Dips Demystified: A Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Triceps Dips

September 22, 2024

by Cathe Friedrich

Could your triceps use more strength or definition? Then it’s time to power up the muscles in the back of your arms so they can rock a tank top. Triceps dips are one of the best exercises for boosting upper body strength and shaping the back of your arms. Even if this exercise seems intimidating at first, you can master them with time.

What are Triceps Dips?

You might hear people refer to triceps dips as simply “dips” It’s an appropriate name as you’re dipping your body down and forcing your triceps to push your body back up. Dips are a compound exercise that works more than one muscle group simultaneously. The reason? When you dip you use your triceps, chest, and shoulder muscles. Even your core muscles contract for stabilization when you do a dip. It’s one of the best exercises for building upper body strength and hypertrophying your triceps muscles.

Dips are straightforward. You lower your body down toward the floor by bending your elbows. Then, you use the strength of your triceps, and to a lesser degree, your chest, and shoulders to push back up to the starting position. This simple movement strengthens the three heads of the triceps muscle, which make up a sizable portion of your upper arms. But it’s also fantastic for your entire upper body, as the movement also works your chest and shoulders.

The compound nature of the exercise and the way it forces several muscles to work together means it builds greater functionality in your upper body too. But to get the full benefits and avoid injury, you need to watch your form.

Mastering Triceps Dips

Ready to start? Find a firm and stable bench or low table to place your hands on. With your palms facing toward you and your arms straight, place your palms on the edge of the bench and your feet on the floor. Now, tighten your core muscles. Then:

Lower your body down in a controlled manner by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides until your upper arms are almost parallel to the ground.
As your body moves toward the floor, you should feel the tension in your triceps. Don’t let your elbows swing out to the sides.
At the bottom, pause for a few seconds. Then, push back up through your palms, until your arms are straight again. Keep a tight core and your shoulders down and back to avoid shoulder strain.

But why would you want to do them?

Benefits of Incorporating Triceps Dips into Your Routine

The main reason to add triceps dips to your fitness agenda is to strengthen and hypertrophy your triceps muscles, along with your shoulders and chest. Who doesn’t want a stronger upper body? When you include triceps dips in your routine, you also work on core stability, which can lead to better posture.

Triceps dips, by strengthening your upper body and core, will also improve your performance when you play certain sports, especially ones where you need upper body strength. Think tennis, volleyball, pickleball and more. And because triceps dips work multiple muscle groups, they burn more calories than isolation triceps exercises, like triceps kickbacks.

Tips for Beginners (Yes, even a newbie can do a dip)

If you’re new to strength training or have limited upper body strength, modify the exercise by bending your elbows less and not lowering your body as far. Also, before tackling triceps dips, build up your upper body strength by mastering push-ups.

You can also push your body up with your legs in the beginning until you get stronger. Once you gain upper body strength, reduce the leg power, and force your upper body to do more of the work. Once you’ve mastered a basic triceps dip and can do it without relying on leg power, you can up your game with more advanced versions of the exercise.

Triceps Dips Variations That Are More Challenging

Don’t be afraid to level up your triceps dip game. Try these triceps dip variations to take dips to the next level:

Elevated Dips: Ready for a challenge? Once you’ve mastered a basic dip, place your feet higher than your hands, using a bench or other sturdy support. Using this approach also targets your triceps from a new angle, giving them a different stimulus to grow and become stronger.

Weighted Dips: What’s the best way to get stronger? Add more resistance to a strength training exercise. Try placing a dumbbell or weight plate on your torso when you dip.

Plyometric Dips: An especially challenging twist on a standard dip is a plyometric, or plyo, dip. Start in the normal position for triceps dips. When you push your torso up, do it explosively, so your hands come a few inches off the bench. It’ll build strength and power and elevate your heart rate more.

Consistency is key for progress. Mix these triceps dip variations into your routine. It keeps your dip workout progressions fresh and your triceps always adapting.

Avoid These Common Mistakes When Doing Triceps Dips

As with any exercise, there are right and wrong ways to do them. Here are common mistakes people make when doing dips:

Going too low: Avoid dipping too low to avoid shoulder strains. Your elbows shouldn’t go past a 90-degree angle. Going too low can strain your shoulders. Try to dip until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle.
Flared Elbows: Keep your elbows tucked toward your body. If you let them flare out as you dip, you’re risking a shoulder strain.
Insufficient Range of Motion: It’s common for people to not dip lower enough to get the full benefits of the exercise. Ensure you’re doing a full range of motion until your elbows are at 90 degrees.
Arched Back: Keeping your spine neutral is key for safety and proper form. Avoid arching your back, as it can put pressure on your lower back.

By being aware of these common triceps dips mistakes and focusing on proper dip exercise form, you can avoid dips injury. This will help you get the most out of this effective triceps-building exercise.

Incorporating Dips into Your Workout Routine

Triceps dips are an effective exercise for building triceps strength. According to the American Council on Exercise, it’s one of the most effective triceps exercises, surpassed only by triangle push-ups. Aim for doing dips 2 or 3 times a week. Balance them by working the opposing muscles, the biceps, to assure balanced muscle development.

Other Tips:

Always warm up and get the blood flowing to your muscles before doing any resistance exercise, including dips.
Do dips early in your workout before you fatigue your upper body.
Use progressive overload by increasing the resistance or doing more repetitions with good form.
Switch between push and pull exercises to keep your body balanced.
Monitor your recovery after dips and adjust if you need to.

By carefully adding triceps dips to your routine, you can reach new levels of upper body strength. This exercise is versatile and powerful.

Conclusion

This effective upper body exercise takes practice. So, start slow, focus on form, and learn to control your body’s movement when you descend into a dip. Follow these tips, and you’ll get the most out of this exercise. Keep going, stay motivated, and see the amazing changes in your body.

References:

“ACE Study Identifies Best Triceps Exercises.” https://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/3008/ace-study-identifies-best-triceps-exercises/.

Hussain J, Sundaraj K, Subramaniam ID, Lam CK. Muscle Fatigue in the Three Heads of Triceps Brachii During Intensity and Speed Variations of Triceps Push-Down Exercise. Front Physiol. 2020 Feb 21;11:112. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00112. PMID: 32153422; PMCID: PMC7047337.

Farias DA, Willardson JM, Paz GA, Bezerra ES, Miranda H. Maximal Strength Performance and Muscle Activation for the Bench Press and Triceps Extension Exercises Adopting Dumbbell, Barbell, and Machine Modalities Over Multiple Sets. J Strength Cond Res. 2017 Jul;31(7):1879-1887. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001651. PMID: 27669189.