Russian Dip

How to perform it

1. 1Preparation and positioning. Use stable parallel bars, a straight bar, or rings with a safe mounting and dismounting method. Establish the deepest pain-free range and the lockout standard before loading the set. Use parallel bars and enough clearance for the forearms or upper arms to contact the bars without a hard impact.
2. 2Starting position. Start in a stable support with the elbows extended but not forced into painful hyperextension, ribs controlled over the pelvis, and the apparatus quiet. Begin in a stable top support with the elbows extended and the bars aligned under the hands.
3. 3Eccentric phase. Bend the elbows and lower the body under control while preserving the defined shoulder path. Lower while bringing the forearms or upper arms onto the bars in the defined transition position; avoid dropping onto the elbows.
4. 4Bottom position. Reach the same depth marker on every rep without bouncing or losing the support. Use a controlled supported position from which the shoulders and elbows can press or extend without a bounce.
5. 5Concentric phase / lockout. Press the supports away, extend the elbows, and return to a stable top position. Press and roll back to the support position while keeping both sides synchronized.
6. 6Breathing and bracing. Inhale and brace during the descent as appropriate; exhale through the press while keeping the trunk and shoulder girdle organized.
7. 7Valid rep. A valid repetition begins and ends in the defined support, reaches the planned depth, and returns without a bounce, kip, or unplanned assistance. The contact, transition, and return are deliberate; an uncontrolled collapse onto the bars is not a repetition.

Common mistakes

• Dropping into the bottom

  Fix: Lower under control and stop at the planned pain-free depth.

• Shoulders rolling forward

  Fix: Maintain a supported shoulder girdle and reduce depth or assistance if control is lost.

• Twisting or asymmetry

  Fix: Use a stable setup and make both arms share the intended path.

• Crashing onto the forearms

  Fix: Use more assistance and a slower descent until the contact is quiet and controlled.

Safety

• This is a transition drill with high wrist, elbow, and shoulder demands; direct outcome evidence is limited and technique quality is the primary selection filter.
• Choose a setup, load, assistance level, and exit strategy that allow the defined standard to be maintained; do not train through acute, sharp, electric, or worsening symptoms.

Progressions & alternatives

• regressionAssisted Parallel-bar Dip— Build controlled pressing with a predictable assistance profile.
• progressionStrict Bar Muscle-up— Use the transition only as one component of the complete skill.
• alternativeStraight-bar Dip— Train straight-bar support and extension without the forearm contact.
• prerequisiteStrict Bar Muscle-up— A controlled Russian Dip can prepare the transition but does not replace high pulling or support strength.