Dips are a classic upper body exercise that people have been doing for years, and there is a reason why. Dips get the job done, they are a body weight only exercise, and they help to sculpt firm, sexy arms for men and women alike.
Dips primarily work the Triceps muscles that are on the back of the arm, and they also work the shoulder muscles. Dips can be done as part of a body weight only exercise program, or they can be incorporated into a program that uses weights, exercise bands, or other exercise equipment.
The proper way to do a dip is to put your hands on something sturdy such as a chair, a bench, or even a windowsill or the side of a desk. As long as the object is flat and won’t move, it will work fine.
Keep your back as close to the chair or other object as you can, because otherwise you will put undue strain on your shoulders, and you will lose some of the benefit to the Triceps muscles.
Drop down until your upper arms are parallel to the ground, and then go all the way back up until your arms are completely straight. To keep constant tension on the muscles – which helps you to get faster results – don’t lock your elbows at the top of the movement.
Three popular dip variations, in order of difficulty, are:
- Knees bent with legs closer to the chair
- Legs fully extended
- Legs fully extended with one leg raised in the air.
No matter how you do your dips, use good form, maintain full control on the way up and on the way down, and mentally focus on the muscles as you do your repetitions.
Dips are an integral part of the P90X Extreme Home Fitness Program as well as the Insanity 60-Day Total Body Conditioning Program. Both programs use dips in combination with many other effective exercises in order to get people REAL results! Click on through to see my personal P90X results.
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