Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

Chest Dip (On Dip-Pull-Up Cage): How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The chest dip (on dip-pull-up cage) is a bodyweight exercise targeting the pectoral muscles, with secondary emphasis on the triceps and shoulders. It involves supporting your body weight on parallel bars, lowering yourself by bending your elbows, and then pushing back up.

Primary muscles
Chest
Secondary muscles
Triceps , Shoulders
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Advanced · Compound
Demonstration of the chest dip (on dip-pull-up cage)
Front view: muscles worked by the chest dip (on dip-pull-up cage). Primary: chest. Secondary: triceps and shoulders.
Back view: muscles worked by the chest dip (on dip-pull-up cage). Primary: chest. Secondary: triceps and shoulders.
Primary Secondary

How to do the chest dip (on dip-pull-up cage)

  1. Step 1: Adjust the dip bars to a height that allows you to comfortably grip them.
  2. Step 2: Stand between the bars and place your hands on each bar, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Step 3: Jump up and straighten your arms, supporting your body weight on the bars.
  4. Step 4: Bend your knees and cross your ankles behind you.
  5. Step 5: Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping your chest up and your shoulders down.
  6. Step 6: Continue lowering until your shoulders are below your elbows or until you feel a stretch in your chest.
  7. Step 7: Push through your palms and extend your elbows to raise your body back up to the starting position.
  8. Step 8: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the chest dip (on dip-pull-up cage) by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Chest Dip (On Dip-Pull-Up Cage) alternatives

More exercises that train the chest as their main target:

More chest exercises

See the best chest exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.