The calisthenics is a training method that is configured by a set of movements such as basic motor skills, using one’s own body weight, which will be part of a large number of movement schemes in sports and daily life (2).
An example of this is the push exercise known as tricep dips.
What is calisthenics and what is it for?
This modality of sport/training, reaches much broader heights besides the objectives concerning physical conditioning itself. Quoting one of the interviewees in the article by García Herreros, L and Seliva Arroyo, N (2019) (3), we can say that:
“…it seems unbelievable but you no longer see kids playing in the street (…) and that is what Street Workout and sports that are born a bit like that, in the street, have brought back a bit (…). In the neighborhoods, in all the cities you see many kids doing sports in the street… so what that does is create community and whether you like it or not, people seeing it, join, practice, try, like it… meet people and have social relationships within that environment that are favorable.”
Regardless of the exercise modality, the benefits of regular strength training are varied, such as (4):
- Increases the percentage of muscle mass and the capacity for force application.
- Reduces visceral fat, improving the fat percentage in body composition.
- Improves metabolism, as well as physical-sport performance.
- Prevents sarcopenia and improves strength functionally (in older adults).
- Allows for quality weight loss, meaning that weight is lost while maintaining muscle mass.
- Reduces blood pressure, increases HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), improves insulin sensitivity, and reduces hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c).
- Psychologically, improves cognitive function (in older adults).
A very motivating protocol, that meets the demands of effective exercise in a short time, is the following (proposed in several research works)(9)(6)(5)(4):
- Variants of the push up or tricep dip, developing the training following the principle of continuity (for 4-6 weeks) increasing the technical difficulty of the exercise, and maintaining the rest of the load parameters (3 sets of 6 repetitions).
How are tricep dips done on the floor?
Tricep dips on the floor, also known as bench tricep dips but adapted to the floor, are a modified version of the exercise that you can perform without the need for special equipment, only using your own body weight.
The execution of tricep dips on the floor is done following the following basic premises of execution in technique (10):
To correctly execute a tricep dip on the floor, or push up, we start lying in a prone position (face down), with the torso in contact with the floor. The hands should be placed at shoulder width and below them.
The elbows will remain at all times as close to the torso as possible (we are not going to perform an elbow flexion, but a tricep dip).
From this position, we push the floor with our hands and lift our torso as a block, and then lower without touching the floor.
During the execution of the exercise, we must keep the gaze forward and down, in addition to contracting the abdomen and keeping the torso straight, like a block.
To perform them, sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. Place your hands on the floor behind you, with your fingers pointing towards your glutes or slightly outward, depending on what is more comfortable for you.
Lift your body off the floor by straightening your arms, so that your butt is suspended in the air and only your hands and heels are in contact with the floor.
This is your starting position. From here, slowly bend your elbows to lower your body towards the floor, keeping your back straight and close to your hands to maximize tension in the triceps. Lower until your glutes almost touch the floor, but without resting on it.
Then, push up by extending your arms to return to the starting position. Make sure to keep your elbows pointing back and close to your body throughout the movement to focus the work on the triceps. This exercise is excellent for those looking for an accessible alternative to strengthen the triceps without the need for equipment.
|
Level 1 |
Wall push up |
|---|---|
|
Level 2 |
Inclined push up |
|
Level 3 |
Knee push up |
|
Level 4 |
Half push up |
|
Level 5 |
Full push up |
|
Level 6 |
Close push up |
|
Level 7 |
Uneven push up |
|
Level 8 |
Half one-hand push up |
|
Level 9 |
Archer push up |
|
Level 10 |
One-arm push up |
What muscles are worked in tricep dips?
Tricep dips, at the muscular level, require the activation of (7):
- Agonists: clavicular portion of the pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, and long head of the triceps brachii.
- Scapular stabilizers: upper portion of the trapezius, serratus anterior, and lower portion of the trapezius.
- Glenohumeral stabilizers: biceps brachii, infraspinatus, and long dorsal.
