Tricep Dip Overview
| Exercise: | Tricep Dip |
| Primary Muscle: | Triceps |
| Additional Muscle(s): | Chest, Lats, Upper Back, Deltoids |
| Type: | Push, Compound |
| Gear Needed: | Body Weight Only—Dip Station or any Parallel Bars |
What is a Tricep Dip?
The tricep dip exercise focuses mainly on working your tricep muscle. This exercise is a classic compound routine. Place a dumbbell between your feet or a weight plate on a dip belt for more resistance. Much like a push up or chin up, the tricep dip (and chest dip) are terrific body weight workouts that promote strength building and muscle growth. We really like body weight exercises because they drastically reduce the risk of injury with you supporting your body weight, rather than having a heavy bar or plates that could fall or force a joint to do more than it is prepared to do.
How to do a Tricep Dip:
- Place your body at an arm’s length with both arms almost locked above the bars. This will be the starting point.
- While breathing in, descend yourself in a downward position. Make sure your torso is upright and your elbows are close to your body. In doing so, it will assist in tricep involvement. Descend yourself until you have a 90 degree angle created between your upper arm and forearm.
- Now, breathe out and move your torso back upward by using your triceps to bring your body back to the original starting point.
- Do the preferred number of reps for this exercise.
Alternative: If you find yourself not able to perform this exercise, try using a dip assist machine if there is one available. This type of machine will help you push your body weight.
If no dip assist machine is available, use a spotter to hold your legs.
For an advance lifter, you can add more weight to the exercise by using a weight belt. This will allow the addition of weighted plates.