We like to take a holistic look at health and fitness here on Coach, providing advice on staying both physically and mentally fit, as well as recipes and all the info you need to eat well. However, sometimes it’s not about looking at the bigger picture. Sometimes it’s all about getting massive, sleeve-splitting upper arms, and to do that you need to start training your triceps.
People tend to focus on their biceps when bulking up their guns, but the triceps are a bigger muscle group than their glamorous, front-of-arm counterparts, so if your aim is impressive size then neglecting them is pure folly.
The triceps are so called because they are made up of three heads – the lateral head, the medial head, and the long head – all of which need to be worked to increase strength and size in your upper arms. Fortunately you can work all three heads at the same time if you pick the right exercise, and the triceps dip is that exercise.
Read on for the full guide to this classic bodyweight exercise, including several variations to increase the challenge once you’ve mastered the basic version.
How To Do Triceps Dips
Wherever and however you dip, the key is arm position. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart on the surface you are dipping from, with your arms straight. From there you dip down until your arms are at a 90-degree angle, then straighten them out again, raising your body. Three sets of eight to ten dips, perhaps pushing the third set until you physically can dip no more, should leave your upper arms in tatters for a day or two.
At the gym you can do dips that support your whole body on parallel bars, but you can also use a bench or chair to dip anywhere with your feet on the floor. Just make sure whatever surface is involved can take your body weight, and it’s probably wise not to opt for a chair on wheels…
Triceps Dips Form Tips
1. Chest up
Once in position with your hands holding the rails or rings, squeeze your core and glutes then raise your chin and chest to keep your body tight. From there, start the move by bending your elbows.
2. Slow it down
To expose your triceps to as much time under tension as possible – a key stimulus for adding new muscle tissue – lower your body as slowly as you can. Aim for two seconds at first, building up over time to four seconds. Get as low as you can without stressing your shoulders.
3. Press up power
Pause at the bottom for a one or two count, then press back up powerfully, ensuring you keep your core and glutes tight to prevent your legs swinging. Don’t fully lock out your arms at the top; keeping a slight bend in your elbows at the top forces your triceps to work far harder.
3 Ways To Do More Dips
1. Bring friends
In a new study from Edge Hill University, test subjects reported that having just two onlookers helped volunteers squeeze out more reps with lower perceived effort during a chest workout.
2. Grip and rip
“If you feel like you’re about to hit failure, squeeze the bars hard,” says strength and conditioning coach Joel Dowey. “You’ll fire up the surrounding musculature through an effect called irradiation – and should be able to crank out a couple of extra reps.”
3. Brace yourself
“Cross your legs, or squeeze your feet together,” says Dowey. “By ‘bracing’, you’ll make your entire body more rigid, enabling you to force out more reps than you’d manage if you were just flopping around.” Bonus: it also works on pull-ups.
Triceps Dips Variations
From beginner to expert, dips are versatile enough to include in anyone’s workout. Pick your weapon of choice from these dips, starting with the easiest version.
1. Bench dip with knees bent
How Place your hands on a bench or box behind you with your feet together and flat on the floor with knees bent. Lower slowly as far as you can, then press back up powerfully.
Why This is a beginner-friendly move because the amount of your own bodyweight that you have to lift is reduced by the position of your legs.
2. Bench dip with legs straight
How Place your hands on a bench or box behind you with your feet together, legs straight and heels on the floor. Lower slowly as far as you can, then press back up powerfully.
Why While still a beginner-friendly move, this variation is slightly tougher because you have to lift and lower a higher proportion of your own bodyweight.
3. Bench dip with legs raised
How Place your hands on a bench or box behind you with your feet together on a slightly lower bench or box with knees bent. Lower slowly as far as you can, then press back up powerfully.
Why Having your feet elevated increases the amount of bodyweight you have to lift and lower, making this a more challenging variation.
4. Parallel bars dip
How Grasp parallel bars using an overhand grip and raise your body until your arms are straight. Keeping your chest up and your core engaged, lower slowly as far as you can, then press back up powerfully.
Why This is the classic triceps dip and mastering it will help you add size and strength to the backs of your upper arms. Always warm up your triceps as well as your elbow and shoulder joints before doing this move.
5. Parallel bars dip with weights
How Attach weights to a weight belt and grasp parallel bars using an overhand grip, then raise your body until your arms are straight. Keeping your chest up and your core engaged, lower slowly as far as you can then press back up powerfully.
Why Once you can comfortably manage three sets of ten parallel bars dips, sticking to a slow and controlled tempo, you may want to consider adding extra resistance to your reps in the form of a weight plate. This will challenge your muscles far more, but start out with a small plate – 2.5kg to 5kg – and build up the extra resistance slowly so your muscles and joints have time to adjust.
