Bench Dip

Muscles Worked

How to Perform

1. 1

   Position two flat benches parallel to each other, approximately 3 feet apart. Sit on one bench and place your hands on the edge beside your hips, fingers pointing forward. Extend your legs and place your heels on the opposite bench.

2. 2

   Slide your glutes off the bench while keeping your hands firmly planted. Your body weight should now be supported by your hands and heels. Keep your back close to the bench edge throughout the movement.

3. 3

   Lower your body by bending your elbows until they form approximately a 90-degree angle. Keep your elbows pointing backward, not flaring out to the sides. Your upper arms should be roughly parallel to the floor at the bottom position.

4. 4

   Press through your palms to straighten your arms and return to the starting position. Focus on contracting your triceps at the top of the movement without locking out your elbows completely.

5. 5

   Maintain a controlled tempo throughout the exercise, taking 2-3 seconds to lower and 1-2 seconds to push back up. Keep your core engaged and avoid using momentum or bouncing at the bottom.

6. 6

   Complete your desired number of repetitions, typically 8-15 reps per set. To increase difficulty, place a weight plate on your lap or bend your knees less to shift more body weight onto your arms.

Common Mistakes

• Flaring Elbows Outward

  Allowing your elbows to point outward shifts stress from the triceps to the shoulder joints, increasing injury risk and reducing exercise effectiveness. Keep your elbows tracking backward and close to your body throughout the movement.

• Shrugging Shoulders Up

  Elevating your shoulders toward your ears creates unnecessary tension in the neck and trapezius muscles. Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears, maintaining proper scapular positioning for optimal tricep engagement.

• Descending Too Far

  Dipping past 90 degrees of elbow flexion places excessive stress on the shoulder joint and can lead to anterior shoulder pain or impingement. Stop when your upper arms are parallel to the floor for a safe, effective range of motion.

• Moving Too Far From the Bench

  Positioning your body too far from the support bench shifts the exercise into more of a shoulder press movement, reducing tricep activation. Keep your back within a few inches of the bench edge throughout the exercise.

Pro Tips

• Progress Gradually With Foot Position

  Start with bent knees and feet flat on the floor to reduce the resistance. As you get stronger, straighten your legs more until your heels are elevated. This progressive approach allows safe strength development without overwhelming your triceps.

• Focus on the Eccentric Phase

  Slow down the lowering portion of each rep to maximize time under tension and muscle growth. Taking 3-4 seconds to descend increases muscle damage in a controlled way, leading to greater strength and size gains over time.

• Add Weight for Advanced Training

  Once you can perform 15-20 reps with proper form, place a weight plate or dumbbell on your lap to increase resistance. Start with 10-25 pounds and gradually progress as your strength improves, maintaining strict form throughout.

• Warm Up Your Shoulders

  Perform arm circles, band pull-aparts, and light shoulder rotations before bench dips to prepare your shoulder joints for the stress. Proper warm-up reduces injury risk and improves performance by increasing blood flow to the working muscles.

Variations

Try these variations to target your triceps from different angles and adjust the difficulty level.

• Feet-Elevated Bench Dip

  Place your feet on an elevated surface to increase the percentage of body weight lifted, making the exercise significantly more challenging for advanced trainees.

• Weighted Bench Dip

  Add a weight plate, dumbbell, or weighted vest on your lap to increase resistance beyond body weight for continued strength progression.

• Single Bench Dip

  Use only one bench with your feet on the floor and knees bent to reduce difficulty, perfect for beginners building initial tricep strength.

• Slow Tempo Bench Dip

  Perform each rep with a 5-second descent and 2-second ascent to maximize time under tension and enhance muscular endurance.

Alternative Exercises

If bench dips don't work for you or you want to mix up your tricep training, try these effective alternatives.

• Parallel Bar Dips

  A more advanced bodyweight tricep exercise that also heavily engages the chest, offering greater muscle activation than bench dips.

• Close-Grip Push-Ups

  A horizontal pressing movement that targets the triceps while reducing stress on the shoulders compared to dips.

• Tricep Pushdowns

  A cable exercise that isolates the triceps with constant tension and allows for easy weight adjustments to match your strength level.

• Overhead Tricep Extension

  Emphasizes the long head of the triceps through shoulder flexion, providing a different stimulus than pressing movements.