Elbow dips

Description

How to Do Elbow dips

1. 1
   Setup

   Begin in a forearm plank position with your body forming a straight line from head to heels, supported by your forearms and toes.

2. 2
   Setup

   Ensure your elbows are directly beneath your shoulders, forearms parallel, and palms flat on the ground or hands clasped.

3. 3

   Inhale and slowly lower your hips towards the floor by bending further at your elbows, keeping your body in a rigid, straight line.

4. 4

   Lower until your chest is close to the ground, feeling a stretch in your triceps and shoulders.

5. 5

   Exhale and powerfully press through your forearms and elbows, extending them to push your body back up to the starting forearm plank position.

Tips

• Maintain a rigid plank throughout the entire movement, actively engaging your core and glutes to prevent your hips from sagging or lifting too high.
• Control the eccentric (lowering) phase, taking 2-3 seconds to descend, to maximize time under tension and build greater strength.
• Focus on driving through the entire surface of your forearms and elbows, imagining you are pushing the floor away from you to initiate the upward movement.
• Keep your shoulder blades pulled back and down, away from your ears, to maintain shoulder stability and optimal muscle activation.

Common Mistakes

• ×Allowing your hips to sag towards the floor puts excessive strain on the lower back; fix this by tightening your core and glutes to keep your body in a straight line.
• ×Flaring your elbows out to the sides reduces triceps activation and can strain the shoulder joint; fix this by keeping your elbows tucked in closer to your body.
• ×Performing a short range of motion limits muscle engagement; fix this by lowering your body until your chest is nearly touching the floor, ensuring a full stretch in the triceps and shoulders.