No Arm Workout is Complete Without Tricep Dips. Here's How to Get the Most from Them

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in sight.

, meaning that this bodyweight staple is crucial to building T-shirt-straining muscles.

and improve your pressing strength.'

to try. Follow our advice and we'll have you grinding out reps in no time.

The Benefits of Tricep Dips

too.

station, but if you're stuck at home with none of the above, two sturdy chairs will do the job just as well.

to the dip station or gymnastic rings, or you can just use a chair to support your lower-body.

Should You Lean Forward or Back for Dips?

Did you know you can tweak the exercise to slightly adjust which muscles you're working.

keep upright with elbows tucked in.

: lean forward and let your elbows flare out slightly.

arm exercises.

How to Do Tricep Dips

Here's how to nail it:

1. Grab your bars with your palms facing inward and your arms straight.
2. Slowly lower until your elbows are at right angles, ensuring they stay tucked against your body and don't flare out.
3. Drive yourself back up to the top and repeat.

Best Tricep Dip Variations

Bench Dips

1. , wall or chair.
2. With your palms on the bench and knuckles pointed towards your feet, extend your legs in front of you.
3. Push upwards to the starting position, then slowly lower your body until your elbows are at right angles.
4. Keep your elbows as close to your body as possible and maintaining tension, hold for a second at the bottom of the movement.
5. Press down into the bench to straighten your elbows and return to the starting position.

Box Dips

1. With your hands on a box, support your weight with your arms.
2. Shift off the edge, lowering your body until you feel a stretch across your chest.
3. Push back up hard. Try a count of three down and one back up.

Ring Dips

1. With the gymnastic rings set shoulder-width apart, get a full grip on the rings with your palms facing inwards.
2. Start with your arms extended and push down into the rings to support your body.
3. should descend lower than your elbows and hands stay close to your body.
4. Reverse the movement to push yourself back up.

Tricep Dips: What's the Injury Risk?

Because it's a bodyweight movement, the risks associated with tricep dips are low. However, as Johnson explains, there are a couple of ways to make the exercise even safer.

and shoulder muscles into a weakened position,' Johnson explains.

'The main cue I would suggest is that everyone should focus on not 'bouncing' out of the bottom of the movement. Instead, think about getting to the bottom of the dip, hold for a millisecond, then consciously contract your muscles to lift you up out of that position.'

Tricep Dips: The Common Mistakes

If you want to get the most out of tricep dips make sure you avoid these common beginner mistakes.

Leaning Forward

As we mentioned before, leaning forward during dips makes the move chest dominant, which is great if you're working your chest, but not so good if you're looking to pump up your arms.

Dipping Too Low

You want to stay within a comfortable range when doing dips. That way, you won't be putting your pecs or more likely your shoulder muscles under any undue strain.

Locking Your Elbows

You're meant to be maximising your time under tension with dips. All locking your elbows at the top of the movement is going to do is release that tension, so don't do it.

High Shoulders

You don't want to be too hunched up and tight doing dips. Try to keep your shoulders down and stay relaxed.

How to Do Tricep Dips for Beginners

Everyone has to start somewhere and not having a complete set of dips — never mind several, solid sets — is completely normal. You'll need to start a regressed version of the movement to build strength for a full set of traditional tricep dips. Try these moves in your tricep dip programme:

Bench Dips

Bench dips, for example, are a safer and easier way of building strength to progress to tricep dips. You can do them by:

Positioning your hands shoulder-width apart on a weight bench, wall or chair. With your palms on the bench and knuckles pointed towards your feet, extend your legs in front of you. Push upwards to the starting position, then slowly lower your body until your elbows are at right angles. Keep your elbows as close to your body as possible and maintaining tension, hold for a second at the bottom of the movement. Press down into the bench to straighten your elbows and return to the starting position.

Floor Press

Floor press can help you build the prerequisite strength for tricep dips. You can do them by:

Lying flat on the floor with your knees bent and feet planted. Bring the dumbbells up above your chest with the arms straight and the palms facing away from you. Lower the dumbbells either side of your chest, at 45 degrees below your shoulders. Feel a stretch across your chest before pushing the dumbbells away from you, ready to repeat.

Decline Chest Press

The decline chest press mimics the angle of the tricep dip, making it a great chest and tricep builder for your tricep dips. You can do them by:

Adjusting a bench to a decline angle. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, shoulder-width apart and overhand grip. Lie back on the bench and extend your arms straight above you. Lower the weights slowly until they reach either side of your chest, then push the dumbbells back to starting position.

