Chest Dip

1. Grip parallel bars roughly shoulder width apart and press up to a straight-arm support position.
2. Lean your torso forward 20 to 30 degrees, tuck your chin slightly, and bend your knees behind you.
3. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your upper arms are about parallel to the bars, feeling a stretch across the chest.
4. Keep the descent controlled and inhale on the way down.
5. Press back up by driving your hands into the bars, maintaining the forward lean so the chest keeps working.
6. Lock the elbows at the top without letting your shoulders shrug toward your ears.
7. If bodyweight is too hard, use a band looped over the bars under your knees, or the assisted dip machine.

Common Mistakes

• Staying bolt upright: a vertical torso turns the dip into a triceps exercise; the forward lean is what makes it a chest movement.
• Sinking too deep: dropping until the shoulders are far below the elbows overloads the shoulder capsule, especially with added weight.
• Kipping or bouncing: swinging the legs to rebound out of the bottom removes chest tension and is the fastest way to irritate the sternum and shoulders.
• Adding a dip belt too early: load only after you own 10 to 12 strict bodyweight reps with a full, pain-free range.

Programming Tips

Dips build chest and tricep size well in the 6 to 12 rep range for 3 to 4 sets; once you can do 12 or more strict reps with just bodyweight, add load with a dip belt and drop back into a lower rep range. Lean your torso forward and let your elbows flare slightly to bias the chest, and keep the depth to where your shoulders feel a stretch, not pain, at the bottom. Progress by adding a rep before adding weight, and use a band or assisted machine if you can't yet complete 5 to 6 clean reps unassisted. Place dips on push day after your main pressing movement, since the shoulder joint is already warm and the finishing pump suits a bodyweight movement well.

Common Questions

How do I bias my chest instead of my triceps? Lean your torso forward and let your elbows drift out to the sides as you descend; staying upright with elbows tucked shifts almost all the work onto the triceps.

Is it normal for my shoulders to feel tight at the bottom? A mild stretch is expected, but sharp pain means you're going too deep for your current shoulder mobility; stop a few inches higher until that improves.

Should I add weight or just do more reps? Once you're past 12 to 15 clean bodyweight reps, added weight builds strength faster than chasing higher rep counts on an already-easy movement.