Dips work your triceps, anterior deltoids and pectorals. But in order to do full dips with your body weight supported entirely by your hands and arms, you need access to dip bars or a reasonable substitute. You can also use dip bars for a few other exercises, such as self-assisted pullups.
Description
You can do dips off any parallel bars that are just wide enough to fit your torso between. Most dip bars in the gym are attached to a vertical support, and may be either parallel or just off parallel, with the bar ends spreading slightly as they get further from the vertical support. The captain's chair, also sometimes called a Roman chair, is a piece of exercise equipment that resembles an elevated chair with padded arms but no seat. The padded arms usually have both vertical and horizontal handles, and the horizontal handles can be used as dip bars.
Where to Find Them
Look for dip bars in the same area of the gym where you find other equipment for other body-weight exercises, such as pullups and back extensions. If your gym has a captain's chair, management might not bother to duplicate exercise equipment by installing another set of dip bars.
Dips
To do dips, stand facing where the dip bars join the vertical support or supports. Grasp the bars and extend your arms, lifting your body off the floor. Bend your knees, if necessary, so your feet don't hit the floor as you bend your arms, lowering your body until your shoulders are level with your elbows. Then extend your arms again.
Other Uses
You can also use dip bars for doing self-assisted pullups: Stand between the dip bars, facing away from the vertical support. Squat down and grasp the bars with a neutral or "thumbs-up" grip. Use your arms to pull yourself up between the bars as if you were doing pullups, pushing with your legs to help yourself along.
If you're using a captain's chair for dips, you can also use it for hanging knee raises: Step into the chair facing out, and support yourself with your forearms on the padded arms. Squeeze your abs to keep your back from arching as you raise your knees to hip level, then extend your legs straight down and slightly forward.
Substitutes
If you don't have access to dip bars or a captain's chair, check around the gym for an assisted pullup machine. Sometimes assisted pullup machines will have dip bars, turning them into an assisted dip machine too. Failing that, you can use a flat weight bench on either side of your body as a substitute for dip bars, although your feet will still rest on the ground. You might also be able to find parallel bars you can use for doing dips at an outdoor fitness station or a children's playground.
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