Bench Dips

What you'll gain

• Builds triceps strength and size with no equipment needed.

• Trains the pushing pattern in any home or travel setting.

• Strengthens arm lockout for pressing and dipping movements.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Sit on the edge of a sturdy bench or chair and grip the edge with hands just outside your hips.

2. 2

   Slide your hips off the bench and walk your feet out so your weight is supported by your arms.

3. 3

   Lower your body slowly by bending your elbows straight back until your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor.

4. 4

   Keep your back close to the bench and your shoulders pulled down away from your ears the whole way.

5. 5

   Pause briefly at the bottom with the triceps loaded, then press through your palms back up to the start.

6. 6

   Lock out the arms at the top without shrugging the shoulders, then repeat for the prescribed reps.

Common Mistakes

• Letting the elbows flare out to the sides, which loads the front shoulders instead of the triceps.

• Letting the shoulders shrug up toward the ears, which strains the front shoulders under the dip.

• Cutting the depth short to make the reps easier, which removes most of the triceps work.

• Using only the legs to push off the floor, which turns the dip into an assisted leg-press motion.

About This Exercise

Bench dips are the most accessible triceps exercise in any program. With hands behind you on a bench and feet out in front, the body lowers and presses back up using mostly the triceps. No equipment, no setup — just a sturdy edge and bodyweight resistance. For fitness apps, bench dips are a non-negotiable inclusion in any home, hotel, or no-equipment arm workout. They are also a clean stepping stone before parallel-bar dips, making them a useful clip for beginner onboarding flows and progressive arm-training tracks. Pair this asset with push-ups and incline presses for a complete bodyweight push-day module.

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