Dips: Muscles Worked and How to Do It
TL;DR
Dips work your triceps as the prime mover, with your chest and shoulders assisting the press. Your triceps extend your elbows to push your body up, your chest and shoulders drive your arms forward and down, and leaning your torso further forward shifts more of the load onto your chest.
- Primary muscle:
- Triceps
- Secondary muscles:
- Chest, Shoulders
Muscles worked
Your triceps do the majority of the work in a dip, straightening your elbows through the entire push. Because your torso stays braced through the whole range, this is one of the most direct triceps builders available with just your bodyweight.
Your chest helps drive your arms forward and down, especially out of the bottom position, and takes on more of the load the further you lean your torso forward. Your shoulders (the front deltoids) assist the same movement and help stabilize your arms in the socket throughout the dip.
Log Dips in PR Streak
PR Streak's library has 873 exercises, each with photos and step-by-step instructions like this one. Log this move and see what you lifted last time right next to every set, with every PR caught automatically and a chart for every exercise.
How to do it
- Stand between a set of parallel bars. Place a hand on each bar, and then take a small jump to help you get into the starting position with your arms locked out.
- Begin by flexing the elbow, lowering your body until your arms break 90 degrees. Avoid swinging, and maintain good posture throughout the descent.
- Reverse the motion by extending the elbow, pushing yourself back up into the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Form tips
- Lean your torso forward slightly to protect your shoulders and bring your chest into the movement.
- Lower until your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor, no deeper if your shoulders feel pinched.
- Keep your elbows tracking back rather than flaring wide to protect your shoulder joints.
- Press through your palms and lock your elbows out fully at the top.
- Add weight with a dip belt once bodyweight dips feel easy for high reps.
Exercise details
| Equipment | Other |
|---|---|
| Level | Beginner |
| Mechanic | Compound |
Used by lifters following PPL, 5x5, upper/lower, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do dips work chest or triceps more?
Dips hit your triceps as the prime mover in almost every setup, but your torso angle shifts the balance. Staying upright keeps the focus on your triceps, while leaning your torso forward brings your chest into the movement more, similar to a decline press.
How many reps of dips should I do?
For muscle size, aim for 6-12 reps at a load equal to 67-85% of your one-rep max, adding weight with a belt once bodyweight gets easy. For pure strength, drop to 6 reps or fewer at 85% or more. Use a 1RM calculator once you're adding external load.
Are dips bad for your shoulders?
Dips are safe for most lifters when the depth and elbow path are controlled. Pain usually comes from going too deep or flaring the elbows wide. Stop at parallel, keep elbows tracking back, and lean forward slightly to keep the load on your chest and triceps instead of the shoulder joint.
More triceps exercises
Exercise instructions and photos come from the free-exercise-db library, public domain, the same library used inside the PR Streak app.
