Straight Bar Dips
A dip on a single straight bar: supported above it on straight arms, you lean forward slightly and lower your chest toward the bar, working your lower chest and triceps.
- Primary muscles
- Lower chest, Triceps
- Secondary
- Front delts, Upper chest, Middle chest
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
Loads from YouTube only when you press play. The video is by an independent creator.
Why do it
With both hands on one bar in front of you, your body has to balance over a single point, which feels very different from parallel bars. It's a staple for anyone working toward a bar muscle-up, since the top half of that move is exactly this press. It's also handy when a gym or park only has a straight bar. Expect fewer reps than on parallel bars at first; the balance tends to limit you before your strength does.
How to do it
Grip a straight bar at about chest height with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
Push yourself up to straight arms with your body over the bar and your core tight.
Lean forward slightly and bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the bar, until your elbows are around 90 degrees.
Press back up to straight arms. Keeping your feet in front of you helps you balance over the bar, which is the awkward part compared with parallel bars.
Common mistakes
Letting your legs hang straight down
With your feet under you, your weight tips back off the bar. Bring your feet slightly in front of you so they counterbalance your leaning chest.
Dropping too deep
Sinking far below a right angle at the elbows pulls your shoulders forward over the bar. Stop around that right angle and press back up.
Letting the bar drift away from you
When the bar moves away from your body, you lose leverage and start to swing. Keep it close to your hips at the top and your lower chest at the bottom.
Shrugging at the top
Sinking into your shoulders at lockout makes the next rep wobbly. Push down through the bar so your shoulders stay away from your ears.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
