Triceps Strength
Bench Dips
The Bench Dips is a beginner-friendly bodyweight strength exercise that targets the triceps. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesTriceps
Secondary muscles—
EquipmentBodyweight
LevelBeginner
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Bench Dips
- Sit on the edge of a sturdy bench or chair and grip the edge with hands just outside your hips.
- Slide your hips off the bench and walk your feet out so your weight is supported by your arms.
- Lower your body slowly by bending your elbows straight back until your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor.
- Keep your back close to the bench and your shoulders pulled down away from your ears the whole way.
- Pause briefly at the bottom with the triceps loaded, then press through your palms back up to the start.
- Lock out the arms at the top without shrugging the shoulders, then repeat for the prescribed reps.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
- 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.
03 Don't do this
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.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Bench Dips, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
