chest dips

Parallel Bar Chest Dips, also known as just “Chest Dips”, are an advanced and highly effective exercise for building the chest muscles. Unlike traditional triceps dips (that work the triceps), this dip variation places a strong emphasis on chest development. Whether you're using an assisted machine or performing unassisted dips, this exercise can significantly contribute to your chest-building goals.

Let's explore Parallel Bar Chest Dips in more detail below. We will delve into the muscles worked, how to perform them, benefits, common mistakes to avoid, reps and sets, how to progress this exercise, how and where to fit it into your workout plan and finally other exercises targeting the same muscle groups.

Muscles Worked When Performing Parallel Bar Chest Dips

Parallel Bar Chest Dips primarily target the following muscle groups:

Chest (Pectoral Muscles): This exercise engages the pectoral muscles, helping you to build a stronger and more defined chest.

Triceps: From a secondary perspective, the triceps play a vital role in the extension of the elbow joint during the dip movement.

Shoulders (Deltoids): Mostly the anterior deltoids (the front part of your shoulder), assist in stabilising and controlling the movement.

You can use the muscle highlighted image at the top of this page for a visual guide of the muscles worked.

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How to Perform Parallel Bar Chest Dips

First of all, there are some options here, you can use parallel bars which are often used in calisthenics, or you can use the dip/pull up station. If you’re not yet strong enough to hold, more specifically; dip your body weight, you should use an assisted dip/pull up station.

Once you’re all set with your equipment, you can get on with the exercise, steps are below:

1. Positioning: Start by gripping the parallel bars, one hand either side. Your grip should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

2. Lift Your Body: Lift yourself up so that your body weight is supported by your fully extended arms. This is the starting position.

3. Dip: Lower your body by bending at the elbow. As you descend, lean forward slightly to shift your weight onto your chest muscles.

4. Full Range of Motion: Dip down as far as your shoulder mobility allows while maintaining good form. Ideally, you should aim to bring your upper arms to at least parallel to the floor. Or for a full range of motion your shoulders should drop slightly below your elbows.

5. Push Back Up: Push your body back up to the start position by extending your arms through the same clean and controlled movement. This completes one rep.

6. Go for reps.

7. Assistance: If you need assistance, use the assisted machine and perform the exercise in the exact same way, with your knees resting on the knee pad. Remember that the weight you select on this machine counteracts your bodyweight. So choose the amount of weight you want to subtract from your body weight when you dip.

Benefits of Parallel Bar Chest Dips

Chest Development: Parallel Bar Chest Dips are highly effective and powerful when it comes to targeting and strengthening the chest muscles, contributing to your overall upper body strength.

Shoulder Strength: Your shoulder muscles, namely the anterior deltoids play a crucial role in stabilising your body during the dip, helping you to develop more shoulder strength and stability. There are few exercises that target the shoulders in the same way with bodyweight.

Power Move: If you can do these dips unassisted, pat yourself on the back, this is an incredibly empowering exercise to master.

Parallel Bar Chest Dips: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Torso Twisting: Always maintain good posture and avoid twisting your torso during the exercise.

Momentum: While some might, we suggest that you don’t use momentum to lift your body through this exercise. Keep the movement controlled and avoid bouncing. The reason for that is because it will promote better overall strength and muscle development and avoid potential injury.

Partial Range of Motion: While this is a challenging exercise, and half a rep, if you’re just getting started with this is still valid, we don’t recommend that you do this all the time. Build yourself up to the point that you can dip down fully, aiming for a complete range of motion to maximise muscle engagement. Use the assisted machine to build yourself up.

Sloppy Form: Improper form could lead to acute or repetitive strain injury. Pay attention to your posture and form from start to finish. If you find yourself slacking, correct yourself.

Mind-Muscle Connection: Don’t forget to concentrate on the target muscles throughout the exercise, this doesn’t just ensure that you are performing the exercise correctly, it also helps support muscle growth.

Reps and Sets

The number of reps and sets you perform depends on your current strength with this exercise.

Beginners: Start with simply mastering the move. Keep in mind that if you’re just starting out, 3 reps is a valid set.

To determine how many reps/sets of Parallel Bar Chest Dips you should start with, you first need to figure out how many reps you can comfortably perform. Then add 2, and perform that number of reps for 3 sets.

For example; let’s say you can perform 4 reps comfortably. Add 2 to make 6 reps. Perform those 6 reps 3 times over, allowing yourself sufficient rest inbetween.

Experienced lifters: You know your body and its abilities better than anyone, use your own judgment.

We recommend that you avoid performing more than 12 reps per set. If you’re comfortably performing 12 reps for up to 6 sets, it’s time to make the exercise more challenging.

How to Make Parallel Bar Chest Dips More Challenging

This depends entirely on where you start. If you’re using the assisted machine, you should progress by reducing the amount of weight that you have the machine set to. Remember that the weight selected on this machine counteracts your body weight, so the lower the number, the stronger you become.

Aim to get yourself to a point where you are lifting your body weight on your own. From there you can progress this exercise by adding weight in the form of chains or a weight plate attached to a weight belt.

Alternatively, you can slow this movement down to increase the time under tension. Or, for gradual progression, you can slow half the movement down, so you dip and normal tempo and come back up through a much slower, yet controlled movement, or vice versa.

How to Incorporate Parallel Bar Chest Dips into Your Workouts

Parallel Bar Chest Dips belong in your Chest & Biceps Workout or Upper Body Workout Plan.

Because it is an advanced exercise, and we are talking about moving your entire body weight, for many, this will be the biggest lift of their workout. Therefore it should be performed towards the start of your workout, if not first. If you are using the assisted machine, do these after your barbell exercises, but before any dumbbell, cable, bodyweight or ab exercises.

Always start with the exercise that expends the most energy and uses the most weight, work your way down through barbell exercises, dumbbell exercises, cable/machine exercises and finish up with bodyweight exercises. You can learn more about the importance of exercise order here.

Exercises That Work Similar Muscles to Parallel Bar Chest Dips

When it comes to compound exercises, the best ones to complement Parallel Bar Chest Dips are the Bench Press, Decline Bench Press, Incline Bench Press, Wide Grip Bench Press or a Close Grip Bench Press.

You can also pair this exercise with other exercises, such as the Dumbbell Chest Press, Dumbbell Pullovers or the Pec Deck Chest Fly. If you’re looking for more chest isolation exercises, you can try the Seated Chest Press Machine. A combination of compound and isolation exercises is always recommended for well rounded results.

You can find more Chest Exercises at the bottom of this page. Or you can check out our entire exercise database broken down by muscle group here.

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