How to Do the Tricep Dips

This bench dip variation has you press your body up from the edge of a bench with your legs out in front. It trains the triceps, with help from the chest and front delts. It suits beginners and anyone who needs a no-equipment triceps exercise.

Triceps BodyweightIntermediate

Log every set of your Tricep Dips in Superlift

Muscles worked

Primary

Triceps

Secondary

Chest
Shoulders

How to do the Tricep Dips

1
Sit on the edge of a bench and grip it beside your hips.
2
Slide your hips forward off the bench with your legs out.
3
Straighten your arms to support your weight.
4
Lower your body by bending your elbows to about 90 degrees.
5
Keep your back close to the bench.
6
Press through your palms until your arms are straight.

Form cues to remember

Elbows pointing straight back
Keep your back close to the bench
Shoulders down, away from ears
Stop at 90 degrees

Tricep Dips video tutorial

Maximize Dip Technique FOR TRICEPS Growth | Targeting The Muscle Series · Renaissance Periodization on YouTube

Common mistakes

Sinking too deep

Stop at about 90 degrees to protect your shoulders.

Flared elbows

Point your elbows straight back, not out to the sides.

Hips drifting far from the bench

Keep your back close to the bench through the whole rep.

Shrugging your shoulders

Press your shoulders down so your triceps do the work.

Sets and reps

Muscle growth	3–4 sets of 10–15 reps, 60–90 sec rest
Endurance	2–3 sets of 15–25 reps, 45–60 sec rest

Deep bench dips can stress the front of the shoulder, so keep the range moderate. Skip them if they cause shoulder pain.

Superlift for iPhone

Track your Tricep Dips and watch it go up

Superlift shows what you lifted last time, times your rest, and charts your strength week by week, so you always know what to beat. Every exercise in this library is built in, with the same demos and tutorials.