Exercises / Chest Dip

Chest Dip

Also known as: Parallel-bar dip, Bar dip, Dip

A parallel-bar dip with a slight forward lean so the chest takes the load. You lower until the shoulders are below the elbows, then press up.

Primary muscles
Chest (pectoralis major)
Secondary muscles
Shoulders (anterior deltoid), Triceps (triceps brachii)
Equipment
Bodyweight (parallel bars; optional dip belt)
Pattern
Vertical Push
Difficulty
Intermediate
Line diagram of a Chest Dip.
Diagram: Fytniz. License: original-placeholder (Fytniz).

Stills

Outdoor parallel-bar dip at the bottom/mid-range with a forward lean.
Dips.jpg by soh32's, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA (share-alike). Source.

Cues

  1. Support yourself on parallel bars with the arms straight and the shoulders down away from the ears.
  2. Lean the torso slightly forward and bend the elbows to lower until the upper arms are about parallel to the floor.
  3. Keep the shoulder blades set; do not dive into a deep shrug at the bottom.
  4. Press back up until the elbows finish straight without snapping the lockout.
  5. If a full-range dip is not available, stop above the range you can control or use a foot-assisted variation rather than bouncing.

Common mistakes

  • Diving so deep the shoulders roll forward under the bars.
  • Staying fully upright and cutting the lean so the lift stays a short triceps dip without chest travel.
  • Kipping the legs to bounce out of the bottom.

Safety

  • Do not dump the shoulders into a deep hang if you cannot control the bottom.
  • Stop if you feel sharp pain in the front of the shoulder.