9 Best Dip Bar Exercises That Can Help You Build A Strong Upper Body

Dip bar exercises can provide you with impressive benefits because they involve your entire body. That is why they should be an integral part of your training regimen.

They are bodyweight exercises that require no equipment. But for these exercises, using dip bars can make your training much smoother.

Dip bars are highly versatile gym equipment that can help you target many muscles. They can help you build strength, especially in your upper body.

But what workouts can you do with these dip bars? Their name might suggest otherwise; you can use them in different exercises for building muscles in other parts of the body.

This post will explore some of the best dip bar exercises that you can incorporate into your workout routine to help you achieve your fitness goals.

What are dip bar exercises?

Dip bar exercises are closed kinetic chain exercises. For such exercises, your body moves while your feet or hands remain fixed. This type of exercise can work on opposing muscle groups during lowering and lifting activities.

The traditional way of doing dip bar exercises is to stand between the two dip bars and firmly grasp them. The bars should rest on your palms, and your wrists must be stacked.

You must push down to lift your body. You can slowly remove your feet from the ground until your arms lock out and hold this position for up to half a minute. After that, you can lower yourself back to your starting position.

Key benefits of dip bar exercises

• Dip bar exercises can help you build upper-body mass.
• They tend to be superior to push-ups as you can lift your entire body weight with these workouts and some added weight. It is impossible to do that in push-ups.
• You can significantly improve your lockout strength with dip bar workouts. Your dip reposition doesn’t complete until your elbows are completely locked out.

What muscles do dip bar exercises work?

Dip bar workouts target various muscle groups. These include:

• Shoulders
• Chest
• Upper back
• Triceps
• Lower back
• Pectoralis major
• Deltoid muscle front section
• Anconeus muscle
• Extensor digiti minimi
• Digitorum Extensor
• Extensor carpi radialis/ulnaris.

Top dip bar exercises that can help you build upper body muscles

You will need a set of dip bars or a dip station for all the dip bar exercises listed here. You can also do some, if not all, of the exercises on a power tower.

Take a look at our top dip bars for home gym if you have not yet installed a dip station in your home gym.

Alternatively, you can check our top Power Towers for Home Gym if you prefer that option.

Below are some of the best dip bar exercises that can help you build strength and help you achieve your fitness goals

Dip static holds

Static holds dip bar exercises involve lifting your body off the floor and holding the dip bars for support. The success of the exercise depends on your ability to keep your body stable while in the hold position.

Tip: Do not shift your body while holding your position. Doing so could cause injury. It could limit the effectiveness of the exercise as well.

Mastering the static holds dip bar exercises could make it easier for you to do other power dip or dip station exercises.

Steps to follow:

• Stand between the dip bars and grasp each bar with your hands firmly. The bars must rest directly on your palm. Keep your wrists stacked.
• Now, push yourself down and lift your body by slowly lifting your feet from the ground till your arms are completely locked out.
• Hold this position for about half a minute and then lower back to your starting position.
• Repeat the process and add increase the duration of your hold as you build stamina and strength

Tip: Add weights to your body, for example, by wearing a weight vest as you gain more confidence. The extra weight will make the exercise more challenging. It will also help you build mass and strength.

Negative dips

They are also known as slow lowers, as you have to lower yourself in a slow but controlled motion for building up support and strength.

Steps to follow:

• You can begin by standing right between the dip bars and holding them tightly in your hands. Your wrists need to be stacked, and those bars should be resting on your palms.
• Now, push down and lift your body.
• Lift your feet to the ground slowly, bend your knees, and cross your ankles.
• Try bending your elbows to lower your body while keeping your torso upright and controlling your motion.
• As you reach the bottom of our motion range, bring your feet down and return to your starting position. Your one rep is complete here.

Band assisted dips

With a resistance band, you can build extra stability and strength. You will use the resistance band to support your body weight for these dip bar exercises.

