Arms
Tricep Dips
A foundational bodyweight movement for building thick triceps and functional pressing power.
How to perform.
Follow the sequence — setup is half the lift.
Grasp the parallel bars and jump up to lock out your arms with your body suspended.
Draw your shoulders down and back by depressing the scapula to create a stable base.
Inhale and lower your body by bending the elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
Maintain a slight forward lean to protect the shoulder joints and engage the chest.
Exhale and push through your palms to extend the elbows back to the starting position.
Avoid locking out the elbows aggressively at the top to keep tension on the muscles.
Common mistakes.
Fix these first — they cost reps, kilos, and joints.
- Flaring the elbows out wide which increases stress on the shoulder capsule.
- Dropping too low past the point where shoulders lose stability.
- Using momentum or leg swinging to assist the upward phase.
- Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears during the descent.
Muscles worked.
The primary movers do the work; the stabilizers keep the path honest.