Dips Exercise

Muscles Worked

Almost every dip variation trains your chest, shoulders, and triceps to some degree. The standard dip on parallel bars works your chest, but it also develops your shoulders, triceps, and serratus anterior. (1)

The chest (pecs) is among the largest muscle groups in the upper body. Your pecs cover the upper front side of your torso and insert into the humerus (upper arm bone). The muscle plays a huge role in numerous arm motions, including pressing weight away from yourself. (2)

Your triceps make up the rear of your upper arms and produce elbow extension (straightening of the arm), which allows you to press yourself up during dips. Similarly, the shoulders provide stability, and the anterior deltoid head assists the pecs and triceps during dips.

Variations With This Exercise

The primary way to perform dips is on a pair of parallel bars. The objective is to grab the bars with your arms close to your body and perform the movements. We shared step-by-step instructions for that version above.

Alternatively, you can perform bench or chair dips. Position yourself against a sturdy gym bench or chair, place your hands on its edge, extend your body, and move up and down by engaging your triceps.

The third popular option is to perform dips on a straight bar. For instance, you can muscle up on a pull-up bar and perform dips by bending and extending your arms. That variation is more advanced compared to the other ones.

Safety Keys

Something to remember for a safe dips exercise is to use sturdy objects. For instance, if you want to do chair dips at home, place the chair against a wall to prevent it from sliding back and causing you to fall. The same goes for a gym bench––ensure it can support your weight before leaning back.

The second thing to remember is to warm up incredibly well before doing any dip variation. Your joints are under some stress because you have to support your entire body weight, so prepare your shoulders, elbows, and wrists well. Start with some low-intensity cardio to get your blood flowing, and continue with some dynamic activities, such as arm swings and wrist rotations.

For a well-rounded shoulder workout that builds strength and stability, incorporating a mix of cable, dumbbell, and bodyweight exercises is key.

Click here to learn more about circuit training. Click to learn how to target your triceps at home without any equipment. Click here to learn how to target your lower chest at home. 

Cables are another great alternative as they provide a constant tension throughout the whole range of motion. Click here to learn more about cable tripcep workouts. 

Incorporating a solid chest and tricep dumbbell workout can perfectly complement bodyweight moves like dips for maximum upper-body gains.

Enhance your chest development with a cable chest workout, which provides constant tension for greater muscle activation and growth.

Dumbbell tricep exercises are a great way to build strength and definition, making them a perfect complement to dips for a well-rounded arm workout—learn more here.

Click to return to the bodyweight exercise and also to check the muscles that dips work. Click here to  check our video library of bodyweight exercises.