Required equipment: Resistance band of suitable tension, dip station, or Power Tower

Steps to follow:

• Secure your resistance band on each side of your dip station. The mid-section of the band must hang between the two bars.
• Stand between the bars and grasp each end firmly.
• Next, position your knees within the band and extend to a static hold position. You can also assume the position first and then lower into the band.
• After that, unlock your elbow by bending them to lower yourself toward the floor. And start controlling your movement just like you do in the negatives.
• At the bottom of your motion range, push until your arms are fully extended to complete one rep.
• Repeat as many times as you can to complete a session

Scapular dips

Just like the scapular push-ups, these dip bae exercises emphasize the shoulders. They are effective for warming up if you want to do some robust workout on your dip station.

Steps to follow:

• Stand between your bars and grasp each of them. Ensure you stack your wrists and rest your palms on the bars.
• Now, push down as you slowly lift your feet and bend your knees while crossing your ankles to stabilize yourself.
• As you keep your arms locked out, you lower your torso and allow your shoulders to shrug up in the direction of your ears.
• You can push upward to fully extend at the end of your motion range one more time.

Extended ROM (Extended range of Motion) push-ups

Level: Intermediate.
Required equipment: Parallette bars or dip bars.

Steps to follow:

• Firmly grasp each sidebar at around halfway from top and bottom. Make adjustments based on your height.
• Walk your feet out to make your arms and body fully extended in plank position.
• Maintain your core tight and lower yourself towards the floor by benign your elbows but keep them tucked. Keep lowering yourself as far as you can
• Then, push yourself back into your starting position.

Knee raises with leg progression

Knee raises with leg progression are dip bar exercises that can target your abs. The workout works your rectus abdominis, obliques and hip flexor muscles.

You can do the exercise at a dip station. But you may also find that using a Power Tower, or pull-up bar will give you more room to maneuver.

Level: Intermediate.
Required equipment: dip station, Power Tower, or pull-up bar.

Steps to follow:

• Stand between your dip bars with your wrists stacked, and the bars should be resting on your palm. Or, Reach out and grab the pullup bar, hands about a shoulder-width apart
• Brace your abs and glutes, and take a deep breath.
• Bend your knees and lift them towards the chest in a controlled motion.
• Then, pause at the top of your motion and slowly lower back to your starting position.
• Repeat

Inverted rows

Inverted rows are perhaps some of the best dip bar exercises that can help you build a strong back. You won’t go wrong with inverted rows if you are looking for ways to build your back muscles.

Steps to follow:

• Stand on the floor between the bars and firmly grasp each hand by reaching up.
• Now walk your feet into a glute bridge position.
• Lower your upper body till your arms fully extend and maintain your core.
• From the bottom of your motion range, pull your body up and keep your elbows tucked but don’t move your motion.
• Now, pause at the top of the motion and lower back down until your rep is complete.

L-sit

The L-st is a challenging bodyweight exercise that can help you target your ab muscles, quads, hip flexors, and triceps. It is a great way to build overall fitness and athletic capabilities

Steps to follow:

• Hold each bar in each of your hands and keep your wrists stacked.
• Pull yourself up by pushing down on the bars.
• Then, extend your legs in front of you and keep the knees straight. Try to make your legs as parallel to the floor as you can
• Maintain this position for as long as you can.
• Bring down your legs and get back in the starting position

Handstand

A headstand involves inverting your body into a vertical position and supporting it on your hands. You will find the headstand in many athletic activities, such as yoga, gymnastics, circus, and cheerleading

The exercise can help you build up your overall level of coordination and strength.

Steps to follow:

• Get on the dip bars on all fours.
• Keeping your arms as close as possible to your body, lean your head forward, and prepare yourself for the inversion by putting your weight on your shoulders and triceps
• Lift your legs and keep raising them until your shoulders, hips, and feet are aligned and in a straight line
• Hold the position for as long as you can
• Slowly lower your body back to your starting position
• Ensure you land on the balls of your feet, and NOT on your heels to avoid injury

Try these exercises to condition your body and prepare you for more challenging exercises on dip bars.

We hope the dip bar exercises can help you to build mass and strength, especially in your arms and back. Adopting and leading a healthy lifestyle should not be more complicated or expensive.