Dips: A Bodyweight Powerhouse
Dips are a fantastic bodyweight exercise you can do just about anywhere. They’re a compound movement, meaning they work multiple muscle groups at once, primarily targeting your chest and triceps.
Adding dips to your workout routine can help you build muscle, increase strength, and even improve joint health. Plus, they’re scalable, so you can modify them to suit your current fitness level, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned athlete.
This article will give you a complete guide to performing dips correctly. We’ll break down the proper form, explore different variations, discuss injury prevention, and, most importantly, highlight exactly which muscles are getting a serious workout when you do dips.
What muscles do dips work? A detailed look
Dips are a compound exercise, meaning they work several muscle groups at once. Here’s a rundown of the muscles you’ll activate with dips.
Primary muscle groups
- Chest (pectoralis major and minor). Leaning forward as you dip will make your chest muscles work harder, especially the lower chest.
- Triceps brachii. Keeping your body upright will target your triceps more directly.
- Anterior deltoids. Dips activate the anterior deltoids as a helper muscle.
Secondary and stabilizing muscles
A range of secondary muscles assist and stabilize your body during the dip movement:
- Rhomboids and levator scapulae. These muscles help to stabilize your shoulder blades during the exercise.
- Latissimus dorsi and trapezius. These back muscles contribute to overall stability.
- Core muscles. Your core engages to stabilize your body throughout the exercise.
Types of dips and how to perform them
Dips are a versatile exercise. By adjusting the angle of your body, you can emphasize different muscle groups. Here are a few common variations, along with instructions on how to perform them correctly.
Chest dips
To really target your pectoral muscles, use this technique:
- Grip the parallel bars with your hands about shoulder-width apart.
- Lean slightly forward as you lower yourself. This helps activate the chest muscles.
- Dip down until your elbows are bent at a 90° angle, or even a little lower, if that feels comfortable.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position, contracting your chest muscles as you go.
Triceps dips
You can shift the focus to your triceps by maintaining a more upright posture.
- Position yourself on the parallel bars as for chest dips.
- Keep your body upright as you lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90° angle.
- Push back up, focusing on squeezing your triceps at the top of the movement.
Bench dips
Bench dips are a good option if you don’t have access to parallel bars.
- Sit on the floor facing away from a bench. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the bench behind you, with your fingers pointing forward.
- Extend your legs out in front of you.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping your back close to the bench.
- Push back up to the starting position, using your triceps to lift you.
Ring dips
Ring dips are the most challenging type of dip, requiring gymnastic rings, a good deal of strength, and excellent stability.
If you’re attempting ring dips, focus on controlled movements and maintaining stability throughout the exercise. If you’re not experienced with ring exercises, it’s a good idea to work with a trainer who can help you avoid injury.
Why should you add dips to your workout?
Dips are one of the best bodyweight exercises you can do. Here’s why:
Muscle Growth and Strength
Dips are great for building muscle in your chest, triceps, and shoulders. Doing them regularly can boost your overall upper body strength.
Improved Tissue and Joint Health
Dips, when done correctly, can improve your joint mobility and strengthen the connective tissues around your joints. This can lead to healthier joints and a lower chance of getting hurt.
Convenience and Scalability
You don’t need a fancy gym to do dips. All you need are parallel bars, or even just two sturdy chairs. Plus, you can easily make them harder by adding weight, or easier by using an assisted dip machine.
Transferable Strength
The strength you build doing dips carries over to other exercises, like bench presses and shoulder presses. They’ll also boost your pushing power, which is great for athletic performance.
Advanced dip variations and progressions
Once you’ve mastered the basic dip, it’s time to mix things up a little. Here are some advanced variations to try.
Weighted dips
To make dips harder, add weight using a dip belt or by holding a dumbbell between your legs. Start with a lighter weight and gradually increase it as you get stronger.
Assisted dips
If you can’t quite do a dip on your own, try using an assisted dip machine to reduce the amount of bodyweight you’re lifting. This allows beginners to practice dips with proper form.
Bodyweight drop sets
This is an advanced technique for increasing workout intensity. Perform dips until you can’t do any more, then immediately switch to push-ups to further exhaust your muscles.
With a little creativity, you can easily adjust dips to match your current fitness level and keep challenging yourself as you get stronger.
Injury prevention and common mistakes
Dips are a fantastic exercise, but like any exercise, it’s important to perform them with good form to avoid injury. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Rounding your shoulders. Keep your shoulders back and your chest lifted to maintain correct form and avoid injury.
- Swinging your body. Don’t swing or use momentum to get through the movement. Instead, focus on controlled movements.
- Not going low enough. Lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle or even a little deeper if it feels comfortable. If you don’t go low enough, you won’t get the full benefit of the exercise.
Proper warm-up and cool-down
A good warm-up and cool-down can make a big difference in preventing injuries and helping your muscles recover.
- Warm-up. Do some light cardio and dynamic stretching to get your muscles ready. Exercises like push-ups and arm circles are great for this.
- Cool-down. After your workout, stretch your chest, triceps, and shoulders. Foam rolling can also help with recovery.
Listening to your body
This is probably the most important tip of all: Pay attention to your body. If you feel pain, stop. Don’t try to push through it. If you need to, modify the exercise or talk to a professional for advice.
Putting It All Together
Dips are a fantastic way to build serious upper body strength and muscle. They’re convenient, scalable to different fitness levels, and translate to real-world strength.
To get the most out of dips and avoid injury, focus on using good form, performing the movements in a controlled way, avoiding common mistakes, and listening to your body.
Try different dip variations and progressions to meet your fitness goals. With practice and determination, you can master dips and unlock your upper-body potential.