Straight Bar Dip

A straight bar dip is a dip done over a single bar instead of parallel bars, which forces your torso to lean and your body to stay in front of the bar. It hits the chest and triceps hard, and it is the specific pressing position you finish a muscle up in. If the muscle up is the goal, this is not optional work.

How to Perform

1. Jump or step up to support yourself over a single straight bar with locked arms and the bar at your hips.
2. Lean your torso forward slightly and keep your body just in front of the bar.
3. Lower yourself by bending your elbows until your chest is level with or below the bar.
4. Keep your shoulders down and your elbows tracking back rather than flaring wide.
5. Press back up to a full lockout without letting your hips swing forward to help.

Tips

• The forward lean is the whole exercise. Stay upright and you are doing a much easier movement.
• Depth counts. A half rep dip builds very little and still beats up the shoulder.
• If parallel bar dips are still hard, build those first. This version asks more of the shoulder.