One Arm Dip
- Músculo objetivo
- Triceps Brachii
- Músculos sinergistas
- Deltoid Anterior, Latissimus Dorsi, Levator Scapulae, Pectoralis Major Clavicular Head, Pectoralis Major Sternal Head, Quadriceps
- Equipamiento
- Body weight
- Parte del cuerpo
- Upper Arms
- Tipo
- Strength
The one arm dip is an advanced bodyweight exercise that puts the whole dipping load on a single arm. The triceps brachii drives elbow extension, with the anterior deltoid and both heads of the pectoralis major assisting the press, while the latissimus dorsi and levator scapulae stabilize the shoulder blade and the quadriceps hold the legs out. It builds unilateral pressing strength and exposes side-to-side imbalances that two-arm dips hide.
Cómo hacer el One Arm Dip
- 1Sit on the edge of a sturdy bench with your working hand flat beside your hip, fingers pointing forward and the heel of the palm under your shoulder.
- 2Straighten the working arm and shift your weight onto that hand to lift your hips clear of the bench, resting the free hand across your lap.
- 3Walk your feet out until your legs are extended in front of you — knees bent near 90 degrees to start, straighter to make the set harder.
- 4Brace your core, squeeze the quadriceps, and set the shoulder down and back so the hips stay level and square to the bench.
- 5Inhale and bend the working elbow over 2–3 seconds, lowering the hips straight down with the elbow tracking close to your torso.
- 6Stop when the upper arm is roughly parallel to the floor, or shallower if the shoulder feels pinched at the bottom.
- 7Exhale and press through the palm to straighten the elbow, keeping the shoulder pinned down rather than letting it ride up toward your ear.
- 8Finish all reps on that side, sit back on the bench, then repeat with the other arm before resting.
Consejos de técnica
- Scale the load with your legs: bent knees with the heels close in leave more weight on the floor, while extended legs and heels far out shift almost all of your body weight onto the working arm.
- Keep the elbow close to your side throughout. Even slight outward flare pulls the load off the triceps and onto the front of the shoulder.
- Own the eccentric — a 2–3 second descent keeps tension on the triceps and stops you from crashing into end-range at the bottom.
- Keep the working wrist stacked under the shoulder and the fingers forward; a hand placed too far away loads the wrist joint at a bad angle.
- Stop the set the moment you feel sharp pain in the shoulder, elbow, or wrist. The load per arm is high and the movement has little margin for form breakdown.
Errores comunes
- Attempting the one arm dip before you can do roughly 15 strict two-arm dips. The single-arm version nearly doubles the load per arm, so undertrained lifters swing the torso to complete reps and expose the shoulder to a jerked, uncontrolled load.
- Letting the elbow flare wide on the way down, which shifts the work from the triceps to the anterior deltoid and shoulder capsule and raises impingement risk.
- Dropping the hips with no eccentric control, which erases triceps time under tension and slams the elbow into the bottom of the range.
- Shrugging the shoulder toward the ear as you press, which lets the scapula ride up instead of staying depressed and compresses the shoulder joint rep after rep.
- Twisting the hips toward the working arm to shorten the range of motion, which turns the dip into a partial rep and cheats the triceps out of the hardest part of the lift.
Preguntas frecuentes
What muscles does the one arm dip work?
The triceps brachii is the primary mover. The anterior deltoid and the pectoralis major (clavicular and sternal heads) assist the press, the latissimus dorsi and levator scapulae stabilize the shoulder blade, and the quadriceps work isometrically to hold the legs out in front of you.
Is the one arm dip good for beginners?
No. It is an advanced movement that needs real upper-body pressing strength and shoulder stability. Build to about 15 strict two-arm dips first, then start with bent knees and heels close in before progressing to extended legs.
How many sets and reps should I do for the one arm dip?
Treat it as a strength movement: 3–5 sets of 2–6 reps per arm, with 2–3 minutes of rest between sides. Prioritize a controlled descent and a full lockout over chasing reps, especially in your first few weeks.
How deep should I go on a one arm dip?
Lower until the upper arm is roughly parallel to the floor. Going deeper adds shoulder stress with little extra triceps work, and if you feel pinching at the front of the shoulder, stop short of parallel and work the range you can control.
How does the one arm dip compare to a regular two-arm dip?
A standard dip splits your body weight across both arms; the one arm dip loads a single triceps with all of it, nearly doubling the demand. It also adds a rotational stability challenge, since the core, hips, and quadriceps have to resist tipping toward the working side on every rep.
