Triceps Dip
Trains the Triceps.
- Equipment
- Parallel bars
- Mechanic
- Compound
- Force
- Push
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
- Set parallel bars at roughly hip height and grip them with your arms straight, supporting your bodyweight.
- Cross your ankles behind you and keep your torso as upright as possible. The upright torso is what makes this a triceps dip rather than a chest dip.
- Keep your elbows tucked in close to your sides, pointing straight back.
- Lower under control by bending the elbows until your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor.
- Press back up by straightening the elbows, staying upright the whole way.
- Stop just short of locking out at the top if you want to keep tension on the triceps.
Common mistakes
- Leaning forward. A forward lean shifts the load to the lower chest, which is the chest dip — a good exercise and a different one.
- Letting the elbows flare out to the sides. Elbows back and tucked is what keeps the line of pull through the triceps.
- Descending until the shoulders are deep below the elbows. Upper arms roughly parallel to the floor is enough; more depth adds shoulder range rather than triceps work.
- Adding weight before full bodyweight repetitions are comfortable. A dip is already a substantial load, and the range shortens as soon as it is too heavy.