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What Muscles Do Dips Work? The Ultimate Upper-Body Power Move

What Muscles Do Dips Work? The Ultimate Upper-Body Power Move

28/11/25

If there’s one exercise that deserves more respect in the gym; one movement that blends old-school grit with modern athletic power, it’s the dip. The dip is simple, brutally effective, and unforgiving in all the right ways. It takes a strong individual to perform it well, and an even stronger one to perform it consistently.

Let’s talk muscles.

When you lower yourself between the bars, chest lifted and elbows bending, you’re essentially performing a vertical bench press. The triceps take centre stage. They are the engine of the movement, driving your body up through the lockout. If you want horseshoe-shaped triceps that look like they’re ready for a bodybuilding stage, dips must be part of your routine.

Next, the chest. Depending on your torso angle, dips can recruit the lower and mid-pectorals even more intensely than standard press-ups. Leaning forward slightly opens the chest, forcing it to stretch and contract with power. It’s a natural, primal movement that works with your body’s mechanics rather than against them.

Then we come to the shoulders, particularly the anterior deltoids. These stabilise and support your descent, ensuring that the movement remains controlled rather than reckless. Unlike machines, dips require coordination, balance, and true upper-body strength.

But here’s something many lifters overlook: dips also challenge the core. Your body becomes a moving plank, stabilising through the abdominals and obliques as you rise and fall. The more controlled your movement, the more the core ignites.

Dips are also one of the best exercises for progressive overload. Add a belt and some plates, and suddenly you’re building serious mass. No flashy equipment. No complicated setup. Just raw, authentic strength training.

The beauty of dips lies in their simplicity. They’re the type of exercise that champions would perform in quiet, dimly lit gyms long before the era of polished fitness studios. They force you to face your own strength; or the lack of it! If you can do ten perfect dips, you’re strong. If you can do twenty, you’re exceptional. If you can add weight… well, now you’re entering the realm of the truly dedicated.

If you want a chest that holds its shape, triceps that look like steel cables, and shoulders that command respect, dips should be a staple. They are the upper-body equivalent of squats, demanding, honest, and incredibly rewarding.

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