Mastering Triceps Dips: Proper Form, Variations, and More

No upper body workout is complete without at least one triceps exercise. While overhead triceps extensions are one common option, triceps dips are another.

As with any exercise, using proper form is critical to keeping this movement safe. It also ensures that you target the desired muscle.

Before we get into what this form looks like and how to modify this exercise to make it easier or harder, it’s important to understand tricep anatomy.

Tricep Muscle Anatomy

The triceps is the muscle that runs down the back of the upper arm. Technically, it’s the triceps brachii but is usually just called the tricep or triceps for short.

The “tri” portion of the triceps name means three and “cep” comes from the Latin word meaning head. Thus, the triceps muscle has three heads:

• Long head

• Medial head

• Lateral head

These three heads work together to create movement in the elbow and shoulder joints. The elbow joint movement helps extend the forearm. The shoulder joint movement aids in arm extension and adduction.

Why Do Triceps Dips?

Toning the triceps muscles can help improve the appearance of the back of the upper arm. This can increase your confidence when wearing clothing that reveals this area, such as a sleeveless shirt or dress. A toned tricep can also reduce underarm jiggle when waving or otherwise moving your upper arm.

Physiologically, if you work your biceps, you should also work your triceps. This helps prevent a muscle imbalance in your arm. It also assists with injury prevention since your triceps are better able to withstand the tension that occurs when performing biceps exercises such as the bicep curl.

Doing the tricep dip exercise may hold special benefits for athletes. Research indicates that, although rare, triceps tendon ruptures can cause “profound disability” in athletes when left untreated. (Other studies report that it’s easy to miss a ruptured triceps tendon, delaying treatment.)

Even when treated, surgery is typically preferred for a rupture injury. This can mean several weeks—if not months—away from your sport of choice. Strengthening the tricep can help prevent a tear, avoiding both of these situations.

Building strength in the triceps also serves a functional purpose. This strength can make it easier to move heavier bags of groceries, for instance, or to throw a ball to your kids or grandkids. With strong tricep muscles, you may even be able to wiggle the chew toy away from your dog!

Another benefit is, as a bodyweight exercise, you can do triceps dips almost anywhere. As long as you have access to a step, chair, or sturdy elevated platform, that’s all you need. Your body weight will do the rest.

Mastering Proper Triceps Dip Form

When performing this exercise in the gym, you will generally use a weight bench (which is why it is sometimes called a bench dip). Though, if the facility’s bench is already occupied, you can also perform the movement using a step or even a stair.

To begin, sit on the bench and place your hands next to your hips, gripping the front of the bench. Your feet are shoulder-width apart, your back is straight, and your shoulder blades are pulled back and down. Tighten the abdominal muscles so they can help support the core. Next, follow these steps:

• Push against your palms to lift your buttocks off the chair slightly, then move your buttocks forward so they are no longer above the bench.

• Lower your upper body and torso toward the ground, stopping once each elbow is bent around 90 degrees.

• Push back against the palms to lift the upper body and torso back up, stopping just before your elbows are locked out.

• Repeat this movement until you’ve performed your desired number of reps and sets.

Common Triceps Dip Mistakes

Admittedly, this exercise isn’t as complex as other strength training movements. However, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t prone to a few mistakes.

For instance, it’s not uncommon for people to not pull the shoulder back and down. Instead, they hunch the shoulders around the ears, which can create tension in this area. This can lead to pain and discomfort in your neck.

Another common mistake when doing a tricep dip is to take the body too close to the ground. Not only does this place stress on the elbow, but on the shoulder muscles and joint too. One way to avoid this is to stop once your thighs are parallel to the floor.

While it may be tempting to lock your elbows at the top of this movement, the goal is to keep them slightly bent instead. This keeps the tension of this exercise where it belongs: on your tricep muscle.

Triceps Dips Variations and Modifications

This tricep exercise can be modified to better suit your client’s fitness level or to address any movement limitations they may have. Here are a few options that can make this move easier:

• Do a chair dip. This modification is helpful for someone who is chair-bound or doesn’t have the tricep strength needed to perform the exercise with good form. Additionally, it’s also an option if they don’t have access to a stair or exercise bench, such as when working out at home.

• Do a partial chair dip. If full chair dips are too difficult, the range of motion can be reduced to make it even easier. This requires using a chair with sturdy armrests and lifting the body without sliding the butt out in front of the chair.

There are also a few things you can do to make this move a bit harder for clients who want a more intense workout:

• Place a dumbbell or weight plate in your lap. Adding weight increases the strength your triceps need to power through the movement. Whether you use a dumbbell or other type of weight, start light and move up from there. Trying to progress too quickly can increase your risk of injury to the shoulder area.

• Lift one leg during the dip. Another option is to lift one leg while doing the tricep dip. This forces your core to work a little harder since your body is off balance.

• Do triceps dips on parallel bars. Some gyms have machines with parallel bars, allowing you to dip your entire body weight since your feet are lifted off the ground. Just grab the dip bar and lower your body until your elbows are at 90 degrees before raising it again.

• Do ring dips. If you have access to gymnastic rings, you can also do a tricep dip on them. This variation does require a lot of shoulder muscle and tricep strength to keep good form. So, it should only be attempted if there is a more advanced level of strength in these muscle groups.

Maximizing Your Triceps Workout

If you plan to work the biceps on the same day as your triceps, work your triceps first. Alternatively, you could work biceps one day and triceps the next. This ensures that each muscle group has the strength needed to get through the workout.

Also, don’t forget to take the time to recover between triceps training sessions. If you work these muscles without giving them time to heal and repair, injury can result. What are the best recovery methods and techniques?

Find the answer to this question in ISSA’s Exercise Recovery Specialist certification program. This course teaches you how to help your clients best recover from high-intensity exercise. Earning this certification also sets you apart from other trainers. It says that you know how to help your clients excel both during and after the training session.