How to do a Bench Dip
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Bench Dip
Flat Bench
Workouts with Bench Dip
Instructions for Proper Form
Bench Dip is a variation on the standard Dip. Like other Dip variations, this is a compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily targets your triceps. Because your feet are still on the ground, this tends to be an easier variation, and a great way to build tricep strength as you work towards full bodyweight dips.
- Sit perpendicular on a bench with your palms placed on the bench closely to your hips.
- Support your bodyweight with your arms while you bring your hips forward off of the bench and extend your knees to put support through your heels on the ground.
- Descend your hips by flexing your elbows and keep them close to your body while maintaining your chest up, and shoulders back.
- Once your upper arms are parallel with the ground, raise yourself back to the starting position by extending your elbows.
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Shoulder Shrug
Don’t allow your shoulders to rise during this exercise. This will make the exercise less effective, and increase your risk of injury. Keep your shoulders down and back as you perform this exercise. This will help keep tension in your triceps, and help keep your shoulders healthy.
Flat Feet
You want to keep your legs fully extended during this exercise with just your heels in contact with the ground. This will help keep you in the right position for this exercise, but it can also place unwanted tension on your knees. If you feel pain in your knees with these positioning consider using an alternative exercise.
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Alternative Exercises to Bench Dip
1. Seated Tricep Press
97.4 mSCORESWAPPED 12,959 TIMESSeated Tricep Press is an isolation exercise that targets your triceps. The positioning of the dumbbell varies from many other tricep exercises, which is great for adding some variety to your exercise selection. By positioning the dumbbell overhead you can ensure that you’re taking your triceps through their full range of motion.
2. Dumbbell Kickbacks
93.7 mSCORESWAPPED 11,502 TIMESDumbbell Kickbacks are an isolation exercise that target the triceps. The use of dumbbells prevents you from compensating for any strength discrepancies between sides. The movement itself is simple and easy to perform, making this a great exercise for beginners, and plenty of variations exist for more advanced users looking to add more difficulty and complexity to the movement.
3. Dumbbell Skullcrusher
98.4 mSCORESWAPPED 11,045 TIMESDumbbell Skullcrusher is an isolation exercise that targets your triceps. Unlike some skull crusher variations, the use of dumbbells prevents you from compensating for any differences in strength between sides, as well as adding some instability to the movement.
4. Cable Tricep Pushdown
97.9 mSCORESWAPPED 10,770 TIMESThis is an isolation exercise that targets the triceps. This exercise is very similar to other cable tricep exercises with the exception of using a flat bar instead of other handle attachments. This keeps your hands palms down, and reduces the demand for stabilizing your wrist during the movement.
- Beginner
- Triceps
- Rope Cable
5. Cable Rope Tricep Extension
99.1 mSCORESWAPPED 10,058 TIMESThis is an isolation triceps exercise. The use of cables gives you more control over where the resistance is coming from, allowing you to keep more tension in your triceps compared to equipment like dumbbells. Because you can easily adjust the weight on a cable machine this is also a great exercise for performing drop sets, and burning out your triceps.
- Intermediate
- Triceps
- Rope Cable
6. Dip
93.9 mSCORESWAPPED 8,013 TIMESDips are a compound, bodyweight triceps exercise, and an incredibly common exercise. The exercise requires you to raise and lower yourself in a suspended position by flexing and extending your arms. With the standard variation, this is mostly accomplished by engaging your triceps, however other variations can shift this to be more of a chest exercise.
- Beginner
- Triceps
- Dip (Parallel) Bar
7. Machine Tricep Dip
92.9 mSCORESWAPPED 7,356 TIMESMachine Tricep Dips are a variation on the more standard Dip. This is a compound movement that primarily targets your triceps. By using a machine, you restrict your range of motion, and add more stability to the movement. This allows you to focus on exertion rather than stabilizing the movement. Because you’ll also be using a weight stack instead of bodyweight, you can have more control over your resistance. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to work towards performing full bodyweight dips, or just building muscle mass and strength in your triceps.
- Beginner
- Triceps
- Tricep Dip Machine
8. Single Arm Dumbbell Tricep Extension
88.5 mSCORESWAPPED 5,185 TIMESThis exercise is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Tricep Extension. Like other tricep extensions, this is an isolation movement that targets your triceps. By performing this exercise with a single arm, you add more instability to the movement, as well as prevent yourself from compensating for any strength discrepancies between sides.
9. Machine Tricep Extension
90.2 mSCORESWAPPED 3,921 TIMESSimilar to other tricep extensions, this variation is an isolation movement that targets the triceps. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds a ton of stability to the movement. By placing your elbows against the pad, you ensure that the movement is coming entirely from your triceps, and you aren’t accidentally recruiting additional muscle groups.
- Beginner
- Triceps
- Triceps Extension Machine
10. Skullcrusher
97.2 mSCORESWAPPED 3,767 TIMESSkullcrushers are an isolation exercise that targets the triceps. By laying back on a bench, you prevent yourself from swaying or leaning into the movement in order to help you move the weight. An EZ-Bar helps you find a comfortable grip, while still adding stability to the movement similar to a barbell variation.
- Beginner
- Triceps
- Flat Bench
- EZ Bar