Dips are fantastic for building strong, sleeve-stretching arms and have typically been known as squats for the higher physique. They hammer the triceps and problem your anterior delts and your chest. However let’s be sincere—not everybody can or ought to do dips and that’s why we’ve created an inventory of dip options that also goal all of the muscle mass a traditional dip train hit.
If you’ve ever felt a sharp twinge in your shoulders whereas performing dips, struggled to keep up good kind, or don’t have entry to dip bars. Dips might be unforgiving on the shoulders and elbow joints; at instances, they will 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 various, and 5 dip options that may maintain your triceps rising—with out the pointless ache.
The Execs and Cons of Dips
Parallel bar dips are a basic upper-body energy transfer that concurrently challenges the triceps, chest, and shoulders. You may construct critical urgent energy with simply your physique weight whereas enhancing flex time.
Nonetheless, doing them pain-free is vital.
Whereas dips are nice for constructing muscle and energy, they also put a lot of stress on the shoulders, notably on the backside of the motion. In case your kind isn’t dialed in or you have got pre-existing joint points, dips can rapidly go from muscle-builder to ache maker. That’s why performing dips accurately or discovering an alternate 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, conserving 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 by means of your palms, prolong your elbows till lockout and reset, and repeat.
Standards for a Good Different To Dips
A strong various 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 options:
Targets the Triceps: Dips are an elbow-extension train, which means any various should prioritize the triceps. For bonus factors, hitting the chest and anterior delts is incredible, too.
Mimic the Movement: Dips contain urgent your physique weight vertically, so an excellent various ought to observe an analogous motion sample—a vertical or horizontal press—to construct energy that carries over to different urgent workout routines.
It’s Joint-Pleasant: The most important disadvantage of dips is shoulder ache. A superb various ought to cut back pointless pressure whereas permitting you to load the triceps for positive aspects.
With that in thoughts, let’s discover 5 dip options to maintain your triceps robust.
5 Dip Alternate options To Goal Triceps, Chest, and Shoulders
When dips aren’t an choice, these 5 workout routines will nonetheless problem your triceps whereas conserving your shoulders blissful. Each gives a robust 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 incredible substitute to carry out the dip movement with out stressing your shoulders. This variation mimics the urgent movement of a dip whereas conserving it shoulder-friendly. The cable machine gives fixed rigidity, forcing your triceps to work by means of your entire vary of movement whereas enhancing energy 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 generally is 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, typically lowering 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 most important muscle of the three. The cable overhead triceps extension does the identical however with fixed rigidity and with out the shoulder pressure that usually comes with dips. The one disadvantage of this variation is that there isn’t any chest or shoulder motion, which normally 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. Conserving 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 among the best body weight options to dips as a result of they focus squarely on the triceps because of the shut grip and restricted ROM. Plus, they reinforce core and lockout energy that carries over to extra complicated urgent workout routines.
Type Tip: Squeeze your glutes and brace your core like a plank to keep up a straight-line place from head to heels.
Units & Reps: 2-4 units of 8-15 reps (regulate based mostly on energy stage).
Dumbbell Squeeze Press
This transfer doesn’t simply work the triceps—it additionally strengthens the pecs and anterior delts whereas enhancing urgent kind. By squeezing the dumbbells collectively all through the train, you enhance triceps involvement and simulate the close-grip movement of dips. The lowered ROM and additional rigidity make this triceps variation extra shoulder-friendly.
Type Tip: Press the dumbbells in opposition to one another all through the set to maintain fixed rigidity 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 an alternate that delivers outcomes, whether or not because of shoulder discomfort, lack of apparatus, or energy limitations.
- The 5 various workout routines present a robust triceps stimulus whereas being extra joint-friendly.
- Small tweaks, like slowing the eccentric, conserving your elbows tucked in, and sustaining core bracing, will allow you to obtain horseshoe triceps.
