How to do the Triceps Dip
TricepsBodyweightIntermediate
The triceps dip is one of the most effective bodyweight movements for building thick, powerful upper arms and pressing strength that transfers across disciplines. Master your own bodyweight here and you build a foundation that elevates every push you will ever do.
Add this to my personalized plan →Muscles worked
Primary
Triceps
Secondary
Front deltsChest
Step-by-step
- Grip the bars firmly, arms locked out, shoulders depressed away from your ears before you begin the descent.
- Lower yourself by bending the elbows straight back, keeping your torso upright and elbows tracking close to your sides.
- Descend until your upper arms are parallel to the floor, no deeper, to protect the shoulder joint under load.
- Drive through the palms to press back to full lockout, squeezing the triceps hard at the top of every rep.
Common mistakes
- Flaring the elbows wide shifts stress onto the shoulders and off the triceps, so consciously pin your elbows in toward your ribs throughout the entire movement.
- Leaning too far forward turns the dip into a chest exercise and strains the anterior shoulder, so keep your torso as vertical as possible with your chin tucked.
- Dropping below parallel with loaded shoulders invites injury over time, so use controlled range and stop when the upper arm reaches the floor-parallel position.
Pro tip — At the top of each rep, actively protract your shoulder blades slightly forward after locking out the elbows, this final push engages the long head of the triceps through its full range and adds meaningful size stimulus most lifters leave on the table.
Sets & reps by goal
Build muscle3–4 sets × 10–15 reps
Get stronger3–4 sets × 6–8 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 12–20 reps
Rest: 60–90 sec between sets.
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