Triceps Dips (parallel bar dips) Back to the basics, shall we. Seriously, if you can think of another exercises that’s a better symbol of having true arm strength and power than the parallel bar dip, go for it. In our view, all of your heavy-weight work on triceps cable press-downs is pretty much useless if you’re not able to complete one proper dip. Compound movements are what you need in order to realize your full growth potential, and there’s no arguing there.