Dips are body-weight exercises that primarily work your triceps, with some assistance from your anterior deltoids and pectoral muscles. You normally perform full dips on a specific piece of equipment called dip bars, although you can adapt other equipment for doing dips. Full dips are very challenging, but if you're not strong enough to do them yet, you can build the necessary strength by doing easier variations or other triceps exercises.
Basic Form
You can do full dips, the most basic form of the exercise, with any parallel bars that are slightly wider apart than your body. Stand between the bars, and grasp them with your palms facing in. Bend your arms, lowering your body straight down until your shoulders are level with or slightly higher than your elbows. Straighten your arms, using your triceps, shoulder and chest strength to lever your body back up to the starting position.
Equipment
Most gyms provide at least one set of dip bars. If you don't have access to dip bars, you can also use any parallel bars that are just wide enough for you to walk between. Or look for a captain's chair, which resembles an elevated chair with a padded back and arms but not seat. The "arms" on the captain's chair usually have protruding handles that you can use as makeshift dip bars. The captain's chair may also be referred to as a VKR, or vertical knee raise, station.
Easier Modifications
If full dips are too challenging for you, you can use an assisted dip machine, which is often the same piece of equipment you'd use for doing assisted pullups. You kneel or stand on a platform that folds out from the machine, select how much of your weight you want the machine to counterbalance, then grasp the dip bars and perform the exercise as usual. You can also give yourself an assist with bench dips: Sit on a weight bench, place your hands next to your hips on the bench, and scoot forward off the bench. Keep your hips close to the bench and use your legs for an extra assist as you otherwise maintain normal dip form.
More Difficult Modifications
If full dips are too challenging for you, you can use an assisted dip machine, which is often the same piece of equipment you'd use for doing assisted pullups. You kneel or stand on a platform that folds out from the machine, select how much of your weight you want the machine to counterbalance, then grasp the dip bars and perform the exercise as usual. You can also give yourself an assist with bench dips: Sit on a weight bench, place your hands next to your hips on the bench, and scoot forward off the bench. Keep your hips close to the bench and use your legs for an extra assist as you otherwise maintain normal dip form.
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