Dips are unbelievable for constructing sturdy, sleeve-stretching arms and have usually been known as squats for the higher physique. They hammer the triceps and problem your anterior delts and your chest. However let’s be trustworthy—not everybody can or ought to do dips and that’s why we’ve created an inventory of dip alternate options that also goal all of the muscular tissues a standard dip train hit.
In case you’ve ever felt a pointy twinge in your shoulders whereas performing dips, struggled to take care of good type, or don’t have entry to dip bars. Dips might be unforgiving on the shoulders and elbow joints; at occasions, they’ll do extra hurt than good.
The excellent news?
You don’t must sacrifice triceps positive aspects as a result of dips aren’t in your wheelhouse. Right here, we’ll break down what makes dips so efficient, what to search for in an ideal different, and 5 dip alternate options that can maintain your triceps rising—with out the pointless ache.
The Execs and Cons of Dips
Parallel bar dips are a traditional upper-body power transfer that concurrently challenges the triceps, chest, and shoulders. You’ll be able to construct severe urgent energy with simply your physique weight whereas bettering flex time.
Nonetheless, doing them pain-free is essential.
Whereas dips are nice for constructing muscle and power, in addition they put lots of stress on the shoulders, significantly on the backside of the motion. In case your type isn’t dialed in or you’ve got pre-existing joint points, dips can rapidly go from muscle-builder to ache maker. That’s why performing dips accurately or discovering another that also torches your triceps with out ache is essential.
How To Do Parallel Bars Dips
- Grip the parallel bars with a impartial grip and elevate your self, protecting your arms straight, shoulders down, and chest up.
- Lean barely ahead and decrease your physique till your higher arms are about parallel to the ground.
- Brace your core, maintain your elbows tucked, and keep away from letting your shoulders elevate.
- Drive via your palms, lengthen your elbows till lockout and reset, and repeat.
Standards for a Good Different To Dips
A stable different ought to problem the triceps whereas minimizing the stress in your shoulders and elbows. Right here’s what to bear in mind when selecting a dip alternate options:
Targets the Triceps: Dips are an elbow-extension train, that means any different should prioritize the triceps. For bonus factors, hitting the chest and anterior delts is unbelievable, too.
Mimic the Movement: Dips contain urgent your physique weight vertically, so a superb different ought to comply with the same motion sample—a vertical or horizontal press—to construct power that carries over to different urgent workouts.
It’s Joint-Pleasant: The largest disadvantage of dips is shoulder ache. A very good different ought to scale back pointless pressure whereas permitting you to load the triceps for positive aspects.
With that in thoughts, let’s discover 5 dip alternate options to maintain your triceps sturdy.
5 Dip Alternate options To Goal Triceps, Chest, and Shoulders
When dips aren’t an choice, these 5 workouts will nonetheless problem your triceps whereas protecting your shoulders blissful. Every one offers a powerful stimulus for muscle development by mimicking the dip motion sample or isolating the triceps in a joint-friendly method.
Unilateral Cable Dips
The unilateral cable dip is a unbelievable substitute to carry out the dip movement with out stressing your shoulders. This variation mimics the urgent movement of a dip whereas protecting it shoulder-friendly. The cable machine offers fixed stress, forcing your triceps to work via all the vary of movement whereas bettering power imbalances between sides.
Type Tip: Don’t rush the eccentric (decreasing) section. Management the eccentric with a 3-second contraction earlier than urgent again down.
Units & Reps: 3 units of 12-16 reps per arm.
Leaning Ahead Dips
Modifying the motion is usually a game-changer if common dips trouble your shoulders. Leaning your torso ahead will shift the emphasis to the chest whereas nonetheless partaking the triceps, usually decreasing shoulder discomfort.
Type Tip: Purpose for an higher arm angle slightly below parallel to get a full stretch of the chest.
Units & Reps: 2-4 units of 8-16 reps.
Cable Overhead Triceps Extension
Dips stretch the lengthy head—the biggest muscle of the three. The cable overhead triceps extension does the identical however with fixed stress and with out the shoulder pressure that always comes with dips. The one disadvantage of this variation is that there isn’t any chest or shoulder motion, which often means much less weight, however you may carry out extra reps.
Type Tip: Keep away from letting your elbows flare out or drift ahead excessively. Retaining them in place ensures your triceps are doing the work.
Units & Reps: 3–4 units of 15-20 reps.
Diamond Push-Up
Diamond push-ups are top-of-the-line body weight alternate options to dips as a result of they focus squarely on the triceps as a result of shut grip and restricted ROM. Plus, they reinforce core and lockout power that carries over to extra complicated urgent workouts.
Type Tip: Squeeze your glutes and brace your core like a plank to take care of a straight-line place from head to heels.
Units & Reps: 2-4 units of 8-15 reps (alter based mostly on power stage).
Dumbbell Squeeze Press
This transfer doesn’t simply work the triceps—it additionally strengthens the pecs and anterior delts whereas bettering urgent type. By squeezing the dumbbells collectively all through the train, you improve triceps involvement and simulate the close-grip movement of dips. The lowered ROM and further stress make this triceps variation extra shoulder-friendly.
Type Tip: Press the dumbbells in opposition to one another all through the set to maintain fixed stress on the triceps.
Units & Reps: 3-4 units of 10-15 reps.
Key Takeaways
- Dips are efficient, however they’re not for everybody. Many lifters want another that delivers outcomes, whether or not attributable to shoulder discomfort, lack of kit, or power limitations.
- The 5 different workouts present a powerful triceps stimulus whereas being extra joint-friendly.
- Small tweaks, like slowing the eccentric, protecting your elbows tucked in, and sustaining core bracing, will allow you to obtain horseshoe triceps.