Impossible Dips
Also known as: impossible dip
Chasing elbow strength that finishes presses? Impossible Dips uses pure bodyweight leverage to get there.
How to do Impossible Dips
- Position yourself between two parallel bars with your arms fully extended and your body suspended in the air.
- Bend your knees and cross your ankles.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
- Pause for a moment, then push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Impossible Dips Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
3 sets of 6-8 hard reps with 2 minutes of rest. Change leverage or elevation before you add load.
Hypertrophy
3 sets of 10-15 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Hold the end position for a beat once reps come easily.
Endurance
2-3 sets of 20-25 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Add reps first, then slow the lowering phase.
Common Impossible Dips Mistakes
Shortening the range as soon as the set gets hard
End the set on the last full-range rep instead of grinding out halves.
Cutting the stretch short at the bottom of the rep
Let the elbow bend fully so the long head actually gets loaded.
Skipping warm-up sets and starting at working weight
Run two light build-up sets so the first hard set is not the first rep.
Easier and Harder Than Impossible Dips
Swap Impossible Dips For
Impossible Dips — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Impossible Dips?
Position yourself between two parallel bars with your arms fully extended and your body suspended in the air. Bend your knees and cross your ankles. Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the ground. Use your bodyweight only and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Impossible Dips work?
The Impossible Dips primarily targets the triceps. It is classified as a arms exercise and is performed with your bodyweight only.
How many sets and reps of the Impossible Dips should I do?
For muscle growth: 3 sets of 10-15 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Hold the end position for a beat once reps come easily. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Impossible Dips good for beginners?
Yes. The Impossible Dips is a beginner-level movement, so it is a reasonable place to start. Keep the load light enough that you can control every rep and stop 2-3 reps short of failure while you learn the pattern.
What can I do instead of the Impossible Dips?
Try the Dumbbell Lying Extension (across Face), Band Close-grip Push-up or the Cable Two Arm Tricep Kickback. Each trains the triceps with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
Is the Impossible Dips the same as the impossible dip?
Yes. The Impossible Dips is also commonly called the impossible dip. Different gyms and training programs label it differently, but "impossible dip" refer to this same movement.
