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Parallel Bar Triceps Dip — triceps compound exercise in the LIFTAG library

Parallel Bar Triceps Dip

Compound · Weight × reps

Support yourself on parallel bars with straight arms, shoulders active, and torso relatively upright. Bend the elbows and lower under control while keeping them tracking mostly backward and the bars close to the body. Descend only to the depth where the shoulders remain stable, then press firmly through the bars to return to full support. The upright position can increase the elbow-extension demand, but the triceps, chest, and anterior shoulders all contribute and no dip truly isolates the triceps. Avoid forcing a deep bottom position or shrugging at the top. Use band or foot assistance if needed, and stop if the sternum, shoulder, or elbow becomes painful.

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HOW TO DO PARALLEL BAR TRICEPS DIP

  1. Take the bars, lock out, and keep the torso relatively upright. Toes can point down; they should not drift into a chest-dip lean.
  2. Pack the shoulders down and slightly back. This is support, not a shrug hang.
  3. Bend the elbows and lower until the shoulders are at or just below elbow height — only as deep as the front of the shoulder stays quiet.
  4. Press to a full lockout without swinging the legs for the last three reps. Stop shy of a slam at the top.

COMMON MISTAKES

  • Leaning into a chest dip and logging it here. Forward lean belongs on chest-dips. Upright, elbows tracking back, is the triceps version. Pick a slug and match the torso.
  • Dumping into a deep bottom. Depth without packed shoulders is how this lift becomes a rehab appointment. Own a shorter range rather than a noisy one.
  • Kipping the last reps with the legs. If the hips have to throw you out of the hole, the set is over. End it or move to assisted-dip.
  • Not logging the dip belt. Bodyweight PRs and weighted PRs are different stories. When the belt goes on, log the extra kilograms or the chart never moves.

VARIATIONS

  • Chest dips — Same bars, forward lean, more pec.
  • Machine dip — Seated path when bars bother the shoulders or you want a stack.
  • Assisted dip — Counterweight until full-range bodyweight is clean.
  • Bench triceps dip — Home-gym fallback with a much friendlier (and easier) range.

PROGRESSIONS

  1. Assisted dips or machine dips until a full-range support hold is easy.
  2. Bodyweight sets of 6–10 with an upright torso.
  3. Pause a beat just above the bottom before you add a belt.
  4. Dip-belt loading, logged as extra weight on this slug.

PROGRAMMING NOTES

Treat weighted triceps dips like a press: 3–4 hard sets. If chest dips are already in the session, this is usually a lighter second pass or a different day — the shoulders do not care that you renamed the lean. Rest as you would for close-grip bench; LIFTAG’s timer exists so you do not rush lockouts.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

To about upper-arm parallel, or slightly below, as long as the front of the shoulder feels stable. Deeper is not better if the shoulder rolls forward. Chest-dip depth with a lean is a different lift.

MORE TRICEPS EXERCISES

Chest DipsChest DipsClose-Grip Bench PressClose-Grip Bench PressMachine DipMachine DipPush-upPush-upRope Triceps PushdownRope Triceps PushdownOverhead Cable Triceps ExtensionOverhead Cable Triceps ExtensionBench Triceps DipBench Triceps DipBarbell SkullcrusherBarbell Skullcrusher