed for tricep dips. 'A great place to start... would be with a dip machine, where you can sit down and push the weight down, not using your bodyweight. This will allow you to start with a lower weight than bodyweight and progress up,' says Johnson, who believes that a solid set of dips 'can be progressed fairly quickly over a 12-week training programme.'
Tricep Dips Workout
Below, Johnson has pieced together a four-part superset workout that's designed to smoke your triceps and build bigger arms ASAP. In each superset, you'll go from move A to move B without any rest, hitting the prescribed sets and reps.
1) Seated Dumbbell Curl into Duel Dumbbell Tricep Extension
4 sets of 12 – 15 reps
Dumbbell Curl
Sit on a bench, hold two dumbbells at arms length and let them rest by your side.
Use your bicep to curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders.
Slowly lower them back down to your side and repeat.
Dumbbell Tricep Extension
Sit on a bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand directly above your head.
Slowly flex your elbows and lower the weights behind your head as you keep your upper arms still.
Extend your arms and repeat.
2) Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curl Superset into a Bench Dip
4 sets of 12-15 reps
Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curl
Sit on a chair or bench and hold two dumbbells down by your side.
Keep your palms facing inwards and upper arms still, and flex your elbows to bring the dumbbells to shoulder height.
Lower them back down and repeat.
Bench Dips
Stand facing away from a bench, grab it with both hands at shoulder-width.
Extend your legs out in front of you.
Slowly lower your body by flexing at the elbows until your arm at forearm create a 90 degree angle.
Using your triceps, lift yourself back to the starting position.
3) Tricep Dips (Bodyweight or Weighted) Superset into EZ Bar Curl
4 Sets of 12- 15 Reps
Tricep Dips
Grab the bars of a dip station with your palms facing inward and your arms straight.
Slowly lower until your elbows are at right angles, ensuring they stay tucked against your body and don't flare out.
Drive yourself back up to the top and repeat.
EZ Bar Curl
Hold the EZ bar in front of your thighs on the innermost grips, with palms facing away from you.
As you breathe in, curl the bar until your hands are at your shoulders.
Squeeze your bicep, then lower under control.
4. Tricep Rope Extensions Standing Superset into Cable Bicep Curl
4 Sets of 12 -15 Reps
Tricep Extension
Attach a rope handle to the high pulley of a cable station.
Keeping your elbows tucked in at your sides grab the handle.
Tense your core and bring your hands down until your arms are fully extended, then return to the starting position. Only your forearms should move.
Fight the urge to move your elbows or hips to make sure it's just your triceps shifting the weight.
Cable Bicep Curl
Hold a cable bar with underhand grip, shoulder width apart.
Use your biceps to flex your elbows and raise the bar to your shoulders.
Lower it back down to your thighs and repeat.
Best Tricep Workouts
Supersize Your Biceps and Triceps with Just an Empty Barbell
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This Killer Arms Session Will Add Serious Size to Your Biceps and Triceps
Build a Stronger Chest and Supersize Your Arms with This Two Part Workout
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