Exercises

Parallel-bar dips

Lowering and raising your body between parallel bars trains the chest and triceps. A slight forward lean involves the chest.

Athlete performing a dip between stable parallel bars with feet off the floor.

Stable parallel bars or dip station; bodyweight

Source: PureGym · Chest Dips

Step by step

  1. Check that the dip station is stable. Use a step if needed to grip the bars and support yourself with almost straight arms.
  2. Keep the shoulders controlled, brace your torso and bend your legs so the feet clear the floor. Lean slightly forward.
  3. Bend the elbows slowly and lower only through a comfortable range, usually no deeper than upper arms roughly parallel to the floor.
  4. Press through the handles to return without swinging or snapping the elbows. Use the step for a controlled exit.

Common mistakes

  • Dropping too deeply with discomfort at the front of the shoulder.
  • Swinging the legs or shrugging the shoulders towards the ears.

Anatomy and technique: the references below. Region boundaries and movement diagrams are schematic. Exercise images are AI-generated illustrations.