It is essential that we know and can perform the technique well to avoid injuries and to properly stimulate the target muscles (11), and it is even more important in tricep dips and their variants.
Tricep dips are a compound exercise that primarily focuses on strengthening the triceps, the muscles located at the back of the arms.
However, their benefit is not limited exclusively to this area. When performing this exercise, other muscle groups are also secondarily involved. The chest muscles, specifically the pectoralis major, are activated during the movement, especially when lowering the body.
Additionally, the deltoid muscles, located in the shoulders, work to stabilize the body throughout the exercise. The upper back, including the rhomboid muscles and part of the trapezius, also benefit, as these muscles help maintain proper posture and control the movement.
Although the triceps are the main focus, tricep dips offer the advantage of being a multi-joint exercise that allows working several muscle groups at the same time, making them particularly effective for strengthening and toning the upper body.
Variants of tricep dips: on bench, parallel bars, and rings
How are tricep dips done on parallel bars?
To execute this exercise, a series of guidelines must be followed (8):
Bend the elbows and keep the back straight, then push with the arms and lift the body until the elbows are extended again.
This variant is performed on parallel bars, which are at a height that allows hanging with the arms fully extended. To perform them:
- Starting Position: Grab the parallel bars with both hands and lift yourself until your arms are fully extended. Keep your body in a vertical position with respect to the floor.
- Execution: Bend the elbows to lower your body in a controlled manner, keeping the elbows close to your body. Descend until the arms form an angle of approximately 90 degrees or a bit more to increase the depth of the exercise, depending on your level of flexibility and strength.
- Return: Extend the arms to lift your body back to the starting position.
Tricep dips on parallel bars focus the work mainly on the triceps, but also involve pectorals and deltoids, making them more complete for working the upper body.
How are tricep dips done on rings?
Tricep dips on rings (7) are executed with a trunk kinetics (trunk angulation with respect to the horizontal line) similar to tricep dips on parallel bars, differentiating one exercise from the other by the angles formed by both the elbows and shoulders at the moment of change of direction (less in the tricep dip on rings compared to the parallel bars).
Tricep dips on rings are performed with suspended gymnastic rings, which adds an element of instability to the exercise and requires greater muscle activation to maintain balance. To perform them:
- Starting Position: Hold the rings and push yourself up until your arms are fully extended and the rings are stable on each side of your body.
- Execution: As with the parallel bars, bend the elbows to lower your body. The instability of the rings will make this movement more challenging, requiring greater effort from the stabilizing muscles in the shoulders and core.
- Return: Press against the rings to extend the arms and return to the starting position.
Dips on rings increase the demand on the triceps, but also involve considerable work from the stabilizing muscles of the torso and shoulders, improving functional strength and coordination.
Are bench tricep dips a good alternative?
In this exercise, due to the distribution of weight on four supports (the two hands and the two feet), it produces a reduction in the load to be lifted by the requested musculature (1). It could be interesting, in the absence of other materials, to start with this exercise due to the reduced weight we have to lift.
The technique of this exercise is described as follows (11):
First, we sit on the bench that will serve as support. Then, we place our hands on the edge of it, with a separation greater than the width of our hips (slightly greater). We will move a little away from the bench, so that we can lower the torso in front of the bench. From this starting position, we must lower the torso by bending the elbows and extending the shoulders.
In this movement, the back should slightly brush against the edge of the bench. We must lower until just before it becomes uncomfortable.
However, as other authors opine, it is an exercise that seems not to be beneficial for athletes who suffer from instability in the glenohumeral joint (7).
This exercise seems to cause repeated forward movement in the shoulder joints, in addition to generating tension in the cervical area and increasing the stiffness of the shoulder joint (8). Therefore, if we want to strengthen the elbow extensors through a push pattern, the progression proposed earlier in this article, referring to push ups, seems better.
Which variant to choose?
