How To Do Dips Correctly For Beginners
The Exercise That Supersizes Your Triceps
On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I’m showing you how to do dips correctly for beginners, including exercise modifications so anyone can do it.
When it comes to building your triceps, I’m willing to bet a lot of you probably think some form of cable tricep pushdown is the best exercise.
Well, yes that is one way to train your triceps, but in my opinion, the #1 exercise to supersize your triceps are parallel bar dips.
Dips are the best exercise to build strong triceps.
Based on this, I want to focus in on this specific move, and show you a few beginner and advanced modifications.
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Let’s get started.
How To Do Dips Correctly For Beginners
Here are a few coaching cues on how to properly do dips.
Note: If your parallel bars are v-shaped, use a grip that is as narrow as possible.
- Grab the bars with your hands and hold up your body at arm’s length over top of the handles.
2. Slowly lower your body since the lowering portion of the lift is where the maximum muscle growth occurs.
3. The tricep is fully stretched when the bicep touches or almost touches your forearm. If going this low causes you shoulder pain, I want you to stop, and decrease the range of motion, so you stay within your flexibility zone.
4. Once you hit the bottom of the movement, initiate the press from your triceps, so you feel that muscle working.
5. Then extend the elbows to almost lockout, but not full lockout. You want to make sure you keep maximum tension on the tricep, so only go to approximately 99% lockout.
6. Try to stay as upright as possible to maintain maximum tension on the triceps, and not the chest. When you lean too far forward, this exercise becomes the chest dip, where the tension transfers to the chest.
7. Also try to keep your elbows in as close to the body as possible, and don’t let them flare out.
Beginner Modifications For Tricep Parallel Bar Dips
If you’re a beginner and can’t lift up your own bodyweight, I want you to try jumping up to the top portion of the lift.
Then slowly control the eccentric or the lowering of the lift.
This beginner dips modification is called jumping parallel bar dips.
Slowly lower yourself for 4 seconds or more, then jump back up and complete your reps this way.
Once again, the lowering of your body is where the most gains are made.
Don’t worry, you won’t look ridiculous doing this.
Trust me, you’ll look like a badass on a mission.
Once you build up the strength, you can start completing full bodyweight parallel bar dips by adding in the lifting portion of the lift, called the concentric.
It’ll take a little while, but trust me, this is how you build your strength gains.
Advanced Modifications For Tricep Parallel Bar Dips
If you’re wondering how much weight you should lift, bodyweight dips under strict control is a sufficient load for most people.
However, once this gets too easy, you can add more resistance by simply holding a dumbbell between your legs and complete weighted dumbbell parallel bar dips.
Once you get even stronger, you can add even more weight by adding a plate to a dip belt and complete weighted plate parallel bar dips.
Gain Muscle Without Adding Ugly Body Fat In 6 Weeks
I include parallel bar dips in my muscle building program called Live Lean MASS 2.0.
This program contains 4 unique different styles of training that will supersize your muscle building gains.
So if you’re looking to build more muscle, faster, you should check out this muscle building program right here.
Hopefully you enjoyed this style of video post.
Since I see so many people wasting their time doing the wrong types of exercises, I really want to highlight the types of exercises that will give you the most gains, in way less time.
If this video was helpful, show your support by clicking the social media buttons to share the videos to help me further my transformation 1,000,000 mission.
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Question Of The Day:
- Are parallel bar dips in your muscle building workout program?
- Do you follow the beginner or more advanced parallel bar dip modifications?
Share your experiences in the comment section below.
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Brad Gouthro is the founder of Live Lean TV, a media company focused on helping men and women “Live Lean” 365 days a year. Brad’s programs and content have helped millions of people all over the world learn how to get in shape, and more importantly, sustain it for life.
Dips
Dips
Dipps
tricep kickbacks
Hi brad you make great videos and i learned alot from you. Do you think for
a 13year old to lift weights? Also i play lots of soccer but.i want to have
big quads and calves what excersise can i do without weights. Brad your
great at making videos keep up with the great work. 🙂
Dips
I really like skull crushers!!
…triceps dips
brad should i take protein? im 14 yrs old
Overhead dumbell extensions
one/two arm tricep extension
Hey, Brad !
I’m killing the Afterburn program(on 9th week exactly). And the rusults are
huge – i become leaner, and program damn works!!
Which program do you recommend to follow after i’ll finish afterburn?
skull crusher
I love this type of video!
Dips
tricep bench press is the best for building bigger muscle
Skull crushers .. Over headed dumbell press one hand Or both hands
close grip bench press
Thanks for the modification! Triceps have been neglected
dips
Dips
Yes more videos like this n add more videos rest of week hehe
I have never seen my triceps grow that much until I incoporated close grip
bench press and dips.
dips
Dips 🙂
either diamond pushups or dips with elbows close to your bar
skull crushers
Close grip bench press
Try doing the dip then on the way up straight leg raise, then lower then
dip again, kills yr triceps and abs !! boooyaaaaa
Tricep pull downs on a cable?
DIPS!!! DIPS DRIPS TIPS AND MORE SIPS!
diamond push-ups
single arm tricep kick backs
Dips
What if you do not go to a gym or have a membership for one? How can one
modify at home?
Skull crushes
DIPS hands down the best
i feel it best with dumbbell tricep extension & the way you hold the
dumbbell makes a difference, play with it
cable triceps kick backs (kick backs with the cable with no handle)
Scull crushers or close grip bench
Planche knee tuck dip
…Upright Barbell Extensions
Skullcrushers FTW!
dips?
Tricep pushups or dips
I didn’t pause it but I was thinking close grip barbell press! I never used
to train arms! I mostly train for explosive power big compound movements
but I’ve started training my triceps once a week to help me out with my
pressing exercises and biceps to look good obviously what else r they for ;
)
Hey Brad. You Should Know Me As A Regular Follower by Now. Asking If It
Would Be Possible to Make A Vid With Greek Yogurt Recipes That Taste Good
Please. Thanks In Advance Man And Keep Up The Good Work.
tricep pushups with slow eccentric and explosive concentric?
Dips or tricep pull downs
Skull crushers (barbell)
Skullcrushers and Close grip bench(incline)
it has to be dips
Dips with weight on, super set it With diamond push ups.
dips with weight
Close grip bench presses
Should have added what you consider to be the best at home workout for
triceps for those of us who either don’t have access to a gym, or who just
don’t like the gym environment.
Dips
Dumbell overhead extentions
What exercise do you think is best to supersize your triceps?