3 Drills to Improve Your Ring Dips (Without Wrecking Your Shoulders)
Are your ring dips leaving your shoulders feeling beat up for days?
You’re not alone — I see this all the time with CrossFit athletes who are trying to master dips but keep hitting a wall due to pain, poor control, or just inconsistent technique.
In this blog, I’m going to walk you through three of my go-to drills for improving ring dips — helping you build strength, improve shoulder stability, and finally feel confident on the rings again.
1. Decline Push-Ups
First up: Decline Push-Ups.
This is one of the simplest and most effective ways to build pressing strength and reinforce the exact shoulder and body position needed at the bottom of a ring dip.
By elevating your feet, you naturally place your shoulders in a similar angle to the dip. Plus, your core has to engage more — which mimics the stabilization demands of ring work.
✅ How to do it:
Start with 8–12 controlled reps. Elbows stay tucked, shoulders stay stacked, and no flaring out. Keep the tempo slow and steady.
2. Ring Rows
This next one might surprise you — Ring Rows, a pulling movement, to improve a pressing movement.
Here’s why it matters:
At the bottom of a ring dip, your shoulders need strength throughout the rotator cuff & scapular musculature. If these aren’t strong enough, your shoulder “dumps” forward and puts excessive stress on the biceps tendon. That’s a recipe for inflammation and pain that lingers long after your workout is over.
✅ How to do it:
Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of each row. Keep reps controlled, and don’t rush through the motion. This is all about building resilience around the shoulder joint.
3. Toe-Supported Ring Dips
Last but not least — Toe-Supported Ring Dips.
If strict dips feel unstable, or you’re returning from a shoulder injury, this drill lets you stay in the dip pattern while taking off just enough bodyweight to focus on form.
With your toes on the floor, you can control your descent, engage your core, and build the confidence to go deeper without compensation.
✅ How to progress:
Start with both toes down → then one foot → then full bodyweight. Smooth, safe, and scalable.
Ready to Dip Without Pain?
If you’re struggling with dips, shoulder aches, or getting stuck modifying workouts — that’s exactly what we help with at Lewis Physical Therapy & Sports Rehabilitation.
We specialize in helping CrossFit athletes over 30 rebuild smarter, so they can train harder.
📩 Want to learn how?
Text “Rx” to 732-724-1381 and we’ll send you our free guide: The Rx Blueprint — your step-by-step plan to conquer pain and return to the workouts you love.
💪 Stay strong,
Dr. Jeff Lewis
Lewis Physical Therapy & Sports Rehabilitation
