Ring Dips

An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the triceps.

Ring Dips — Starting position Starting position
Ring Dips — End position End position
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Strength
Equipment Not specified
Primary Muscle Triceps
AI Rep Counting Log manually

How to Do Ring Dips

  1. Grip a ring in each hand, and then take a small jump to help you get into the starting position with your arms locked out.
  2. Begin by flexing the elbow, lowering your body until your arms break 90 degrees. Avoid swinging, and maintain good posture throughout the descent.
  3. Reverse the motion by extending the elbow, pushing yourself back up into the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Muscles Worked

Front
Back

Primary

Where Ring Dips does most of its work.

Secondary

Assisting and stabilising muscles.

Alternatives to Ring Dips

10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.

  1. 1 Tricep Dips

    Tricep Dips

    Tricep dips are an effective compound exercise for building arm thickness and pushing strength. They can be performed on parallel bars or a bench, making them adaptable to any setting.

    intermediate No Equipment
  2. 2 Bench Dips

    Bench Dips

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the triceps, needing no equipment.

    beginner No Equipment
  3. 3 Bench Press

    Bench Press

    The bench press is the most popular upper body exercise for building chest strength and muscle mass. It's a compound movement that also develops the triceps and anterior deltoids.

    intermediate Barbell
  4. 4 Close-Grip Push-Up off of a Dumbbell

    Close-Grip Push-Up off of a Dumbbell

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the triceps, needing no equipment.

    intermediate No Equipment
  5. 5 Decline Close-Grip Bench To Skull Crusher

    Decline Close-Grip Bench To Skull Crusher

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the triceps, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  6. 6 Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension

    Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension

    An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the triceps, using dumbbells.

    intermediate Dumbbells
  7. 7 One Arm Floor Press

    One Arm Floor Press

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the triceps, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  8. 8 Push-Ups - Close Triceps Position

    Push-Ups - Close Triceps Position

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the triceps, needing no equipment.

    intermediate No Equipment
  9. 9 Reverse Triceps Bench Press

    Reverse Triceps Bench Press

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the triceps, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  10. 10 Standing Low-Pulley One-Arm Triceps Extension

    Standing Low-Pulley One-Arm Triceps Extension

    An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the triceps, using a cable machine.

    intermediate Cable Machine

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do ring dips work?

Ring Dips primarily works the triceps. The chest and shoulders assist as secondary muscles.

What equipment do I need for ring dips?

The source dataset does not record equipment for ring dips. Check the instructions above before you set up.

Ring Dips: is it suitable for beginners?

Ring Dips is rated intermediate. Movements that assume you already own the basic pattern and are ready to load it.

What can I do instead of ring dips?

Tricep Dips, Bench Dips, Bench Press train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.

Can Fitnit count my ring dips reps automatically?

Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; ring dips can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.

Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.

Track Your Ring Dips with AI

Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.