Triceps Dip
Lowering and pressing your bodyweight between bars or off a bench — direct triceps and chest strength.
Also called: dips, bench dip, dip
Illustrations: Exercise data by RepDB (repdb.co)
Setup
Bars: support yourself on locked arms. Bench: hands on the edge behind you, legs extended forward, hips just off the bench.
How to do the Triceps Dip
- Lower until the upper arms are about parallel to the floor.
- Elbows track back, not flared wide.
- Chest slightly forward on bars; hips close to the bench on bench dips.
- Press to full lockout without shrugging.
Triceps Dip muscles worked
The Triceps Dip works the triceps, chest and shoulders.
Common Triceps Dip mistakes
- Dropping too deep too soon — shoulders complain first.
- Shoulders rolling forward and up.
- Bouncing at the bottom.
Scale it
Easier: Bench dips with bent knees, or band-assisted bar dips.
Harder: Feet elevated (bench) or added weight (bars).
Pairs well with
Bench Press
Pressing a barbell or dumbbells from the chest lying on a bench — the standard heavy upper-body push.
Cable Chest Press
Pressing against constant cable tension — keeps the chest loaded through the full range, easy on the shoulder since the angle is adjustable.
Floor Press
A bench press from the floor — the same pressing pattern with a built-in range limit that spares the shoulders.
Incline Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Press
Incline pressing with palms facing each other — a shoulder-friendly grip that still builds upper chest and front shoulder strength.