Description
The dip is a strength-training exercise for the upper body that helps in increasing the muscular mass of your chest, arms and shoulders.
To execute a basic dip, you need to have two parallel bars or parallel chairs as alternatives. As for your starting point, position your body at arm’s length above the bars. Gradually lower your body with your torso leaning forward at 30 degrees while inhaling. You would feel that your chest is stretched and your elbows are flared out, which mean you are doing it correctly and you need to bring your body back to your starting position as you exhale. The whole procedures lead to one repetition.
Results
The triceps, pectoralis minor and major, and the shoulder muscles are the primary targets of the dip. The muscles in your chest are stretched as you lower yourself on the bar with your arms hanging. Your triceps are also stretched and flared out due to the lifting of your body up and down.
Sets and Repetitions
If performing the basic dip is too much due to the lifting of the whole body, you can execute the bench dip or the tricep dip. The latter makes use of a bench or a chair or anything stable. To perform the bench dip, place your hands at shoulder-width and lift your lower body, especially you bottom, while extending your legs in front of you. Your arms should be straightened in a second then make a bend in your elbows to provide tension on your triceps. Bend your elbows gradually to lower your body towards the floor until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. Remember to keep your back straightened and close to the bench. The bench dip ends when you reach the floor, and the entire procedures complete to one repetition.
If you are a beginner, you can continue with 10 to 15 repetitions in one set. On the other hand, if you are advanced, executing 15 to 20 repetitions in two to three sets can suffice.
Top Performance Metrics
In the year 2008, Alicia Weber was able to execute 75 consecutive bar dips in five minutes wherein she set a world record for it.
Related Movements
Here are some exercises that can be associated with the dip:
Lunge
Squat
Plank
Burpee
Related Foods
Below is a list of some pre-workout snacks that provide your body with enough energy to execute the dip:
Low-fat milk
Oranges
Veggies such as broccoli, zucchini, cabbage and yams
Greek yoghurt with berries
Here are some post-workout snacks that can refuel your body from the workout:
Brown rice with hummus, carrots and celery sticks
Fruit smoothie (banana and apple juice)
Low-fat chocolate milk
Salmon and sweet potato
Celebrity Use
Salma Hayek, a Mexican-American film actress and a former model, has been engaging herself with workouts that would maintain her physique and keep her healthy. Together with burpees and planks, the dip exercises in included in her regular routine.
Functional Use
The dip exercise offers beneficial improvements to the upper body strength, muscular mass and coordination through moving your body while your hands are stable in a fixed position. Your body would have a more developed upper body mass through persistent amount of dip workout. Moreover, the dip workout helps you to reduce risks of injury in the joints by stabilizing your triceps, scapular and shoulder muscles.