Not everyone has dumbbells at home to build their strength. But there is one thing in every house that could help improve strength – that is a chair.
Yes, you heard it right!
The chair that sits at your dining table or that seat that’s only used to pile the laundry on, can become useful gym equipment. You only need to learn how to perform the right moves and keep your body in the correct position. Chair dips are a bodyweight exercise that is quite simple, functional, and effective. They target the muscles at the back of your upper arms, while also targeting your shoulders, pecs, and some muscles on your ribs (2).
A chair yoga dip is one of the exercises that builds strength in a different form than the common exercises performed in a gym. This article highlights the benefits of chair dips, their variations, and how to do them right. Let’s find out how to dip!
Chair dips are also called tricep dips because they target the muscles at the back of your upper arms. The triceps muscle is actually three muscles at the back of your upper arm. Its main function is to extend your elbow and straighten your arm (1). Training this muscle group has a number of benefits. It is an aesthetic muscle group that can make the appearance of your arms look bigger when you also combine training of your biceps. This muscle group also is important to train in order to keep your arm muscles balanced. It is also involved in many simple tasks, such as pushing a door open or pushing on a grocery cart.
There are many health benefits associated with tricep dips. Because this exercise has functional movement benefits, it can even be added to chair exercises for seniors to keep their training effective and versatile. In addition, when you exercise, you may notice a reduction in shoulder tension (5).
One chair yoga dip benefit is weight loss. Although it isn’t the sole exercise that can help you shed those extra pounds, you can include it in your exercise routine to create a larger total caloric burn. This movement increases your heart rate and eventually enables you to burn calories.
The triceps are quite important in our daily movements, and they involve extending the elbow. You must use these when opening a door, holding grocery bags, or when reaching for items on an overhead shelf. This muscle also plays a role in stabilizing your shoulder joints (4). When thinking of the muscles worked during a chair yoga dip with bent knees, you should know about the following three muscles:
Note that the triceps also help you in some sports activities. Think of any upper body pushing movements. The triceps aid in the extension of the elbow and this occurs frequently in a sport like basketball. Whether you are shooting the ball or making a pass across the court, the triceps are critical.
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There are two different ways to perform chair dips. If you are a beginner, you should do it with bent knees. And once you feel strong enough, you can move to dips with straight legs. Below, we have explained the steps on how to perform a chair yoga dip with bent knees and then eventually how to move to straight leg dips as you progress over time.
Here are some steps to do chair dips and chair yoga dips with bent knees. Start with the basic exercise and gradually learn the advanced moves to build strength. The list below will start off with the basic exercise and then continue to progress into more advanced exercises. The tricep dip with rings would be the most advanced version of a tricep dip.
Chair dips are a beginner-oriented version of full-bodyweight dips that are performed by using benches or parallel bars at the gym. But if you want to do this exercise at home because you can’t go to the gym, you can advance to chair dips or leg bench dips by adding some resistance. For instance, you can start wearing a weighted vest to make this exercise more challenging. Or you can place dumbbells, sandbags, or weight plates along the crease of your hips.
If you are looking for yoga chair exercises for seniors, you should definitely try the chair dips beginner version. When you feel like your body can take more strain, you should try the variations discussed above. Remember that you have to prioritize your body through and through. If you feel like you are exhausted and may hurt yourself, quit right away and move back to the previous progression! We all progress at different rates and it is important to do what works for you to avoid injury.
Read more: 21 Day Chair Yoga: Reasons To Add This Challenge To Your Routine
Every exercise has some rules, regardless of its level of ease. You should be aware of some important tips and techniques to make the most out of them. This is especially relevant in the case of chair exercises for seniors, as one wrong move can result in serious injuries or muscle strain.
The following are some tips to be mindful of when doing chair dips:
Being aware of these elements ensures that you are performing the exercise in the right form. We strongly suggest that you get help from a certified trainer or a chair yoga app if you are a beginner. A little guidance in the early stages can allow you to feel confident and stronger as you move to the advanced workouts. Proper form is the most important aspect of any exercise movement, so always progress at your own pace.
This exercise is also called the hook-lying or crook-lying sit-up. It is a coordination exercise for your abdominal muscles that works in concentric-eccentric patterns against gravity. Your tummy muscles work together to lift your upper body, while your butt and leg muscles keep your legs still and help keep you balanced. This helps to protect your back and ease any stiffness you may feel from sitting, standing, or lying down for too long (3).
Here are the steps to follow when performing a bent knee sit-up:
If you have suffered an injury, you should give your back some time to recover. This exercise can help to ease tightness in your lower back in some situations. Try to breathe normally during these exercises, and don’t force the movements.
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You can start with 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions. Take a rest for about 30 seconds to one minute, and do these 2-3 times a week. You can gradually increase the number of dips as you get stronger. Always listen to your body, and don’t push yourself too hard.
You may notice a reduction in body fat and an increase in lean muscle mass as long as you are combining this with proper eating habits for your body. But you should know that performing dips daily without rest can cause muscle injuries. That said, take some time to relax your muscles and allow them to heal.
Yes, chair dips can burn fat but you should combine these with other exercises and a healthy diet to ensure you are adopting a wholesome approach to fat loss. Weight loss occurs when you are eating less calories than you are burning in a day. No exercise will be able to “out work” a poor diet.
Tricep dips, an easy exercise you can do with a chair, can help people of all ages reduce underarm fat. This exercise works the back of your arms, which can make them stronger and tone the underarm area.This can then give you the appearance of tighter arms and potentially reduce the look of underarm fat.
If you have never done physical exercises before, you can start with chair dips. A chair yoga dip with bent knees can help you kickstart your workout journey and achieve some notable milestones as you advance more. This exercise can stress your shoulder and elbow joints, so be careful if you are feeling any pain or discomfort. If you have joint pain, you may add a Pilates chair exercise to keep it gentle and engaging. But if you have shoulder problems, you may want to skip chair dips altogether.
Start by doing 3 sets of 10 repetitions. As you get stronger over a few weeks, gradually do more sets and repetitions. This exercise is considered quite flexible, meaning it can be simplified or intensified as desired. Also, note that chair dips aren’t the only exercise that targets the upper arms. You can also include exercises like a triangle push-up, overhead triceps extension, and chair windmill exercise.
You should curate a structured routine that includes other exercises like cardio and strength training to keep your entire body functional! If weight loss is your goal, make sure you are eating the right amount of calories per day and not going over your total calorie limit.
Also make sure that the chair or bench that you are using is capable of holding your body weight at the end of the chair. This exercise is designed to use the edge of the seat of a chair and if the chair is not sturdy or strong enough it can fall onto you.
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