Dip Station

The dip station is two bars on which you support yourself with straight arms and lower the body by bending the elbows. The dedicated structure is called a dip station, but you'll also find it as an attachment for the power rack or the multifunctional tower. The distance between the bars is usually between 45 and 60 cm, enough for the torso to pass through without forcing the shoulders.

The main exercise, the dip, trains chest, triceps and front delts in a single bodyweight compound movement. The muscular emphasis changes based on the torso lean: the more you lean forward, the more the chest works; the more upright you stay, the more the load goes to the triceps. It's one of the most effective pushing movements you can do without a barbell.

When your bodyweight gets too light, you can add load with a dip belt and hanging plates. Conversely, if you can't yet do bodyweight dips, many gyms have an assisted dip machine that offloads part of your weight through a counterweight. Resistance bands looped around the bars are a valid alternative for reducing the load.

The dip station also serves for L-sits (legs straight in front, intense ab work) and for parallel bar holds in calisthenics. If you have shoulder issues, lower yourself only until your arms are parallel to the floor: going too deep can overly stress the shoulder joint capsule.