Parallel Bar Dip
The parallel bar dip is a classic compound bodyweight exercise that builds significant strength and muscle mass in the lower chest and triceps. Often called the "squat of the upper body," it involves lowering your body between two bars and pressing back up to full extension.
Since dips rely on your body weight, the AI analyzes your current weight alongside any added load to calculate true intensity and progressive overload accurately. If your profile indicates a history of shoulder impingement, the app may recommend limiting depth or swapping to neutral-grip dumbbell presses based on your pain feedback. Additionally, recovery metrics like HRV are crucial here; high systemic fatigue often compromises stability in dips, so the AI may auto-regulate your volume to ensure safety.
Form Cues
- Lean your torso forward slightly to engage the chest
- Keep your shoulders depressed and away from your ears
- Lower yourself under control until shoulders are just below elbows
- Drive through your palms to fully extend arms at the top
- Don't shrug your shoulders up toward your ears
- Don't use momentum or swing your legs to ascend
- Don't flare your elbows out excessively wide
- Don't drop rapidly into the bottom position
Common Mistakes
- Shrugging shoulders near the ears
- Performing partial reps (insufficient depth)
- Bouncing out of the bottom position
- Excessive elbow flaring
- Rounding the upper back
Muscles Worked
This exercise is a powerhouse for the pushing muscles, placing heavy emphasis on the lower pectorals and the triceps brachii. By leaning your torso forward, you increase activation of the chest, whereas maintaining a more upright posture shifts the focus primarily to the triceps, with the anterior deltoids assisting throughout the movement.
Primary
Secondary
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