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Home » Exercise Guides
Fact Checked
Fact Checked
This article was written by one of our team of experienced writers, and fact-checked by our experts or our editors. The numbers in parentheses (e.g., 1, 2, 3, etc.) throughout the article are reference links to peer-reviewed studies.
Our team of experts includes a board-certified physician, nutritionists, dietitians, certified personal trainers, strength training experts, and exercise specialists.
Read Our Editorial Process

Master the Reverse Dip: Target Triceps, Chest, and Back!

Consider spinning this bodyweight triceps exercise in your arm-building workout rotation.

Written by Matthew Magnante, ACE

Last Updated on11 August, 2024 | 5:34 AM EDT

Ask Question?

Need an idea for a bodyweight triceps builder or maybe something to finish them off after an arm workout? The reverse dip is a sweet option because it’s done from a pushup position which means no equipment or weights needed. The technique modifies the popular chest-building exercise and shifts the emphasis toward the aesthetic three-headed upper arm muscles. 

Here’s a complete guide to the reverse dip including exercise tips, benefits, variations, and more.

Reverse Dip Details
Basic Information
Body Part
Upper body
Primary Muscles
Anterior Deltoid, Latissimus Dorsi, Pectoralis major, Rhomboids, Triceps brachii
Secondary Muscles
Infraspinatus, Teres Major, Trapezius
Equipment
Parallel Bars, Dip Bars, Or Sturdy Elevated Surfaces
Exercise Characteristics
Exercise Type
Strength
Movement Pattern
Pull
Force Type
Eccentric
Unilateral/Bilateral
Unilateral
Compound/Isolation
Isolation
Bodyweight Exercise
Yes
Training Parameters
Difficulty Level
Intermediate
Target Training Goals
Hypertrophy
Suitable Workout Phases
Main workout
Risk Level
Moderate
Weight Category
Light (e.g., light dumbbells, medicine balls)
Recommended Rep Ranges
GoalRep Range
Strength6-8
Hypertrophy8-12
Endurance15-20
Power3-5
Muscular endurance12-20
Stability core8-12
Flexibility mobility15-30 seconds
Similar Exercises
  • Master the Decline Barbell Bench Press for Bigger Chest & Arms
  • Decline Bent-Arm Barbell Pullover: Target Your Upper Body
  • Bent Over Rear Delt Fly: Strengthen Your Upper Back Muscles
  • Ring Dips: Target Your Chest, Arms, and Shoulders Effectively

How To Do The Reverse Dip

Like any resistance-based exercise you have to do it right otherwise you’re wasting your time and will not fully stimulate the target muscle fibers. While a simple movement, we’ve detailed the step-by-step process for proper execution of the reverse dip. 

Step 1 – The setup (body and hand position)

  • Get on your hands and knees then walk your hands forward until your palms are directly below your lower chest. Your arms should be fully extended and body in a straight line from your shoulders to your butt. Point your fingers straight forward or turn them slightly outward. 

Step 2 – Lowering phase and elbow position

  • Keep your head neutral and in line with your torso then bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor stopping a few inches short. Your elbows should move straight back and not out. 

Step 3 – Pushup, mind-muscle connection, and back angle

  • Extend your elbows and push yourself back up to the starting position. Really focus on pushing with your triceps muscles and do not use momentum. Mind-muscle connection is very important during the positive or eccentric phase because you don’t want the chest and deltoids to take over.
Reverse Dip Muscles Worked
Reverse Dip

Pro tip: Be careful not to hyperextend your lower back. If you feel discomfort your back is too arched.

Benefits

Why would someone want to include the reverse dip in their workouts?…

Build your triceps muscles 

The first and most obvious benefit of the reverse dip is that it’s a muscle and strength building activity. In fact, it’s essentially a pushup done on your knees and while the focus is triceps it also works the chest and shoulder muscles to. 

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Improve your pushing strength

If you don’t have a lot of upper body strength, this is a great way to build up your pushing muscles like the triceps, chest and shoulders. This also carries over to your other resistance training movements and if you cannot do a full pushup, then this is a good progression. 

Very accessible and good for beginners 

You don’t need weights or equipment and because the reverse dip is done from your knees, most people can probably crank out a few reps. 

Drawbacks

There is one notable drawback to this exercise and that is, if you’re not careful, you can hyperextend your lower back. Try to keep your torso in line although it’s ok to have a slight arch in your lower back. 

Variations and Alternatives

The reverse dip is a great basic triceps exercise if you’re new to developing your upper body strength or need something to pump up your tris. The variations and alternatives listed below are more challenging and consequently more effective.