Before choosing one variant or another of tricep dips, we must consider a series of questions, such as:
- What is your goal?
- Do you have any injury or instability in the shoulder joint?
- Are you well adapted to the exercise of the immediately previous difficulty?
Depending on the answer to these questions, we opt for some exercises of the progression or others, based on the exercises of the push up, bar tricep dips, ring tricep dips, etc.
Another example of progression that we can do, once the different difficulty levels of the push up or tricep dip on the floor are overcome, is the following:
|
Level 1 |
Assisted bar tricep dips with legs |
|---|---|
|
Level 2 |
Bar tricep dips with elastic band |
|
Level 3 |
Bar tricep dips with bodyweight |
|
Level 4 |
Bar tricep dips with weight |
Conclusion
Despite the great contribution of knowledge that reading articles like this and other scientific literature provides, we must not stop valuing the know-how that we can achieve by putting all these types of proposals into practice.
In conclusion, tricep dips and their variants represent a powerful and versatile tool within the arsenal of exercises to strengthen and tone the upper body.
From their most basic form performed on the floor to the more advanced variations on parallel bars and rings, these exercises offer a wide range of difficulties that can be adapted to different skill levels and training goals.
The ability to modify the intensity and focus of the exercise through the use of different variants allows individuals to customize their training to meet their specific needs, whether they are starting their fitness journey or seeking more advanced challenges.
Implementing these exercises in a regular routine will not only contribute to muscle development but also improve functionality and performance in daily and sports activities.
Therefore, regardless of whether you prefer the stability of tricep dips on parallel bars or the additional challenge offered by rings, incorporating tricep dips into your exercise routine is a solid step towards achieving your fitness goals.
With practice, dedication, and proper attention to technique, tricep dips can help you build the strength and appearance you desire in the upper body.
Bibliographic references
- Bagchi, A (2015) A comparative electromyographical investigation of triceps brachii and pectoralis major during four different freehand exercises. Journal of educational physical research, 2, 20-27.
- Del Río Alijas, R and Díaz Torre, A (2015) Calisthenics: returning to the origins. EmásF, 33, 87-96.
- García Herreros, L Seliva Arroyo, N (2019) Street Workout and calisthenics: much more than a sport. Revista española de educación física y deportes, 426, 203-209.
- Hollingsworth, JC et al (2020) Protocol for minute calisthenics: a randomized controlled study of a daily, habit-based, bodyweight resistance training program. BMC Public health, 20, 1-9.
- Kikuchi, N et al (2017) Low load bench press and push up induce similar muscle hypertrophy and strength gain. J exerc sci fit, 5(1), 37-42.
- Kotarski, CJ et al (2018) Effects of progressive calisthenic push up training on muscle strength and thickness. J strength cond res, 32(3), 651-659.
- Mckenzie, A et al (2022) Bench, bar, and ring dips, do kinematics and muscle activity differ? International journal of environmental research and public health, 19, 1-11.
- Ortiz, JM (sf) 7 exercises you should not do. Mundoentrenamiento. Retrieved on 7-03-2024 from https://mundoentrenamiento.com/7-ejercicios-que-no-debes-hacer/#dippings-o-fondos-de-triceps
- Paternina Peinado, S (2023) Strengthening the shot put technique in Paralympic athletes belonging to the Córdoba athletics league. Internship report. Faculty of education and human sciences. University of Córdoba.
- Sperlich, B et al (2018) A 4-week intervention involving Mobile-based daily 6-minute micro-sessions of functional high-intensity circuit training improves strength and quality of life, but not cardio-respiratory fitness of young untrained adults. Front physiol, 9.
- Vargas, J and Simbaña, R (2023) Research perspectives. Exploring the complexities of Latin America through case studies. Religación press.
- Villota Robles, JA (2023) Physical exercise and its influence on the development of physical abilities in students of the 1st and 2nd semester of the sports training career, course 2022-2023. Final degree project.
