Arms · Compound

Bench Dip

A bodyweight triceps exercise performed with hands on a bench behind you. It needs nothing but a bench and loads the triceps through a big range, which makes it a staple for home training and the tail end of arm sessions. Foot position is the built-in difficulty dial: bent knees for easier reps, straight legs or elevated feet for harder ones.

By Macros Inc Team Verified by Alex Dedmon Updated August 2026

Beginner Bodyweight Compound Push
bench-dip-poster
  • Level Beginner
  • Equipment Bodyweight
  • Primary Muscles Front Delts, Pectorals, Triceps
  • Movement Compound Push

Demonstration

Watch the Form Demo

Technique

How to Do the Bench Dip

  1. Sit on the edge of a bench and place your hands beside your hips, fingers pointing forward.
  2. Slide your hips off the bench, supporting yourself on straight arms.
  3. Walk your feet out: knees bent for easier reps, legs straight for harder ones.
  4. Lower your hips by bending the elbows until your upper arms are roughly parallel with the floor.
  5. Keep your back close to the bench the whole way down.
  6. Press back up to straight arms and squeeze the triceps.

Anatomy

Muscles Worked

arms
Primary muscles
Triceps
Secondary muscles
Front Delts Pectorals

Do This

Form Cues

  • Keep your back close to the bench so the shoulders stay in a safe position.
  • Lower until the upper arms are roughly parallel with the floor and no further.
  • Lock the elbows out at the top without shrugging.
  • Point the elbows straight back as you lower, not out to the sides.

Avoid This

Common Mistakes

  • Drifting away from the bench, which forces the shoulders into deep extension.
  • Sinking as deep as possible in search of a stretch.
  • Bouncing at the bottom rather than controlling the turnaround.
  • Elevating the feet before flat-footed reps are strong and pain-free through the full range.

More to Explore

Variations & Related Exercises

Variations of this lift

Trains the same muscles

Put It Into Practice

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