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Following are some exercises you can do for your chest, shoulders and triceps. All muscle groups are worked simultaneously.
Dips:
Get in the starting position above the bar with your arms fully extended. Inhale, and slowly lower your weight down far as you can. Exhale, and push yourself up. You should use a forceful push at the bottom to boost yourself up. This adds explosive strength and agility, which are necessary for most sports.
Push-ups:
You will need to elevate your feet for this exercise. Use a stool or have someone hold your feet. Keep your body parallel to the floor. Inhale as you go down between the parallel dip bars, and exhale as push yourself up. Push-ups work the chest area but also hit the shoulders and triceps from a different angle.
Incline push-ups:
Raise your feet higher to hit the upper chest more. Dips usually hit the lower chest. Adding inclines and regular push-ups will help you build more balanced pectoral muscles. -
Working your back and biceps will be more challenging with a dip machine. You may or may not have the right equipment. Do the best you can on these exercises:
Pull-ups:
Some dip machines have pull-up bar attachments. Use the bar to work your lats.
Rows:
In this exercise, you will have to position yourself so that the bar is at waist level. Use a stool or the movable pad to boost yourself up. This exercise can be performed on the outside of one of the parallel bars. Using an overhand grip, with your body at a 45-degree angle, exhale as you pull yourself and touch the bar with your chest. Inhale, and lower your body. If you have a pull-up bar attachment, you may be able to boost yourself up on one of the vertical bars and perform this exercise.
Bicep curls:
While in the same position, using an underhand grip, pull yourself up using just your biceps. -
Leg lifts with legs straight:
Grab the upright handles. Brace yourself and lift both legs out in front you, keeping them straight, then lower them.
Leg lifts with knees bent:
Try the same exercise but bend the knees at 90 degrees. Lift your knees up, then lower them.
Twists:
While in the same position, twist to one side as you raise yourself up, then to the other side. This exercise hits the external oblique muscles on your side.
Squats:
It is best to do squats next to the machine. Use the bar or an upright post to brace yourself. Add weights to a belt for greater resistance.
Calf raises:
Use the foot pads or pull-up bench for calf raises. Hold the handles and slowly raise yourself up on your toes. Lower yourself back down and stretch the calves. Do as many repetitions as you can.
