Trying to tone and strengthen your upper arms? If you’re not already doing tricep dips, it’s time to give them a try. Tricep dips are a simple bodyweight exercise. They target the muscles on the back of the upper arm, along with several other muscle groups in the upper body. Struggling with some shoulder or arm pain, or mobility issues? The tricep dip is an effective exercise to build strength and stability in your upper body, thereby improving — or preventing — muscle and joint aches and pains. 

Here, learn more about the benefits of tricep dips, how to do them, and how you can modify the exercise to meet your needs. 

What Are Tricep Dips?

Tricep dips are a bodyweight exercise that primarily target the muscles on the back of your upper arm. They are commonly incorporated into upper body strength training routines and can be performed virtually anywhere with a stable surface, making them a versatile addition to any workout regimen.

What Muscles Do Tricep Dips Work? 

Not surprisingly, tricep dips target the triceps brachii, which are the muscles located on the back of the upper arm. However, this exercise also engages several other muscles to stabilize and support the movement, including muscles in the shoulders (deltoids), chest (pectoralis major), upper back (rhomboids and trapezius), forearm, and core. 

Benefits of Tricep Dips

Tricep dips offer a range of benefits for improving upper body strength, muscle tone, and functional fitness. Here are some key benefits of incorporating tricep dips into your fitness routine:

• Increasing tricep and upper body strength. This helps build strength needed for everyday activities, like pushing yourself up out of a chair or off the floor. 

• Better shoulder stability. Tricep dips require stabilization of the shoulder joints throughout the movement. This helps to strengthen the muscles that support and stabilize the shoulders, including the rotator cuff muscles and the muscles of the scapula (shoulder blade), which can help prevent and manage pain in that area. 

• No equipment required. Tricep dips can easily be performed with no equipment at all. This makes them a convenient exercise that can be performed virtually anywhere, whether at home, at the office, in the gym, or while traveling.

• Easy to modify. Tricep dips can be easily modified to increase or decrease the level of difficulty based on your individual fitness level and goals. 

Tricep Dip: Exercises and Modifications 

The information contained in these videos is intended to be used for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or treatment for any specific condition. Hinge Health is not your healthcare provider and is not responsible for any injury sustained or exacerbated by your use of or participation in these exercises. Please consult with your healthcare provider with any questions you may have about your medical condition or treatment.

To do a tricep dip:

• Sit on the front part of a sturdy chair and place your hands on the seat, just outside your hips. 

• Press into your hands to lift your butt off the seat and then bend your elbows to about a 90-degree angle to lower your hips toward the floor. 

• Press back up to extend your elbows fully. 

• As you work, try to keep your neck long, and avoid collapsing into your shoulders. 

As you do each rep, you should feel your upper arms working. 

Everyone is different, which is why you may need to modify this exercise to meet your needs. 

To make a tricep dip easier:  

• Bend your elbows a little less when you dip so that you only lower your hips a few inches from the seat. 

To make a tricep dip harder: 

• Move your feet slightly in front of your knees. 

• Lift one leg before bending your elbows into your tricep dip. 

How Hinge Health Can Help You 

If you have joint or muscle pain that makes it hard to move, you can get the relief you’ve been looking for with Hinge Health’s online exercise therapy program. 

The best part: You don’t have to leave your home because our program is digital. That means you can easily get the care you need through our app, when and where it works for you.  

Through our program, you’ll have access to therapeutic exercises and stretches for your condition. Additionally, you’ll have a personal care team to guide, support, and tailor our program to you. 

See if you qualify for Hinge Health and confirm free coverage through your employer or benefit plan here.

This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.

References

1. Tiwana, M. S., Sinkler, M. A., & Bordoni, B. (2020). Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Triceps Muscle. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536996/