Step-by-Step Instructions

1
Mount the parallel bars with arms fully extended, shoulders depressed and packed, and body supported with a slight forward lean.
2
Cross your ankles behind you or keep legs straight below, engaging the core to prevent swinging.
3
Lower your body by bending the elbows and allowing the shoulders to extend, descending until your upper arms are at least parallel to the floor or the elbows reach 90 degrees.
4
Maintain a forward torso lean of 15-30 degrees for chest emphasis, or stay more upright for triceps focus.
5
Press back up by extending the elbows and horizontally adducting the arms, driving through the palms until the arms are fully extended.
6
Avoid locking the elbows aggressively at the top—maintain a slight bend to protect the joint under load.

Common Mistakes

Descending too deep beyond shoulder flexibility, which places extreme stress on the anterior shoulder capsule and can cause impingement or labral irritation.
Flaring the elbows excessively wide, which increases shoulder strain and reduces triceps contribution.
Swinging the legs forward and backward to generate momentum, removing the load from the pressing muscles.
Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears instead of keeping them depressed, which destabilizes the shoulder girdle and reduces force output.

About This Exercise

Parallel bar dips are a compound bodyweight pressing exercise that loads the pectoralis major, triceps, and anterior deltoid through deep shoulder extension and elbow flexion. The forward lean angle dictates muscle emphasis—a greater lean targets the chest while a more upright torso shifts load to the triceps. Dips are one of the most effective upper-body mass builders due to the high mechanical tension and large range of motion achievable at bodyweight or with added load.

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