Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

Chest Dip on Straight Bar: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The chest dip on a straight bar is a bodyweight exercise that targets the pectoral muscles, with secondary emphasis on the triceps and shoulders. It requires significant upper body strength, stability, and control.

Primary muscles
Chest
Secondary muscles
Triceps , Shoulders
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Advanced · Compound
Demonstration of the chest dip on straight bar
Front view: muscles worked by the chest dip on straight bar. Primary: chest. Secondary: triceps and shoulders.
Back view: muscles worked by the chest dip on straight bar. Primary: chest. Secondary: triceps and shoulders.
Primary Secondary

How to do the chest dip on straight bar

  1. Step 1: Grab the parallel bars with your palms facing down and your arms fully extended.
  2. Step 2: Bend your knees and cross your ankles.
  3. Step 3: Lower your body by bending your arms until your shoulders are below your elbows.
  4. Step 4: Push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
  5. Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the chest dip on straight bar 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 Straight Bar 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.