Suspension Triceps Dip
Suspension Triceps Dip Exercise Description
The suspension triceps dip is a bodyweight press that primarily trains the triceps brachii through elbow extension, with assistance from the pectoralis major and anterior deltoids. Because the straps move freely, your scapular stabilizers and core must stay active to keep the torso rigid and the shoulders centered. Intensity is easily adjusted by changing body angle and foot position, allowing you to match the leverage to your current control. The key is keeping the shoulders depressed and the elbows tracking close to the torso while you lower under control and press back to full extension. Limit depth to a comfortable range—about a 90-degree elbow bend—so the shoulders do not excessively extend behind the body.
- Muscle Groups: Triceps
- Target Muscles: Triceps Brachii - Medial Head
- Assisting Muscles: Deltoid - Anterior, Pectoralis Major - Clavicular Head
- Stabilizing Muscles: External Obliques, Serratus Anterior, Transversus Abdominis, Trapezius - Lower Fibers, Trapezius - Middle Fibers
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Arms, Upper Arms
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: TRX Bands
- Exercise Patterns: Push
- Exercise Type: Strength, Suspension
- Functional Grouping: Elbow Extensors
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Deep Tricep
- Movement Direction: Vertical
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Female
How To Do The Suspension Triceps Dip Exercise
‘- Set a secure overhead anchor. Stand facing away from it and grasp the handles with a neutral grip (palms facing each other), arms straight.
– Walk your feet forward until the straps are taut and your body is inclined in a straight line from ankles to shoulders; knees softly bent.
– Set your shoulders: lightly retract and depress the scapulae; keep ribs stacked over pelvis and brace your midsection.
– Keep wrists neutral and elbows pointing backward, close to your sides.
– Inhale and bend the elbows to lower your body straight down, maintaining tension and avoiding shoulder shrugging or forward head posture.
– Lower until elbows reach about 90 degrees (or before any shoulder strain or rounding appears).
– Exhale and press through the handles to extend the elbows, returning to a straight-armed start without hyperextending.
– Keep the straps from swinging or sawing across your arms; move in smooth, controlled reps.
– Adjust difficulty by stepping feet forward to increase the angle (harder) or backward to decrease it (easier); maintain the same alignment.
Suspension Triceps Dip Tips
‘- Keep your body in a straight line from ankles to shoulders, with knees softly bent.
– Lightly retract and depress your shoulder blades before you start and maintain that set position.
– Keep your ribs stacked over your pelvis and brace your midsection so the torso stays rigid.
– Maintain neutral wrists and keep your elbows pointing backward, close to your sides.
– Lower your body straight down under control, avoiding shoulder shrugging and forward head posture.
– Stop your descent around a 90-degree elbow bend or before any shoulder strain or rounding appears.
– Do not let the shoulders move excessively behind the body at the bottom position.
– Press back to full elbow extension without hyperextending at the top.
– Keep the straps taut and prevent them from swinging or sawing across your arms by moving smoothly.
– Adjust difficulty by stepping your feet forward to increase the angle (harder) or backward to decrease it (easier) while keeping the same alignment.
Suspension Triceps Dip Beginner Introduction
The suspension triceps dip is a bodyweight pressing movement performed with hanging straps, where the hands stay fixed on the handles while the body leans forward in a straight line. It mainly targets the triceps on the back of the upper arms, with strong help from the chest and shoulders. Because the straps are unstable, the core and upper back work hard behind the scenes to steady the torso and keep the shoulders in a solid, centered position. Difficulty changes easily simply by altering how far the feet are placed from the anchor point, so the effort can match different strength and control levels.
During each repetition, the body lowers and rises as the elbows bend and straighten, moving mostly behind the torso in a tight path close to the ribs. Well-controlled reps show the shoulders staying down, the head aligned with the spine, and the wrists in a comfortable, straight position. The movement generally stops around a right angle at the elbows, which encourages a strong press back to the starting position without excessive strain on the shoulder joints.