The Ultimate Step by Step Guide to Doing Your First Unassisted Dip

Why Trying Harder on Dips Is Keeping You Weak

This is the ultimate step by step guide to doing your first unassisted dip, and the secret isn’t just trying harder-it’s mastering a 5-second negative rep. If you’ve ever jumped up on a set of parallel bars, felt your shoulders shrug up to your ears, and then dropped like a stone, you know the frustration. You see others repping out smooth, piston-like dips and wonder what they have that you don’t. It’s not just raw strength. It’s specific, controlled strength that you haven’t built yet. Most people attack the dip head-on, trying to force a full rep from day one. This is like trying to bench press 135 pounds without ever having lifted the 45-pound bar. It fails every time and reinforces a pattern of failure, increasing your risk of shoulder injury. The real path to an unassisted dip isn't about pushing up; it's about learning to control the movement on the way down. This eccentric (or negative) phase is where you are already 40% stronger. By focusing on what you *can* do today, you build the precise strength needed to do what you *can't* tomorrow.

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You're 40% Stronger Than You Think (Here's the Proof)

The reason you can’t do a dip has nothing to do with a lack of effort. It’s a misunderstanding of how strength works. Your muscles have two primary actions: concentric (shortening, like pushing up in a dip) and eccentric (lengthening, like lowering down in a dip). You are significantly stronger eccentrically. Think about it: you could probably lower a 200-pound barbell to your chest, even if you can only bench press 150 pounds. That's your eccentric strength advantage at work. The biggest mistake people make is using the assisted dip machine. It seems logical, but it’s a trap. The machine provides the most help at the bottom of the movement, where you are weakest and need to build the most strength. It robs you of the struggle needed to get stronger. By training negatives, you flip the script. You use a box or a small jump to get to the top position, skipping the concentric part you can't do yet. Then, you focus all your energy on the 5-second descent. This builds strength through the exact range of motion required for a full dip. Each controlled negative is a deposit in your strength bank, building the specific capacity in your triceps, chest, and shoulders. After just 2-3 weeks of consistent negative training, the bottom of the dip will feel less like a freefall and more like a controlled descent. That feeling is the signal that you're about to unlock your first rep.

Weeks of progress. All in one place.

Every set and rep logged. Proof you are getting stronger.

The 8-Week Blueprint to Your First Full Dip

This isn't a 'hope for the best' plan. It's a structured, 4-phase protocol. Follow it twice a week, with at least 48 hours of rest between sessions. Your goal isn't just to get one rep, but to own the movement with control.

Phase 1: Support and Foundation (Weeks 1-2)

Before you can move, you must be stable. Your first goal is to simply hold your bodyweight at the top of the dip. This builds shoulder stability and isometric strength.

• Support Holds: Get into the top position of the dip-arms locked, shoulders pushed down and away from your ears, chest up. Hold this position. Your goal is 3 sets of 30-second holds. If you can't hit 30 seconds, accumulate it. For example, do 15 seconds, rest 10, then do another 15.
• Support Exercises: On the same day, perform 3 sets of 8-12 push-ups. If regular push-ups are too hard, do them on your knees or with your hands elevated on a bench. This builds foundational pressing strength.

Phase 2: Mastering the Negative (Weeks 3-4)

This is where the magic happens. You will now train the eccentric portion of the dip.

• Negative Dips: Place a box or bench under the dip station. Use your feet to jump to the top support position. Once stable, lift your feet off the box and begin slowly lowering yourself. Count to 5 seconds on the way down (1-one-thousand, 2-one-thousand...). At the bottom, place your feet back on the box and push yourself back up. Do not try to press out of the bottom. Your goal is 3 sets of 5 negative reps, each lasting 5 seconds.

Phase 3: Introducing Assistance (Weeks 5-6)

Now that you own the negative, it's time to start working on the way up with help. We'll use resistance bands, not the machine.

• Banded Dips: Loop a medium-to-heavy resistance band over the parallel bars. Place one knee or both feet into the loop and get into the top support position. The band will give you the most assistance at the bottom, exactly where you need it. Perform full-range-of-motion dips. Your goal is 3 sets of 3-5 controlled reps. As you get stronger over these two weeks, switch to a lighter band that still allows you to complete your sets with good form.

Phase 4: The First Rep and Beyond (Weeks 7-8)

This is the test. At the beginning of your workout, when you are fresh, attempt your first unassisted dip.

• The First Rep Attempt: Get into the top support position. Lower yourself with control, and then drive up forcefully. If you get one clean rep, congratulations. Your workout for dips is now: 1 unassisted rep, followed by 2 sets of 5-8 banded dips to build volume.
• If You Fail: Don't be discouraged. It means you need a little more time. For the rest of this phase, go back to Phase 3 with the lightest band you can manage, or perform more challenging negatives (e.g., 8-second descents). Re-test for your first unassisted rep every week. Once you get that first rep, your new goal is to build on it. Aim for 3 sets of 1 rep, then 3 sets of 2, and so on.

What Your First Dip Will Actually Feel Like (It's Not Perfect)

Let's set a realistic expectation. Your first unassisted dip will probably feel like a slow, grinding battle. It won't look like the effortless reps you see on Instagram. You might only get halfway up on your first real attempt. That is not failure; that is data. It shows you where your sticking point is. Good progress isn't just achieving the first full rep. It’s noticing that your 5-second negatives now feel more like 7-second negatives because you have more control. It's graduating from a thick green resistance band to a thinner blue one. It's holding your support position for 45 seconds instead of 30.

In the first 1-2 weeks, your shoulders and triceps will be sore. This is normal muscle soreness, a sign your body is adapting. A key warning sign that something is wrong is a sharp, pinching pain in the front of your shoulder. This indicates your form is off-likely you are letting your shoulders roll forward. If you feel this, stop immediately. Go back a phase and focus on form, keeping your chest up and shoulders pulled back and down. For most people starting from zero, achieving the first clean dip takes between 6 and 12 weeks. Be patient. Strength is built brick by brick, not in a single day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Shoulder Safety and Dip Form

The idea that dips are 'bad for your shoulders' comes from seeing them done with poor form. To keep your shoulders safe, keep your chest up and lean forward slightly. Most importantly, keep your shoulders pulled down and back, away from your ears. Never let them roll forward at the bottom.

The Role of Assisted Dip Machines

The assisted dip machine is less effective because it provides inconsistent support and helps you most where you need it least (at the top). It teaches a poor motor pattern. Negatives and bands are superior because they force you to control your own bodyweight through the hardest part of the movement.

Necessary Support Exercises

To accelerate your progress, include exercises that build your triceps and chest. Close-grip push-ups are excellent for triceps development. Overhead dumbbell or barbell presses build shoulder stability and strength. Aim for 3 sets of 8-12 reps on these exercises 2 times per week.

Frequency and Recovery

Train your dip progressions two times per week. Your muscles need time to recover and grow stronger. Doing them every day is counterproductive and leads to overuse injuries. Ensure there are at least 48 hours, or two full days, between your dip-focused workouts.

After Your First Rep

Once you can do one clean rep, the goal is to build volume. A great method is to perform multiple sets of 1 rep (e.g., 5 sets of 1 rep with 60 seconds rest). Once that feels manageable, work towards 3 sets of 2, then 3 sets of 3, and so on. When you can do 3 sets of 8-10 reps, you're ready to start adding weight.