Triceps Dip
Triceps Dip is the middle rung where progress speeds up and fits late in an arms workout.
How to do Triceps Dip
- To get into the starting position, hold your body at arm's length with your arms nearly locked above the bars.
- Now, inhale and slowly lower yourself downward. Your torso should remain upright and your elbows should stay close to your body. This helps to better focus on tricep involvement. Lower yourself until there is a 90 degree angle formed between the upper arm and forearm.
- Then, exhale and push your torso back up using your triceps to bring your body back to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Triceps Dip Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
4 sets of 6-8 reps at your hardest clean leverage, resting 2-3 minutes. Hold the end position for a beat once reps come easily.
Hypertrophy
4 sets of 12-18 reps with 60 seconds of rest. Add reps first, then slow the lowering phase.
Endurance
3 sets of 25-30 reps with 30-45 seconds of rest. Change leverage or elevation before you add load.
Common Triceps Dip Mistakes
Adding reps forever instead of making the movement harder
Change leverage, elevation, or tempo once you clear your rep range.
Slamming into lockout and jarring the elbow
Finish firm but stop just short of a hard snap at the top.
Easier and Harder Than Triceps Dip
Swap Triceps Dip For
Triceps Dip — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Triceps Dip?
To get into the starting position, hold your body at arm's length with your arms nearly locked above the bars. Now, inhale and slowly lower yourself downward. Your torso should remain upright and your elbows should stay close to your body. This helps to better focus on tricep involvement. Lower yourself until there is a 90 degree angle formed between the upper arm and forearm. Then, exhale and push your torso back up using your triceps to bring your body back to the starting position. 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 Triceps Dip work?
The Triceps Dip 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 Triceps Dip should I do?
For muscle growth: 4 sets of 12-18 reps with 60 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 Triceps Dip good for beginners?
It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic arms patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.
What can I do instead of the Triceps Dip?
Try the Cable Triceps Pushdown (v-bar), EZ-Bar Skullcrusher or the Close-Grip Bench Press. Each trains the triceps with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
