Parallel bars, not a bench behind you
Dip
Hands on parallel bars. Jump to support. Lower. Press. This is not a bench dip. Your feet hang. Own a range you can repeat.
Hunter: I keep the range honest and I do not chase depth to the floor. If my shoulders yell, I stop or I go back to a bench dip. Pride is not a set.
Cues
- Bars at your sides. Shoulders packed. Not shrugged into your ears.
- Lean a little forward if you want more chest. Stay more upright for more triceps. Pick one.
- Lower until the upper arms are about parallel. Not a deep hang if it pinches.
- Elbows point back, not flared wide.
- Press to long arms. Do not bounce out of the bottom.
Setup
Parallel bars or a dip station. Bench dips first if you cannot own a support position. Band-assisted is allowed. Log the name. 3 sets of 5-10. If the bars are a scene, close-grip push-ups are a fine swap.
After bench dips
The bench version shortened the lever. These are the real bars. When 8-12 bench dips look quiet, try 3-5 bar dips. Log both if you mix them in a session.
Chest vs triceps bias
A little forward lean hits more chest. Upright hits more triceps. Pick one for a month so the log compares. You do not need both in one night.
If the shoulders complain
Raise the range. Use a band. Or stay on bench dips and a pushdown. Stop if something is sharp. This page is coaching, not a clinic.
Common misses
Dropping into a deep stretch because more range looked tougher. Flaring. Swinging the legs. Adding a belt in week one. Also: mixing bench dips and bar dips in one number.
FAQ
How deep?
About upper arms parallel is the default. Deeper is optional later if it stays quiet. Depth is earned.
Weighted?
After 8 clean bodyweight reps. A belt or a dumbbell. Log the extra. Do not add plates because the person next to you did.
Log dips in the free Vitality Engine. Bar dips, not bench dips, unless that is what you did.