Dips (assisted or negatives)
Lower chest, triceps and front deltoids.
How to do it
- On the assisted machine (or parallel bars), hold the bars with your arms straight and your body upright.
- Lower yourself by bending your elbows, torso leaning slightly forward, until your shoulders are level with your elbows.
- Push back up until your arms are straight again.
- Negatives: start at the top and lower as slowly as you can (5-8 s).
Cues
- Shoulders down and back the whole time, away from your ears.
- Elbows back, not flared out to the sides.
- Only go as low as your shoulder is comfortable.
Common mistakes
- Going too low and straining the front of the shoulder.
- Shrugging your shoulders.
- Bouncing at the bottom.
If you feel pain (not just discomfort) at the front of your shoulder, shorten the range or swap the exercise.
Photos: free-exercise-db (public domain).
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