How to do dips
Dips train...
Dips train almost the same muscles that push-ups train – chest, triceps and front deltoids. But instead of pushing arms perpendicularly away from the body your arms are parallel to your body and you push them down.
Basic guidelines
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Exhale on your way up, Inhale on your way down. Like with any exercise you have to exhale when performing the hardest part of an exercise. It’s easier that way and if you hold your breathe your muscles won’t receive the oxygen they need and you will get tired faster.
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Keep your shoulders straight. Don’t let them roll forward. Also maintain a good pose, don’t let your lower body swing back and fourth. You can choose to keep your legs completely straight or bend them.
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Use full range of motion. Straighten your arms when going up, but try not to lock your elbows. Bend your arms until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
Dips for beginners
If you’re a newbie you probably can’t do even a single repetition of a traditional tricep dip. You need to start with easier dip variations where your feet are on the ground.
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Traditional chair dip Sit on a chair and grab the front edge with both hands. Then lift your buttocks up and straighten your body while placing legs in front of you. This is the starting position. Your arms, legs and body should be straight. The further your legs will be placed the harder this exercise will be.
Slowly bend your arms and lower yourself down until upper arms are parallel to the ground and your buttock almost touches the ground. Pause and slowly bring yourself up to the starting position. If you can’t go all the way down don’t panic. It’s ok. Go as low as you can. Your strength level will increase with time.
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Read more about chair dip exercises.
Regular dip
To perform a full bodyweight dip you will need a set of parallel bars. If you have no access to parallel bars you can use two tables or other elevated surfaces. Be careful though. Tables and chairs can break and you can injure yourself. I suggest you to find a proper set of parallel bars or other suitable equipment like gymnastic rings or TRX suspension training equipment. Start this exercise by stepping between the parallel bars. Grab the bars with your hands and lift yourself up. This is the starting position. Your arms and body should be straight.
Start the dip by bending your arms and lowering your body. Bend your arms till a 90 degree angle forms between your forearm and upper arm. In this position your upper arms should be approximately parallel to the ground. Don't go any lower. Slowly lift your body up till your arms are slightly bent. Then repeat. It's essential not to lock your elbows between repetitions. The muscles you are exercising should be strained all the time during the exercise. If you lock your elbows you give the muscles a time to rest.
Advanced dips
As with all bodyweight exercises there are many dip variations. When you have reached a level where chair dips and regular dips aren’t challenging anymore you should start doing advanced dips.
To make dips harder you can use a pair of gymnastic rings. This variation will also incorporate side deltoids because it will be a lot harder to maintain balance and keep arms in the same place. If your aim is to do a muscle-up (an exercise that basically consists of two parts - a regular pull-up and a dip) you can do dips on a pull up bar. Your arms won’t be at your sides but in front of you. To make regular dips harder you can do them while wearing a weight vest or any other type of additional weights.
Dip mistakes
Going too fast. When exercising you should do slow and controlled movements. When going too fast you sacrifice technique and increase the risk of getting injuries
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Going too low. Take care of your shoulders. Don’t go all the way down. Stop when your upper arms are parallel to the ground. Otherwise you risk getting an injury.
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Decreasing the range of motion. Don't slack. If you have no shoulder problems and you are strong enough there is no reason why you should cut back on the range of motion. Just don't go too low.
