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Triceps dip

Variation of Dips

Also called upright dip, tricep dip.

What is a triceps dip?

A triceps dip is an upright parallel-bar dip performed with the elbows tracking back near the torso. The triceps straighten the elbows to raise the body, while the chest and front shoulders assist.

Two-frame side-view anatomical illustration of a man performing an upright bodyweight dip on parallel bars, with the triceps, chest and front shoulders highlighted.

How do you perform a triceps dip?

Set up

  1. Grip parallel bars around shoulder width and support yourself on straight arms with the shoulders above the hands.
  2. Keep the torso mostly upright, bend the knees if needed and brace the trunk before lowering.

Execution

  1. Bend the elbows back near your sides and lower under control while keeping the shoulders away from the ears.
  2. Stop at the deepest position your shoulders tolerate without rolling forward or losing control.
  3. Press the bars down to return to straight arms without swinging the legs.

Common mistakes

  • Turning it into a chest dip

    A large forward lean and flared elbows change the emphasis. Keep the torso more upright for the version taught here.

  • Dropping below a controllable depth

    Stop where the shoulders remain comfortable and the upper arms can reverse without a bounce.

  • Kicking through the press

    Brace the legs and trunk or use assistance so the arms perform the repetition.

Where it fits in a session

Use it as bodyweight pressing or as triceps-focused work after heavier presses.

Use assistance before shortening the range or kicking, and add external load only after controlled bodyweight sets.

Muscles worked

Front
Front — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.
Back
Back — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

Primary

Secondary

Select a muscle name to locate it.

Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

The upright, close-elbow version emphasizes elbow extension by the triceps while the chest and front shoulders assist the press.

Variations

  • Anatomical illustration of a dip on a padded dip station, shown as two frames side by side on white. On the left, the lifter is at the top of the rep: arms straight on the handles, torso upright, legs hanging with the ankles loosely crossed, and the chest and front of the shoulders shaded red. On the right, the same lifter is at the bottom of the rep seen from behind and to the side: the torso leans forward, the elbows are bent to roughly a right angle and travel back behind the body, the knees are bent, and the backs of the upper arms and the shoulders are shaded red. The rest of the body is drawn in grey muscle detail.
    Chest dipUses more forward torso lean and elbow flare to emphasize the chest.
  • Two rear three-quarter anatomical illustrations of a man using a counterweighted assisted-dip machine against a white background. In the left frame he kneels high on the black assistance pad with his arms straight and hands on the parallel handles. In the right frame the pad and his body are lower, his elbows are bent behind him and his upper arms are near horizontal. The machine frame, weight stack and knee pad are visible in both frames. Dark red shading covers the triceps, with lighter red across the sides of the chest and parts of the back and shoulders.
    Assisted dipUses a machine or band to support part of your bodyweight.
  • Anatomical illustration of a bent-knee bench dip at the top and bottom positions, with the triceps and front shoulder highlighted.
    Bench dipPlaces the hands behind the torso on a bench and is a different shoulder setup.
  • Anatomical illustration of a man pressing the handles down on a seated dip machine, with the triceps, chest and front shoulders highlighted.
    Machine dipUses a seated fixed-path press instead of supporting bodyweight on bars.

Frequently asked questions

What muscles do triceps dips work?

They primarily train the triceps, with the chest and anterior deltoids assisting the press.

What makes a dip a triceps dip?

The torso stays more upright and the elbows track back near the sides instead of flaring with a large forward lean.

How deep should you dip?

Lower only as far as the shoulders remain comfortable and controlled. Depth is limited by your joint position, not by a universal bar marker.

How can you make triceps dips easier?

Use an assisted-dip machine or a band while keeping the same upright torso and elbow path.

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