Banded Tricep Pressdown

The banded tricep pressdown will help build tricep strength for your tricep dips. Complete them by:

Looping a resistance band over a high anchor point, and grip the bottom half with both hands. Tuck your elbows close to your body and position your forearms parallel to the ground. Push the band directly downwards, keeping your elbows and upper arms pinned tight to your torso, squeeze your triceps hard as you straighten. Slowly control the band up until your forearms are parallel again.

Close Grip Press-Up

will target your triceps more than the traditional version, making it a suitable exercise to include in your tricep dip programme. You can do them by:

Beginning in the high plank position with your hands close together. Lower your chest towards the ground with your elbows tucked in close to your waist to work your triceps. Explosively push the floor away from you until your arms completely straighten.

Decline Press-Ups

Increasing the load (your bodyweight) on the target muscles like with decline press-ups will help you work towards tricep dips. Here's how to do them:

Hit a high plank position with your feet elevated on a bench, block or stack of plates. Keep your body in a straight line with your core and glutes engaged. Lower your chest to the floor with your elbows at a 45 degree angle. Push the floor away from you and straighten the arms, ready to repeat.

Assisted Dip Machine

of dips 'can be progressed fairly quickly over a 12-week training programme.'

Tricep Dips Workout

Below, Johnson has pieced together a four-part superset workout that's designed to smoke your triceps and build bigger arms ASAP. In each superset, you'll go from move A to move B without any rest, hitting the prescribed sets and reps.

1) Seated Dumbbell Curl into Duel Dumbbell Tricep Extension

4 sets of 12 – 15 reps

Dumbbell Curl

• Sit on a bench, hold two dumbbells at arms length and let them rest by your side.
• to curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders.
• Slowly lower them back down to your side and repeat.

Dumbbell Tricep Extension

• Sit on a bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand directly above your head.
• Slowly flex your elbows and lower the weights behind your head as you keep your upper arms still.
• Extend your arms and repeat.

2) Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curl Superset into a Bench Dip

4 sets of 12-15 reps

Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curl

• Sit on a chair or bench and hold two dumbbells down by your side.
• Keep your palms facing inwards and upper arms still, and flex your elbows to bring the dumbbells to shoulder height.
• Lower them back down and repeat.

• Stand facing away from a bench, grab it with both hands at shoulder-width.
• Extend your legs out in front of you.
• Slowly lower your body by flexing at the elbows until your arm at forearm create a 90 degree angle.
• Using your triceps, lift yourself back to the starting position.

3) Tricep Dips (Bodyweight or Weighted) Superset into EZ Bar Curl

4 Sets of 12- 15 Reps

Tricep Dips

• Grab the bars of a dip station with your palms facing inward and your arms straight.
• Slowly lower until your elbows are at right angles, ensuring they stay tucked against your body and don't flare out.
• Drive yourself back up to the top and repeat.

• , with palms facing away from you.
• As you breathe in, curl the bar until your hands are at your shoulders.
• Squeeze your bicep, then lower under control.

4. Tricep Rope Extensions Standing Superset into Cable Bicep Curl

4 Sets of 12 -15 Reps

Tricep Extension

• Attach a rope handle to the high pulley of a cable station.
• Keeping your elbows tucked in at your sides grab the handle.
• Tense your core and bring your hands down until your arms are fully extended, then return to the starting position. Only your forearms should move.
• Fight the urge to move your elbows or hips to make sure it's just your triceps shifting the weight.

Cable Bicep Curl

• Hold a cable bar with underhand grip, shoulder width apart.
• Use your biceps to flex your elbows and raise the bar to your shoulders.
• Lower it back down to your thighs and repeat.

Best Tricep Workouts

1. Add Inches to Your Arms With The 5/20 Method
2. 300-Rep Gruelling Tricep Gauntlet
3. 15-Minute Dumbbell Arm Workout
4. Supersize Your Biceps and Triceps with Just an Empty Barbell
5. How to Grow Bigger Arms with Just One Dumbbell in 12 Minutes
6. Build Serious Arm Size with This Standalone Triceps Workout
7. Smoke Your Chest and Arms With This 3-Move Finisher
8. Add Inches to Your Arms With The 5/20 Method
9. This Killer Arms Session Will Add Serious Size to Your Biceps and Triceps
10. Build Massive Arms In 30 Minutes With Just Your Bodyweight
11. Build a Stronger Chest and Supersize Your Arms with This Two Part Workout
12. Hit This 2-Move Arm Finisher for a Savage Pump
13. The 15-Minute, 3-Move Bodyweight Workout Will Stretch Your T-Shirt To The Limit
14. The Arm Workouts You Need to Build Bigger Biceps and Triceps