10 Of The Top Alternatives To Dips Exercises

Doing the dip exercise can offer benefits but not everyone likes it. Find out what dip alternatives can help you work similar muscles.

The dip exercise mainly works your triceps, lower pectoralis (aka lower pecs, aka lower chest muscles), and front deltoids. In what ratio these muscles have to work depends on your posture during the exercise.

Whether you don’t enjoy the regular dip exercise, you are not yet able to do one, or you want an alternative for any other reason, these dip alternatives can help you work out these muscles anyway.

1. Types of pushups

Pushups are a very convenient alternative to dips since you do not necessarily need any equipment to do them.

That being said if you are more experienced with resistance training you likely need to do weighted pushups with external weights like a weighted vest to keep building extra muscle mass.

Take the following steps to do a pushup:

1. Start with your face facing the floor with your hand palms on the ground about shoulder-width apart and pointing forward. Your arms are stretched and your knees are on the ground.
2. Move your feet back until your body is in a straight line.
3. Slowly fold your arms at your elbows until your face is close to the ground. Your arms should be at an angle of about 45 degrees to your sides. Another way to put it is if someone is looking down at you from above your arms should make an arrow, not a T.
4. Stretch your arms again until you are back in a straight arm plank position.

The way you do pushups influences what muscles you focus on.

If you want to focus more on your tricep muscles you can do narrow-handed pushups. These are pushups where you place your hands closer together instead of at shoulder width.

On the other hand, if you want to focus more on your lower chest muscles you can do incline pushups. An incline pushup is very similar to a regular pushup but your hands lean on an elevated surface.

2. Cable machine tricep pushdown

The cable machine is a piece of fitness equipment where a steel frame holds weights and pulleys.

Thanks to the cable going through these pulleys and attached to these weights you can do many types of strength training exercises for a wide variety of muscles.

One example of a cable machine exercise that can serve as an alternative for exercise dips is the tricep pushdown. Take the following steps to do a cable machine tricep pushdown:

1. Adjust the bar or rope of the cable machine so that it is at about chest height. Step into starting position in front of the cable machine.
2. Grab the bar overhanded or in case of a rope grip, place your hands at about shoulder-width.
3. Push the weight down by moving your lower arms. Your elbows should stay close to your body and your upper arms should stay more or less static. Make sure you don’t bend your back too much.
4. Once your arms are extended but not locked yet you can hold for a second or less.
5. Let the bar or rope go back up in a slow and controlled manner.

Finding the ideal weight for your current skill level may initially be some trial and error.

If you don’t like going to the gym and don’t have a cable machine at home you can consider trying out this exercise with resistance bands.

3. Close grip bench press

The bench press is one of the most popular weight lifting exercises. This exercise is similar to the pushup but instead of pushing your own body weight up from the ground, you push up weight while your back is on a bench.

Similar to the pushup you can do the bench press in a different way so that it becomes closer to an alternative for exercise dips.

By doing the bench press with a close grip you focus more on your tricep muscles. You can do this exercise with equipment options like a barbell or a pair of dumbbells.

Take the following steps to do a close grip bench press with a barbell:

1. Lie with your back on a weight bench. Your feet should be flat on the floor.
2. Place your hands slightly closer to the middle than shoulder-width. Your arms should be at an angle of about 45 degrees to your sides.
3. Unrack the barbell and slowly lower it to your chest.
4. Push the barbell back up again.
5. Place the barbell in the rack again if you are done or repeat starting at step 3 for more repetitions.

If you do the bench press with a barbell you likely want a spotter or safety bar in case the weight becomes too much.

Keep in mind that doing a close grip bench is generally more difficult than a regular grip bench press with the same weight. Adjust how much weight you use accordingly.

4. Overhead resistance band tricep extension

Resistance bands are a relatively inexpensive piece of fitness equipment that allows you to make certain resistance training exercises more challenging, or do new resistance training exercises.

One of these exercises is the tricep extension which allows you to work out your tricep muscles. Take the following steps to do an overhead resistance band tricep extension:

1. Either attach the resistance band you will use somewhere low or simply stand on it. In the first case stand over the anchor point with the leg on the side of the arm you want to train.
2. Grab the resistance band with the arm you want to train and pull the resistance band all the way up until your arm is extended but not locked.
3. Slowly fold your lower arm towards your back until it makes a 90-degree angle with the rest of your body. Your upper arm should stay in one line with the rest of your body.
4. Raise your lower arm again until it is extended but not locked.

5. Pec deck fly

The pec deck fly, also known as the machine fly, is a gym machine that allows you to work out your pectoral muscles. This machine is a beginner-friendly alternative to dip exercises.

