Top 10 Dips Exercises

With all of us becoming more and more health-conscious, regular exercise along with a well-balanced diet has become the priority for many! Amidst all the various types of exercises and workout routines, dip exercises are quite challenging and effective as well! Dips are a versatile exercise that targets multiple muscle groups, making them a valuable addition to any workout routine. You can significantly strengthen your triceps, chest, and shoulders, improving upper body strength and muscle tone, by performing dips regularly. They may not look like fun, but when done regularly can give you amazing results! There are many ways and variations of dip exercises such as triceps dips, chest dips, bodyweight dips, and assisted dips. These may or may not involve dip machines. You can choose from the many dip variations based on the place, convenience, and personal preference! If you reach a certain level of comfort with one particular type, you can either increase the number of reps or move on to a more advanced variation! You can keep challenging and motivating yourself to do more that way! So those of you who are looking to up your workout game, continue to read about the following types of dips exercise!

Workout Blueprint: Dip Exercises

• Frequency: 1-2 times per week
• Benefits: Build upper body muscles and improve stamina.
• Equipment Needed: Bench, parallel bars, gymnastic rings, dipping belt, barbell.
• Space Required: Large area
• Assistance Required: Yes, for certain exercises.
• Who Should Avoid: Anyone with shoulder or elbow injuries and anyone who has undergone surgery recently.

Top 10 Dips Exercises

1. Bench Dips:

Stand with your back facing the bench and hold it on the edge. Rest your heel on the ground or put your legs on another bench of the same height (this is more complicated) and then use your arm strength to lift yourself up. This is a great shoulder and tricep workout for women.

Quick Tip

It is crucial that you do not dip down too low because doing so puts undue strain on the shoulder joints.

2. Parallel Bar Dips:

Stand between a pair of parallel bars and hold them. Put your entire body weight on your hands and lift yourself up until your hands are completely straight and then lower your body till your arms form 90 degrees. These kinds of bodyweight exercises remarkably help in strengthening the chest and triceps and broadening the shoulders.

3. Straight Bar Dips:

It is more difficult than the parallel bars and has more benefits as well. Place your hands on one bar which comes relatively above your chest and raise yourself up till your hands are completely stretched. These chest dips also work on your triceps and give you a widened upper back.

4. Korean Dips:

This is a variation to the straight bar dip in which the bars are behind your back. It’s more challenging than the straight bars and requires full-body strength. In this exercise, you also work on your lower back, abs, and glutes to prevent yourself from swinging. This is definitely the toughest dip exercise listed here.

5. Plyometric Dips:

This is a variation that can be added to any dip being performed. If you take the bench dips for example, then while pushing yourself up, you just move vigorously and lift your hands and legs up, and return back to the same position. This helps your triceps muscles to achieve power and stamina.

6. Ring Dips:

In this, you lift yourself up with your hands placed firmly on rings instead of a single bar. The rings make it extremely difficult to stabilize and thus more effort is needed. It works up the whole body but especially the arms, shoulder, and abdomen.

Quick Tip

Before you begin, double-check that your ring setup is optimum for dips. Consider a few things, such as the height of your rings and the width of the ring straps.

7. Rucksack Weighted Dips:

You can also add weights to your dips. Wear a rucksack and add plates in it. By doing this the body weight increases and more pressure is put on the shoulders or triceps or chest. Thus they show better results.

8. Belt + Chain Weighted Dips:

This is the best way to do weighted dips. Wear a dipping belt and through the chain attach plates to it. This increases body weight from the center and works best for the chest and the abdomen.

9. Dumbbell Between The Legs:

This is another form of weighted dips in which a 10 – 15 kg dumbbell is held between the feet while doing dips. This makes it more difficult for the body to rise and thus gives better results.

10. V Bar Dips:

Here you have the freedom of varying the width of the grip and you can also change hand positions by facing them inwards or outwards. They also strengthen your upper body like all other dips.

A survey conducted by the CDC assessed the physical activity and fitness levels of adults aged 18 and above. It was found that 24.2% of adults met the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities while it was noticed that it declined with age in both men and women. Adults ages 18-34 had the highest percentage with 41.3% for men and 28.7% for women.

Michael Wittig, a fitness blogger, discusses his commitment to bodyweight exercises as a complement to weightlifting for muscle development. In one of his posts, he writes, “The body weight triceps exercises I find extremely effective are dips done on a chair/bench and extensions using a hip height table or stand (i).”

Remember, proper form is essential for effective and injury-free dips. Maintain a strong posture by keeping your shoulders retracted and down, engaging your core, and avoiding any swinging motions. This will help you target the right muscles, prevent strain on your shoulders, and maximize the benefits of this challenging exercise.

You should be mindful of common mistakes to avoid potential injuries and maximize the benefits of dip exercises. Learn more about them below:

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Here are some of the common mistakes you should watch out for while performing dips:

• Avoid dipping too low to prevent shoulder strain.
• Maintain proper form by keeping elbows close to the body to target the triceps.
• Warm up before starting to prevent injuries.
• Perform slow, controlled movements to maximize muscle engagement.
• Avoid overtraining and incorporate rest days for muscle recovery and growth.

Infographic: 3 Dips Exercises For A Toned Upper Body

If exercising till you drop is your fitness mantra and experimenting with different exercises is your forte, it’s time to introduce dips exercises to your gym workouts as well. These upper body exercises have gained new popularity and offer a lot of benefits, from targeting tricep muscles to toning the whole body. Check out the infographic below for the top 3 dips exercises and get that heartbeat racing.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

What workouts go with dips?

If you are doing a full-body strength fitness routine, you need to include exercises in your fitness training that target your legs, push muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps), pull muscles (back, biceps, grip), and your core. Dips cover your push muscles. You can do squats and deadlifts for legs, move to dips for push muscles, pull-ups for pull muscles, and end with planks for your core.

Are dips better than push-ups?

Dips and push-ups both are a part of resistance training, more precisely calisthenics, that target the same muscles but show varying results. Push-ups are great for people who want to maintain good overall fitness and endurance, building on all the push muscles. Dips and its variations are for people who want more sculpted results in their tricep area.

Are dips good for arm growth?

Dips are great arm workouts for people who want bulky, sculpted arms.

Transform your body in just 10 days! Learn how 10 dips a day can help you get the body you’ve always wanted. Click on the video below to learn more!

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