How to Do Leg Assisted Dips
Leg assisted dips are a great exercise for building upper body strength, particularly targeting the triceps, chest, and shoulders. This variation uses your legs to help support some of your body weight, making it easier to perform than traditional dips.
Step By Step Guide to Properly Execute Leg Assisted Dips
- Starting Position
- Position yourself in front of a dip bar or parallel bars. Place your hands on the bars with a firm grip, and keep your feet on the ground to support your weight. Your arms should be straight, and your body upright.
- Execution
- Bend your elbows to lower your body slowly, keeping your chest up and elbows close to your body. Use your legs to assist by pushing slightly off the ground as needed.
- Top Position
- Pause briefly at the bottom of the movement when your elbows are at a 90-degree angle, ensuring you maintain control and stability.
- Lowering Phase
- Press through your palms and use your legs to help push your body back up to the starting position, straightening your arms fully.
Benefits of Leg Assisted Dips
- Improves upper body strength, particularly in the triceps, chest, and shoulders.
- Enhances muscle endurance and stability.
- Provides a scalable exercise option for beginners or those with limited upper body strength.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Avoid flaring your elbows out too wide; keep them close to your body to prevent shoulder strain.
- Do not rush the movement; maintain a controlled pace to ensure proper form and muscle engagement.
- Ensure your feet are providing just enough support without taking over the movement entirely.
Follow these steps and tips to master Leg Assisted Dips with proper form and efficiency.
Equipment needed for this exercises is a pair of dip bars
FAQ About Leg Assisted Dips
8-12 reps, 3-4 sets. Use your legs to help push you up, but use them as little as possible. The goal is to gradually reduce leg assistance until you can do full dips. When you can do 12 with minimal leg push, try full dips.
As little as possible. Your legs are a safety net, not the primary mover. Push through your arms first, then use your legs only to finish the rep if needed. I tell athletes to aim for 80% arms, 20% legs. That ratio should shift toward 100% arms over time.
For learning the movement pattern, yes. Leg assisted dips let you control exactly how much help you get on every single rep. Bands give the most help at the bottom and least at the top, which doesn't match most people's strength curve. I prefer leg assistance for beginners.
Reduce the leg push gradually over 3-4 weeks. Start by using legs on every rep, then only on the last 2-3 reps of each set. When you can do 8 reps using legs only on the last rep, test a full dip. Most people are ready at that point.
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