A home gym is a great investment, and a sensible choice if you – like many thousands of others – have previously paid for a gym subscription that was barely used! All you need is a spare room with enough space and you can install the equipment you need to carry out your regular routines, in your own home, and in your own time. If you already have a home gym we have a great idea for you: why not add a dip station?
These simple yet very versatile items of equipment are very popular and you can perform a wide variety of exercises using one. Also, a dip station is not an expensive item as it is essentially simple, and there are many different models to choose from. It won’t take up much space, either, so you can simply place it alongside your existing equipment. So, here are our suggestions for the five essential exercises you can get into on your home dip station.
Dips
It’s no surprise we recommend dips for your dip station! These excellent movements are designed to enhance your triceps and have many other benefits too. They are easy to do and don’t take much space, and all you need is your dip bar. To perform dips properly, face the bars and place one hand on each of the bars, facing inwards. Push up your body and keep your arms straight, flatten your back for full effect. Beware, for while the technique itself is easy, it does take some strength, so you may take time getting used to dips.
Push-Ups
Push ups, in modified form, are a great exercise for a dip bar and help to tone the muscles of the chest and shoulders, as well as the triceps. The use of the dip bars means that the weight is transferred to the upper body, which means they are easy to do for anyone and are not too strenuous. Stand either side of the bars, and grab one bar with both hands. You need to have the palms down and keep your hands the width of your shoulders apart. Perform as you would a standard push-up, with even better results!
Leg Raises
This is an excellent routine for toning the abdomen and is easy to do for anyone who has a decent level of fitness. Take the time to get the technique right, and you will find this very useful indeed. Start in the position we advised for the dips, but facing away from the bars. Keep the arms and back straight, and raise your legs until they are parallel to the floor. If you are just beginning, you can keep your knees bent for easier action.
Pull-Ups
Great for the muscles of the lower back, performing pull-ups with dip bars means you can exercise more easily, yet get the full effect of standard pull-ups. If you are not yet satisfied with your upper body strength, this exercise will help you with the biceps and shoulders, too, so is highly recommended. Start as you would push ups, and bring yourself up to hang from the bar. As you don’t have to carry your full body weight every lift, you’ll soon find this is an excellent move to perform regularly. You will get the technique pretty quickly, and it is an excellent way of toning those muscles.
General Workout
We thought we should mention that, while a stand-alone item, the dip station is perfect for incorporating into your general workout routine. You can add any of the above exercises to your usual exercise routine, and there are much more besides. The fact that a dip station is so versatile means it is excellent for use alongside weights or other workout items. You’ll find it to be an essential addition to your home gym set-up and may even devise your own exercises over time.
The above are just a few of the many ideas there are for exercising with your new dip station and, once you get used to it, you will wonder why you never had one in the first place! Simple to use, versatile and inexpensive, you need a dip station in your home gym, there are plenty of other great exercises you can do with a dip station.
About The Author:
Fitness enthusiast and DipStation.co.uk owner Simon Barker writes informative, engaging and actionable articles in the fitness industry. He’s both an online entrepreneur and home gym owner – so let’s face it, Simon is worth listening too.