1- Close grip pushup

Diamond Push Ups
Diamond Push Ups

A surprising study conducted by researchers and funded by reputable Ace (American Council on Exercise) found that the triangle or close grip pushup activated the triceps better than dips (second best triceps exercise), cable pushdowns, extensions, and the close grip bench press (1).

John Porcari, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist with the University of Wisconsin explained the likely reasoning, “it’s because your body weight is used in the push-ups and dips, and because it’s easier to “cheat” (using momentum to more easily complete reps) while doing the other exercises, specifically the bar push-downs and rope push-downs“.

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Close grip pushups also shift a lot of the load onto your triceps muscles, whereas using wider grip would emphasize more of the pecs.

2- Basic pushup

Athlete Doing Push Ups
Athlete Doing Push Ups

You honestly can’t go wrong with the classic chest pushup. It’s stood the test of time as one of the core bodyweight calisthenics movements used around the world as a measure of upper body pushing strength. Not to mention, there are tons of underrated variations for every experience level.

Related: 42 Best Compound, Isolation, and Bodyweight Chest Exercises

3- Pike pushup 

If you’re ready to step it up for an advanced bodyweight triceps builder then aside from a handstand pushup, few options are better than the pike pushup. The idea is to form an inverted V with your body from a pushup position and this shifts a lot of the weight of your body onto your triceps. It’s not easy so you have decent triceps strength. 

3- Decline bench/chest press 

If you understand the body position of reverse dips, you can see that it’s similar to a decline press that emphasizes the lower sternal chest muscle fibers. Of course, there are many variations of this exercise including the barbell and dumbbell press, as well as the upper body elevated pushup. 

4- Triceps dip machine

Dip machines are awesome because they’re more versatile than bodyweight dips. Plus you can make the weight as light or heavy as you want so you don’t need much upper body strength and they’re easier on the wrists than bodyweight dips/pushups. You can replicate the position of reverse dips by leaning slightly forward which will also activate the chest and deltoids. 

Program Reverse Dips In Your Workouts

Dips are one of those exercises that can fit well into many different workout routines. For example, as part of an arm workout, after a chest/shoulder focused workout, pull-focused session (back and biceps), or even during leg day. Most people will probably include it in a bodyweight only workout when they cannot make it to a gym or if they prefer to train at home. 

There’s no right answer to this because it depends on your goals and how you prefer to structure your training program.

Sets and Reps Range

Reverse dips are a bodyweight exercise which means the weight is fixed and unchangeable. That also means the resistance may be too heavy or not heavy enough. Our recommendation is to perform at least 2-4 sets to within a few reps of muscle failure. 

Muscles Worked 

  • Triceps brachii – As the name implies, the triceps brachii has three heads – lateral, medial and long. Together they straighten the arm (elbow extension), involved in all push based exercises and supporting the bodyweight when you’re holding yourself up. 
  • Deltoid Anterior – The shoulders are a strong muscle group consisting of three heads just like the triceps. Except if has anterior (frontside of the body), lateral (outer head) and posterior heads. The anterior fibers are involved in anterior arm flexion primarily and it has a few secondary functions. 
  • Pectoralis major clavicular head – The clavicular head is located exactly where you’d think, below the clavicle bone. The fibers are slanted down at an angle and these muscles medially pull the arms inward. Reverse dips also stimulate the chest muscles although it’s not the primary focus.
  • Pectoralis Major Sternal Head – Pulling the arms downward, the sternal fibers are located in the lower chest. The reverse dip emphasizes more of the lower sternal chest fibers than the upper chest. 

Bottom Line

A simple and convenient bodyweight challenge to stimulate your triceps, the reverse dip is a viable option for beginners, intermediates, and even more advanced exercisers. Use it as a primary triceps exercise, warmup movement or finisher to burnout your tris after a workout session. But if you also want other options, we recommend the variations and alternative options included in this article. 

Use this guide as a resource to program exercise variations in your push focused workouts. 

Interested in measuring your progress? Check out our strength standards for Bench Press, Push Ups, Decline Bench Press, and more.


If you have any questions about this article, please feel free to contact Matthew Magnante by leaving a comment below.

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Matthew Magnante, ACE

Matthew Magnante, ACE

Matthew is an ACE (American Council On Exercise) certified fitness professional who has had a passion for fitness since elementary school and continues to research and learn how to build muscle effectively through training and diet. He also loves to help others to achieve their fitness goals and spread the knowledge where needed. Matthew's other passions include learning about mindfulness, strolling through nature, traveling, and always working to improve overall.

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