Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

Korean Dips: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

Korean dips are a challenging bodyweight exercise performed on parallel bars, targeting the pectorals, triceps, and shoulders. The movement requires significant upper body strength, shoulder mobility, and stability, as the body is lowered deeply between the bars before pressing back up.

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

How to do the korean dips

  1. Step 1: Position yourself between two parallel bars with your arms extended and supporting your body weight.
  2. Step 2: Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
  3. Step 3: Pause for a moment, then push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
  4. Step 4: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the korean dips 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.

Korean Dips alternatives

More exercises that train the chest as their main target:

More chest exercises

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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.