Dips: how to do them, chest vs triceps, and what to do instead

How to do the chest dip

Your bodyweight is the load, so two bars are all you need for hard chest and triceps sets. Once bodyweight reps get easy, a dip belt keeps the same movement progressing.

Swap for: Decline Push-Up, Close-Grip Push-Up, Bench Dip

Muscles the chest dip works

Dips train your lower chest, your triceps and the front of your shoulders together. The chest works hardest near the bottom, where it is stretched, and the triceps take over as your elbows straighten at the top. Leaning forward shifts the work toward your chest; an upright torso with elbows tucked shifts it toward your triceps.

Sets, reps and reps in reserve for the chest dip

Chest dip variations

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  Machine Chest Dip

  Pick this when you can't yet press your full bodyweight or want to add load in small steps without a belt.

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  Machine Triceps Dip

  Pick this when you want the triceps version seated and loaded from a stack, with nothing to balance.

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  Bench Dip

  Pick this at home or as a lighter triceps dip: hands on a bench behind you, bend your knees to make it easier or raise your feet to make it harder.

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  Floor Triceps Dip

  Pick this when you have no bench or bars at all and want a short-range triceps dip from the floor.

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Chest dip alternatives

No dip bars

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  Deep Push-Up

  Put your hands on blocks or dumbbells so your chest sinks below your hands, the closest floor match to the stretch at the bottom of a dip.

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  Close-Grip Push-Up

  Keep your hands under your shoulders and your elbows close when you want the triceps side of the dip with only the floor.

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  Push-Up

  Use this as the starting point when dips are still out of reach; raise your feet or add a backpack once you pass 20 reps.

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Barbell or dumbbells

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  Decline Barbell Bench Press

  Press on a decline bench when you want the dip's lower-chest angle with a load you can raise in small jumps.

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  Decline Dumbbell Press

  Take dumbbells to a decline bench when you want that angle with a deeper stretch at the bottom than a barbell allows.

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  Close-Grip Bench Press

  Use this when you want a heavy compound press for your triceps and chest that replaces upright dips.

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Cable or machine

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  High-to-Low Cable Fly

  Sweep the handles down and across your body when you want to train the lower chest without pressing your bodyweight.

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  Machine Decline Press

  Use this when you want the decline press path fixed by the machine so you can push hard sets close to failure.

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  Cable Triceps Pressdown

  Replace triceps dips with this when you want the triceps loaded hardest at lockout without moving your bodyweight.

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Chest dips vs tricep dips

Both are the same movement on the same bars; the angle of your torso decides which muscle does more. For chest dips, cross your ankles behind you, tip your chest forward about 30 degrees and let your elbows travel slightly out. For tricep dips, keep your body upright, legs under you, and your elbows pointing straight back.

If your goal is chest, lean and treat dips as a press. If you already press heavy for your chest, stay upright and count dips toward your triceps. Either way the depth is the same: upper arms about parallel to the floor.

Can't do a dip yet, or can do 20?

Below five clean reps, train the machine chest dip with a stack weight you can press for 8 or more, or loop a band under your knees on the bars and use a lighter band as your reps climb. You can also do slow negatives: jump to the top and take three to five seconds to lower.

Above 15 to 20 bodyweight reps, add weight with a dip belt or a dumbbell held between your feet, and go back down to 8 to 15 reps. Log the added weight so you can tell when it is time to add more.