Take the following steps to use the pec deck fly machine:

1. Adjust the machine so that the handles are at chest height and at the right distance from your body and your feet stand comfortably on the floor.
2. Place your arms against the pads and/or grab the handles.
3. Press your arms together in a controlled motion while keeping your posture straight.
4. Once your arms are fully pressed together you can hold for a second or less.
5. Slowly move your arms back to starting position.

6. Dumbbell tricep kickback

This next dip exercise alternative can be done in a few different variations but all of them are focused on engaging your tricep muscles.

Take the following steps to do a standing dumbbell tricep kickback:

1. Grab 2 dumbbells of the same weight. Place your feet at about shoulder width.
2. Slightly bend your legs and bend your upper body forward at about a 45-degree angle with a vertical line. Make sure your back stays straight throughout the exercise.
3. Bring your upper arms in line with your upper body. Keep them close to your body. During your repetitions, your upper arms should stay more or less in the same position.
4. Raise your lower arms in a controlled motion until they are extended.
5. Slowly let gravity do its work on your lower arms until they are back in starting position.

Instead of standing up, you can also do the dumbbell tricep kickback on an incline weight bench. You can also do this exercise with one arm while being supported by a horizontal weight bench.

Lastly, dumbbells are the most popular piece of equipment for this exercise but you can also use resistance bands.

7. Chair or bench dips

Take the following steps to do a chair dip:

1. Find 2 stable chairs. A stable bench or another elevated platform can also do the job.
2. Place your hands at more or less shoulder-width apart on the surface with stretched arms. Your feet should rest stably on the ground.
3. Bend your arms at your elbows until they are at a 90-degree angle. The rest of your body should barely not touch the surface. Try to put as much weight on your arms as possible, your legs should be used as balance, not to move you.
4. Raise yourself back up into starting position.

One reason you may avoid regular dips is that they are hard, especially if you are relatively new to resistance training.

Luckily you can also do chair or bench dips which are an easier alternative since you do not have to pushup up your full body weight.

While these objects can be a great parallel dip bar alternative, they also put your shoulders in a less optimal position. Make sure you keep your shoulders in a safe position and range of motion to avoid any injuries.

8. Decline bench press

This next version of the bench press is the decline bench press. This means your knees will be higher than your face.

By doing the bench press this way you target your lower chest muscles which makes it a great alternative to dips.

Take the following steps to do a decline bench press with a barbell:

1. Lie with your back on a decline weight bench.
2. Place your hands on the barbell at about shoulder width. Your arms should be at an angle of about 45 degrees to your sides.
3. Unrack the barbell and slowly lower it to your chest.
4. Push the barbell back up again.
5. Place the barbell in the rack again if you are done or repeat starting at step 3 for more repetitions.

One downside of decline bench presses is that you still need very specific equipment in the form of a decline bench.

At the same time, you can still change up the resistance. Something like a pair of dumbbells is great to work your chest and tricep muscles too.

9. Dumbbell pullover

To do this next dip alternative, you preferably have a dumbbell and a flat weight bench. Other weights and something like a stability ball could work too.

Once you have the equipment requirements, take the following steps to do a dumbbell pullover:

1. Lie on a weight bench with your head on the end of the bench. Hold a dumbbell on your chest.
2. Grab one end of the dumbbell with both of your hands with your hand palms pointing upward. Extend your arms upward until they are slightly less than stretched and point them up.
3. Slowly move back your arms as far as comfortable. Keep your elbows close to the center, not pointing outward too much. Your arms stay slightly less than stretched throughout the exercise.
4. Move your arms back to the position in step 3 in a controlled motion.

To make this movement target similar muscles as dips, you really want to focus on keeping your elbows close to the center. If you don’t feel your lower chest muscles working, your technique may be off.

Something else to note is that you don’t want to be too optimistic about your strength level in this exercise. You definitely don’t want to drop the dumbbell in the pullover exercise.

10. Cable crossover

For the cable crossover exercise, you will need to attach single-grip handles to each side of the machine at shoulder level. After that, take the following steps to do a cable crossover:

1. Grab 1 handle, walk towards the other handle and grab it with the other hand. Stand in the middle between the two cables.
2. Put one foot a small distance backward and the other foot forward for balance. Slightly tilt your upper body forward while keeping your back straight. Keep your arms slightly less than extended throughout the exercise.
3. Slowly bring your hands to the center, instead of stopping when right before they touch each other you let one arm go above the other to go a little further.
4. Slowly go back to starting position.
5. When doing multiple repetitions switch between which arm goes above.

The cable crossover is a great exercise to isolate your chest muscles. Many people like the consistent tension over the entire movement from the cable machine.