Sonu Sood is known for his consistent fitness routine, and this time too, it was no different. The Happy New Year actor was seen working out in the gym on the parallel bars, performing a bench dip (triceps dip).

The exercise supports the body with straight arms behind you as the person lowers their torso by bending the elbows, which is the classic movement pattern of a dip. “He is supporting his body on the bars and lowering and pushing himself back up by bending and extending the elbows. The main muscles worked are the triceps, with significant involvement of the chest (especially the lower chest) and front shoulders. The core also works to stabilise the body,” said consultant dietitian and fitness expert Garima Goyal.

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It is an excellent compound upper-body exercise for building pushing strength, improving arm strength, and developing functional upper-body stability, Goyal added.

Dr Mrinal Prakash, consultant orthopaedics (joint replacement and sports injury specialist), KIMS Hospitals, Thane, said that the triceps are important for push movements and for controlling the arm in activities such as lifting, throwing and pressing; strengthening them can have a positive effect on the strength and muscular endurance of the upper limb.

Good strength in the elbow and shoulder area can likewise help with better control when carrying out repetitive movements. “Yet the exercise should be considered as just one element of an overall training programme and not as a separate exercise intended to improve athletic performance,” said Dr Mrinal.

Does doing this exercise regularly lead to overall fitness?

Not on its own; a suitable fitness routine should aim to improve strength, mobility, cardiovascular fitness, balance, coordination, and recovery. It is consistency that enables these adaptations to develop over time, emphasised Dr Mrinal.

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Here’s what you should consider

How to do it

*Grip the bars or bench edge with your hands shoulder-width apart.


*Keep your chest lifted and shoulders down.


*Lower your body until your elbows are about 90 degrees.


*Press back up to the starting position.

 

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When it comes to preventing injuries, the quality of the training is just as important as how often it is carried out. A person who trains three or four days each week and does so with correct technique, sufficient recovery, and a gradual progression is probably going to achieve more than another person who trains every day without allowing the body time to adapt.

“The objective should not be to lift the heaviest weight possible; rather, it is to build a body which is able to carry a load, recover from it and perform efficiently,” added Dr Mrinal.