Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

One Arm Dip: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The one arm dip is a challenging bodyweight exercise that targets the triceps, with secondary emphasis on the chest and shoulders. It requires significant upper body strength, balance, and coordination, as you support your body weight with one arm while performing the dip motion.

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

How to do the one arm dip

  1. Step 1: Stand facing away from a bench or chair, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Step 2: Place one hand on the bench or chair behind you, fingers pointing towards your body.
  3. Step 3: Extend your legs out in front of you, keeping your heels on the ground.
  4. Step 4: Bend your elbows and lower your body towards the ground, keeping your back close to the bench or chair.
  5. Step 5: Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push through your palms to straighten your arms and return to the starting position.
  6. Step 6: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides and repeat with the other arm.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the one arm dip 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.

One Arm Dip alternatives

More exercises that train the triceps as their main target:

More triceps 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.