What is the bench dips?
Bench dips are a beginner-friendly dip variation done with the hands behind you on a bench, feet on the floor or another bench. You lower your hips by bending the elbows, then press back up. They target the triceps with secondary chest and front delt work, and they let you train the dip pattern long before you have the strength for full parallel-bar dips. Cheap, scalable, and effective.
How to do the bench dips
- 1
Hand position
Sit on the edge of a bench, hands gripping the edge just outside your hips, fingers pointing forward.
- 2
Feet placement
Legs extended, heels on the floor (easier) or on another bench (harder). Hips just off the bench.
- 3
Lower under control
Bend the elbows straight back, not flared out. Lower until the elbows reach ninety degrees, no further.
- 4
Press back up
Push through the palms to extend the elbows. Lock out the arms at the top, keep the chest up.
Pro tip
Keep your shoulder blades pulled down and back the whole rep. The second they shrug up, your shoulder takes the load instead of your triceps.
Common mistakes
Going too deep.
Past ninety degrees, the shoulders take a beating and the triceps stop benefiting. Stop at parallel.
Elbows flaring out.
Flared elbows recruit the front delts and stress the shoulder joint. Keep elbows tracking straight back.
Hips drifting away from the bench.
If your hips slide forward, the load shifts off the triceps. Stay glued to the edge of the bench.
Shrugging shoulders.
Shrugged shoulders mean impingement risk. Pack the scapulae down and keep them there.
Variations and progressions
Easier
Bent-knee bench dips
Plant the feet flat with knees bent. Less of your bodyweight loads the arms, perfect for absolute beginners.
Harder
Weighted bench dips
Place a weight plate on your thighs. Add 10 to 20 kg progressively before graduating to parallel-bar dips.
Alternative
Close-grip push-ups
Push-ups with hands close together hit the same triceps emphasis with zero shoulder strain.
How to program it
Three protocols by goal. Pick one per cycle and aim for progression on load or distance.
| Goal | Sets × distance | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technique | 3 × 10 | Bodyweight, knees bent | 60 s |
| Hypertrophy | 4 × 12 | Bodyweight, legs straight | 75 s |
| Strength | 4 × 6 | +10-20 kg plate on lap | 90 s |
Bench Dips FAQ
Are bench dips bad for the shoulders?
Only if you go too deep or shrug your shoulders up. Stopping at ninety degrees of elbow flexion and keeping the scapulae packed down keeps the shoulder joint safe. People with a history of front shoulder pain should swap to close-grip push-ups.
How do I progress from bench dips to real dips?
Build to four sets of twelve bodyweight reps with feet elevated. Then load 15 kg on your lap for sets of eight. Then move to parallel-bar dips with assistance bands, dropping band thickness as you get stronger. The whole jump takes most beginners six to ten weeks.
Triceps or chest, what do bench dips really train?
Bench dips with vertical torso primarily hit the long head of the triceps, with secondary work for the lower chest and front delts. Forward-leaning torso shifts emphasis to the chest, but it also stresses the shoulder more. Keep them triceps-focused.
