Bench Dips
Triceps dips with hands on a bench — accessible entry variant.
Execution
- Stand with your back to a bench, hands shoulder-width on the bench edge.
- Slide the hips forward off the bench, legs extended or bent in front.
- Bend the elbows to about 90° under control, hips sinking straight down (not forward).
- Press back up with the triceps, do not lock out the elbows.
Tips
- Protect the shoulders — don't go deeper than feels good.
- Make it harder with straight legs, feet on a second bench, or weight on the lap.
An entry point into the dip movement
In bench dips, the hands rest behind the body on a bench while the feet stay on the floor. Because part of the weight is carried through the legs, the exercise is noticeably easier than the free dip and finely adjustable through foot position: knees bent and close to the body is easy, legs straight and far forward is harder, feet elevated is hardest.
It mainly trains the triceps, along with the front deltoids.
Execution
Hands roughly shoulder-width on the bench edge, fingers pointing forward. The back stays close to the bench — the further the body drifts away from it, the worse the pull on the shoulder. Lower until the elbow reaches about 90 degrees, then press back up.
The shoulder catch
Bench dips put the shoulder into internal rotation and extension at the same time — a combination that can get uncomfortable if you go too deep. Two rules defuse that: don't go below 90 degrees, and keep the body close to the bench. If you feel it pulling at the front of the shoulder, switch to close-grip push-ups instead, which hit the same muscle.
Programming
Three sets of 8 to 15 reps. To progress: first straighten the legs, then put the feet on a second bench — and once that's solid, move to free dips.