- EquipmentBodyweight
- PatternPush
- Reps6 to 20 reps
- Joint loadShoulder and Wrist
Sit on the edge of a bench and place your hands beside your hips, fingers forward. Slide your hips off the bench with your feet on the floor in front of you.
First cueKeep your back close to the bench.
How to do the Bench Dip
Set up. Sit on the edge of a bench and place your hands beside your hips, fingers forward. Slide your hips off the bench with your feet on the floor in front of you.
- Bend your elbows to lower your hips toward the floor.
- Stop when your upper arms are about level with the floor.
- Press back up to straight arms.
Form cues
- Keep your back close to the bench.
- Keep the shoulders down.
- Bend the knees to make it easier.
Common mistakes
- Dropping too deep so the shoulders roll forward.
- Letting the hips drift away from the bench.
Muscles worked
Main target: Triceps. The triceps covers the back of the upper arm in three heads. It straightens the elbow, so it works in every press and push-up.
On the way: Chest and Front delts.
Its other side: Upper back, Lats and Rear delts, in the horizontal push and pull pattern.
Its other side: Lats and Traps, in the overhead press and pull pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Bench Dip, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Barbell Curl Superset partner: it trains the other side of the arms pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Upright Row Same push session: it trains the side delts.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Bench Dip first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Bench Dip 3 × 6 to 20 reps
- Barbell Curl 3 × 6 to 15 reps
- Upright Row 3 × 8 to 15 reps
- Dumbbell Fly 3 × 8 to 15 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Dumbbell Overhead Extension
Dumbbell
Gym or cable swap
Triceps Pushdown
Cable
Less load on the shoulder
Triceps Pushdown
The Bench Dip loads the shoulder by the catalog's joint rule, the one the app's workaround mode uses; this one does not.
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: Dip.
Other variations of the Dip: Assisted Dip.
Do before it: Shoulder Dislocate (shoulder range), Bench Dip (same movement, lighter) and Assisted Dip (same movement, lighter).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Bench Dip is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Bench Dip?
Set up: Sit on the edge of a bench and place your hands beside your hips, fingers forward. Slide your hips off the bench with your feet on the floor in front of you. Steps: 1. Bend your elbows to lower your hips toward the floor. 2. Stop when your upper arms are about level with the floor. 3. Press back up to straight arms. Form cues: Keep your back close to the bench. Keep the shoulders down. Bend the knees to make it easier. Common mistakes: Dropping too deep so the shoulders roll forward. Letting the hips drift away from the bench.
What muscles does the Bench Dip work?
It trains the triceps as its main target and works the chest and front delts on the way.
What can I do instead of the Bench Dip?
At home: Dumbbell Overhead Extension. In a gym: Triceps Pushdown. With less load on the shoulder: Triceps Pushdown. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Bench Dip with?
Good partners in the same workout are Barbell Curl and Upright Row.