Band Assisted Dip

How to do it

1. Anchor the band securely, check there is no slack at the start, and expect the tension to rise through the range.
2. Support your weight on the handles or bars with your arms straight and your shoulders pulled down.
3. Set a slight forward lean and brace before you lower.
4. Lower under control by bending your elbows until your upper arms are about parallel to the floor.
5. Keep your elbows tracking back rather than flaring wide.
6. Press back up until your arms are straight.

Coaching cues

• Lower until your upper arms reach about parallel to the floor.
• Keep your elbows tracking back over your wrists, not flaring out.
• Lean your torso forward slightly to bias the chest, or stay upright to bias the triceps.
• Think about squeezing your chest to drive the movement, not just pushing with your arms.
• Match your effort to the band — its resistance climbs toward the end of the range.

Watch out for

• Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears at the bottom.

  Shrugged shoulders put your shoulder in a weaker, more exposed position at the bottom.

  Instead Keep your shoulders pulled down and away from your ears throughout.

• Only dipping a few inches instead of reaching depth.

  A shallow dip trains a small slice of the range and much less of your chest and triceps.

  Instead Lower until your upper arms are about parallel to the floor.

• Letting the elbows flare wide as you press.

  Wide elbows put your shoulders in a weaker position to press from.

  Instead Keep your elbows tracking back over your wrists.

• Letting the band snap you back through the last part of the range.

  Giving in to the band skips the controlled lowering where much of the work happens.

  Instead Control the return as the band’s tension pulls you back.

The detail

Tempo

Lower for about two counts, then press up with intent.

Breathing

Breathe in as you lower, exhale as you press up.

Range of motion

Lower until your upper arms are about parallel, then press to straight arms. Take the chest through its full working range each rep.

Setting up

Anchor the band securely, check there is no slack at the start, and expect the tension to rise through the range.

If you are new to it

Use band or machine assistance, or keep the range shallow, until you can control full-depth reps.

Once it is easy

Add a pause at the bottom or progress the difficulty once you own full-depth reps.