The dip is a classic upper body exercise that works the chest, triceps and shoulders. It’s a really good pectoral movement because the muscle gets a nice stretch at the bottom. However, many untrained people may fail to do a single repetition. This tutorial will help you get your first dip.

1.Lose weight

During dips you are lifting your whole body minus the forearms. This means that if you are really fat, you are lifting something close to an elephant. The first thing to do is lose some of those extra fat cells. This step will reduce the stress on your joints and help you get more reps with good form. To lose weight, follow a basic exercise regimen and a clean diet that puts you in a caloric deficit.

2.Do push-ups, lots of them

The best way to get stronger for your first dip is to do push-ups on handles or some other device that allows you to go deeper at the bottom. The push-up works the same muscles as the dip but requires less strength.

If you are not strong enough to do a regular push-up with your legs straight, perform them on your knees and later switch to the harder variation once you are strong enough.

Work up to 4 sets of 15 narrow grip push-ups, and the next time you try dips you will get more than one repetition.

Note: Don’t do triceps dips on a bench with your arms behind you. This movement places too much stress on your shoulders. You are risking impingement and rotator cuff issues.

In addition, you could add dip support to condition the elbows and shoulders a little more. Simply get in the top position of a regular dip and hold it for time. At the beginning, your arms will shake, but before you know it, adaptation will take place. Add this to your push-up work.