Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Scapula Dips: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

Scapula dips are a bodyweight exercise targeting the traps and upper back, focusing on scapular retraction and depression. This movement helps improve shoulder stability and strength.

Primary muscles
Traps
Secondary muscles
Shoulders
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the scapula dips
Front view: muscles worked by the scapula dips. Primary: traps. Secondary: shoulders.
Back view: muscles worked by the scapula dips. Primary: traps. Secondary: shoulders.
Primary Secondary

How to do the scapula dips

  1. Step 1: Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms extended in front of you.
  2. Step 2: Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
  3. Step 3: Lower your body by bending your elbows and retracting your shoulder blades, as if you are trying to squeeze a pencil between them.
  4. Step 4: Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push through your hands to extend your elbows and return to the starting position.
  5. Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the scapula 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.

Scapula Dips alternatives

More exercises that train the traps as their main target:

More traps 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.