Bench Dips
(Triceps)
START POSITION: Sit on the side of a bench. Straighten your legs so that your heels are on the floor and your toes point upwards. Grip the bench edge, either side of your hips, with fingers pointing outwards. Slowly shuffle your heels forward until your bum is off the bench and is clear of the edge by at least 6 cm.
Slowly lower yourself down by bending your elbows and keeping your head pointing forward. If your back touches the bench, shuffle forward a little more and try again.
When your back is as close to the bench as possible (without touching it), then you are ready to start the exercise.
NOTES: Difficulty Rating: 47%
Keep your legs as straight as possible with no bend in the knees. Heels and hands supporting your weight. Bend your elbows until your arms both form at least a 90° angle. Breathe out and push up with your hands until your arms are straight. Then lower yourself back down slowly and smoothly, before repeating a more energetic push upwards again.
The bench dip is a bodyweight exercise and is therefore ideal for use as a ‘starter’ exercise to engage and warm up your triceps, ready for the single dumbbell isolation exercises that follow. It also engages your Chest. There is some evidence to suggest that using the side-pointing grip (shown in the image on the right) reduces negative pressure on the shoulders and provides better triceps activation. The above photo shows me performing the bench dip with the traditional (forward-pointing) grip. I suspect that this anomaly is dependent on your body type and fitness level. Please try both to see what you think is best.
A common mistake for this exercise is to bend the knees. This encourages cheating. Keep your legs straight out in front of you with heels on the floor and toes pointing upwards.
12 Tips for Perfect Form with the Bench Dip Exercise
- Place hands shoulder-width apart on the bench, fingers facing forward
- Keep your back close to the bench and lower yourself down slowly
- Ensure your elbows are pointing straight back and not flared out
- Lower your body until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle, then push back up
- Keep your movements controlled and smooth
- Keep your legs straight out in front of you for a more challenging workout, or bend your knees for an easier version
- Feet should be flat on the floor, about hip-width apart
- Keep your back close to the bench
- Keep your head and neck in a neutral position, looking straight ahead. This helps maintain good posture and prevents strain
- Keep your hands shoulder-width apart, fingers facing forward. This helps keep your elbows pointing straight back and minimizes stress on your wrists and shoulders. So, while a 45-degree angle might feel more comfortable, it’s not ideal for proper form. The optimal bench angle is 25° to 40 °. Experiment to see what works best for you.
- Bench dips are primarily a triceps exercise, but they also engage your shoulders, chest, and core to some extent
- To make bench dips easier, you can bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor
5 ways to make the Bench Dip harder
For a more complex variation, try elevating your feet on another bench or chair.
You could also add weight to your lap for an extra challenge
- In the harder version, your feet will be positioned out in front of you so that they don’t touch the floor flat. It’s more about balance and using your core strength
- One tougher variation of the standard Bench Dip is the Decline Bench Dip, where you elevate your feet to increase the difficulty
- You can also do Weighted Bench Dips (if you are a little masochistic), where you add weight to your la
You could also add weight to your lap for an extra challenge - Another variation is the Close-Grip Bench Dip, which targets your inner triceps more.