Dip

ChestBodyweightIntermediate

Bodyweight bench press, but harder. Builds chest, triceps and shoulders all in one.

Muscle worked

Chest, Triceps

Equipment

Bodyweight, Pull-up Bar

Difficulty

Intermediate

Time per set

20-40s

How to perform

Step by step, every rep

Support yourself

Grip parallel bars, press up to full lockout. Shoulders packed down, chest tall, core tight.

Lean forward

Lean your torso 15 to 30 degrees forward. More lean equals more chest. Straight up and down is more triceps.

Lower under control

Bend the elbows and lower until your shoulders are just below the elbows. Elbows stay tucked close to the body.

Feel the stretch

Pause a moment at the bottom. Chest open, shoulders don't shrug to the ears.

Press up

Drive back up through the palms. Squeeze the triceps and chest hard at the top. Lock out. Repeat.

Common mistakes

Avoid these

Going too deep too soon

Puts your shoulder joint in a very stressed position. Fix: Go only as deep as your shoulder feels solid. Build range over weeks, not in one session.

Shoulders shrugging up

Shoulder impingement waiting to happen. Fix: Pack shoulders down and keep them there. Long neck, chest tall.

Flaring elbows wide

Stresses the shoulder and takes tension off the triceps. Fix: Elbows stay close to the ribs, pointed back.

Swinging or kipping

Cheats the muscle and the joint takes the load. Fix: Strict reps. If you can't do a clean dip, build up with assisted or bench dips first.

Progressions

Scale it up or down

−

Make it easier

Bench dip with feet on the floor
Band assisted dip on parallel bars
Push up from knees to build triceps

Make it harder

Weighted dip with a belt and plate
Ring dip for added stability work
Tempo dip: 3 seconds down, 1 up

How to program it

Sets, reps, rest

Goal	Sets	Reps	Rest	Load
💪Build Strength	4-5	5-8	2 min	Weighted once 10+ strict is easy.
🏋️Build Muscle	3-4	8-12	90s	Bodyweight or added weight.
🔥Build Endurance	3	Max reps	60s	Bodyweight, clean reps.

Want this exercise programmed into a full plan?

Learning the form is step one. Fitting it into a plan built around your body, your equipment, your schedule and your food is what actually changes things. Fuel your sessions with enough protein using the Indian Food Database.

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