Dips are often more difficult since you must maintain and stabilize your full body weight with your arms alone. Dips need different shoulder muscles than push-ups, which are smaller and weaker. Dips, on the other hand, need more shoulder mobility than push-ups. This is because you are balancing completely with your arms and shoulders alone. Other factors such as body type, dip position, and equipment can also make dips harder than push-ups. Here are some reasons why dips are harder than push-ups: 1. You must maintain and stabilize your full body weight with your arms alone. This requires strong arms, strong shoulders, and stable legs. The muscles that control these parts of your body are usually not used during a standard push-up. Thus, they need to be strong to support your entire body weight. 2. The range of motion for dips is greater than for push-ups. During a normal push-up, your hands and feet must move together in unison. Your elbows should stay close to your sides and only point up or down. Your fingers should be flat and your weight should be distributed evenly between your palms and forearms. Your shoulders must remain still throughout the movement. In contrast, during a dip your body controls the direction of the movement. Your arms are simply used to balance yourself out during this exercise.