Bodyweight Blast: Dips

Posted March 24, 2008 at 12:00 PM by Donnell Peavy

Section: His Fitness, Strength Training, His Health, Physical Health, Lifestyle Health

Dips are a great way to develop the triceps. However, unbeknownst to some people, dips also work the chest and shoulders. Begin by grasping two parallel bars that are about shoulder width apart. Raise yourself onto the bars; arms fully extended supporting your weight. Lower your body until your arm is at an angle of approximately 90 degrees, and then push yourself back to the starting position. The elbows should be as close to the body as possible and you should keep your body vertical throughout the movement.

To emphasize the shoulders and chest, lean your body forward on the descent, and allow your arms to bend slightly more than 90 degrees. You should feel a light stretch in your shoulders before returning to the starting position. Your body should be leaning forward at all times.

When you are ready to add to the intensity, you can strap on a weight belt and perform weighted dips. These are done in the same manner, but you will have more resistance as you will have the weights you attach to the belt.

Not all beginners can support their own weight initially. There is an alternative for people in that category, however – bench dips. Bench dips allow the beginner to perform dips with less than their bodyweight until they are strong enough to support it. To do a bench dip, all you need are two benches. Place your hands on one, and your feet on the other. With your legs supported by the bench, the amount of weight supported by the triceps will be greatly lessened. Continue to perform these until you are able to support your own weight. You can also do a weighted version of this exercise by placing a weight plate in your lap.

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