Tricep Dip

How to perform the Tricep Dip

1. Grip the dip bars with a neutral grip, arms extended, and a slight forward lean; the torso angle determines triceps vs chest emphasis (more vertical = more triceps).
2. Set the shoulder blades down and back, brace the core, and cross or bend the legs to prevent swinging.
3. Lower yourself by bending the elbows and letting them track back along the torso (for triceps emphasis) or flare moderately (for chest emphasis).
4. Descend until the shoulders are roughly level with or slightly below the elbows; deeper than that loads the shoulder capsule heavily without adding triceps stimulus.
5. Press back up by extending the elbows, finishing with the arms fully extended but the shoulders still depressed (not shrugging up into the bars).
6. If bodyweight is too easy, add load with a dip belt; if it is too hard, use a band or assisted dip machine before allowing form breakdown.

Suggested working range: 8–15 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Common mistakes

• •Letting the shoulders shrug up to the ears at the bottom of each rep instead of keeping the shoulder blades down and back.
• •Descending well past the point where the shoulders drop below the elbows, which loads the joint capsule rather than the muscle.
• •Bouncing out of the bottom by piking the hips forward instead of pressing back up under control.
• •Adding load before the bodyweight version is clean — extra plates magnify any technical breakdown.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in a related movement if equipment, recovery, or progression demands it.