Tricep Dips

How to Do Tricep Dips

1. Support yourself on parallel bars or a bench with arms fully extended
2. Keep your elbows close to your body
3. Lower yourself by bending your elbows to approximately 90 degrees
4. Push yourself back up to the starting position
5. Maintain an upright torso to emphasize triceps

Form Tips

• Keep elbows pointed backward, not flared out
• Lean slightly forward for chest emphasis, stay upright for triceps
• Don't go too deep if you have shoulder issues
• Lock out at the top for maximum tricep contraction
• Control the descent to avoid shoulder strain

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Going too deep and straining the shoulders
• Flaring elbows out to the sides
• Using momentum by swinging the body
• Not achieving full lockout at the top
• Shrugging shoulders up toward ears

Benefits of Tricep Dips

• Excellent compound exercise for tricep development
• Builds pushing strength
• No special equipment needed (can use a bench)
• Easy to progress by adding weight
• Engages chest and shoulders as secondary movers

Variations

Alternatives to Tricep 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

   Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension

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

   intermediate Dumbbells
2. 2

   Ring Dips

   An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the triceps.

   intermediate Not specified
3. 3

   Bench Dips

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

   beginner No Equipment
4. 4

   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
5. 5

   Cable One Arm Tricep Extension

   A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the triceps, using a cable machine.

   beginner Cable Machine
6. 6

   Decline Close-Grip Bench To Skull Crusher

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

   intermediate Barbell
7. 7

   Dumbbell Tricep Extension -Pronated Grip

   A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the triceps, using dumbbells.

   beginner Dumbbells
8. 8

   One Arm Floor Press

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

   intermediate Barbell
9. 9

   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

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

    intermediate Cable Machine