How to Perform Tricep Dips

Triceps are usually neglected and are often not worked in the correct way. Whether you are a looking to gain muscle strength or are just looking to tone up, it’s very important to work these muscles as well as the biceps. Triceps also help to stabilize the shoulder joint, they are actually attached to the scapulae (shoulder blades) and therefore this adds to the importance of training this muscle group. Tricep dips are a great exercise, as they are specifically targeting that muscle group, you can also perform them anywhere and you do not necessarily be in a gym environment. Other exercises you can do to build up your triceps include skull crushers, press-downs, overhead extensions and kick-backs.

How to Perform Tricep Dips

In this article, we are going to look at chair dips because these are a fantastic exercise, which you can do easily in the comfort of your home. All you need is a sturdy chair that can easily take your weight.

Start by standing in front of the chair but facing away from it. Sit down onto the edge of the chair and place your hands behind you. Your hands should be behind your hips, palms facing downwards and roughly shoulder-width apart.
Keeps your hands tightly gripped to the edge of the seat and slowly move your body forward off the chair. Walk your feet forward, making sure your knees don’t bend past your toes.

This is your starting position.

From here, all you need to do is dip downwards, hence the name of the exercise! Make sure your elbows are always at 90 degrees or more as you lower your body downwards and keep your head and chest up at all times.

With a similar, controlled motion, extend your arms to lift your body upwards but do not lock the elbow. Repeat the exercise 8 times to start and increase this number once you feel more confident. These dips are a fantastic way to tone and strengthen your triceps!

Interesting fact: Your triceps are typically twice as large as your biceps, so make sure you don’t neglect this vital muscle group!