Korean Dips

Also known as: korean dip

Beginner

Pectorals

Body Weight

The point of Korean Dips is chest thickness through a full range; pure bodyweight leverage is how it gets there.

How to do Korean Dips

Position yourself between two parallel bars with your arms extended and supporting your body weight.
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.

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Korean Dips Sets and Reps by Goal

Strength

3 sets of 6-8 hard reps with 2 minutes of rest. Hold the end position for a beat once reps come easily.

Hypertrophy

3 sets of 10-15 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Add reps first, then slow the lowering phase.

Endurance

2-3 sets of 20-25 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Change leverage or elevation before you add load.

Common Korean Dips Mistakes

Adding reps forever instead of making the movement harder

Change leverage, elevation, or tempo once you clear your rep range.

Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides

Keep the upper arms nearer 45 degrees from the torso.

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 Korean Dips

Harder progression

Barbell Decline Pullover

Swap Korean Dips For

Lever Standing Chest Press

Dumbbell Decline Bench Press

Cable Lying Fly

Korean Dips — Frequently Asked Questions

How do you do the Korean Dips?

Position yourself between two parallel bars with your arms extended and supporting your body weight. 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. 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 Korean Dips work?

The Korean Dips primarily targets the pectorals. It is classified as a chest exercise and is performed with your bodyweight only.

How many sets and reps of the Korean Dips should I do?

For muscle growth: 3 sets of 10-15 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Add reps first, then slow the lowering phase. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.

Is the Korean Dips good for beginners?

Yes. The Korean 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 Korean Dips?

Try the Lever Standing Chest Press, Dumbbell Decline Bench Press or the Cable Lying Fly. Each trains the pectorals with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.

Is the Korean Dips the same as the korean dip?

Yes. The Korean Dips is also commonly called the korean dip. Different gyms and training programs label it differently, but "korean dip" refer to this same movement.