Weighted Bench Dip
The weighted bench dip has you support your body between two benches, hands behind you and feet elevated in front, with a weight plate resting on your thighs to add load beyond your own bodyweight. It isolates the elbow extension your triceps handle while your chest and shoulders assist as stabilizers, making it a straightforward way to keep progressing triceps strength once bodyweight bench dips stop feeling challenging. It suits anyone training pressing strength who wants a triceps-focused move that doesn't need a full dip station.
Why it works
A dip is essentially elbow extension performed under your own bodyweight, and your triceps are the prime mover for straightening that joint back out from a bent position. Elevating your feet on a second bench increases the percentage of your bodyweight your arms have to support compared to a floor-footed version, and resting a weight plate on your thighs adds load on top of that without changing the movement pattern itself. Your chest and shoulders work isometrically to keep your shoulder joint stable through the range, but the lowering and pressing itself comes almost entirely from your elbows bending and straightening.
Set up
- Sit on the edge of a bench, hands gripping the edge just outside your hips.
- Walk your feet out to a second bench or sturdy surface in front of you, legs extended.
- Rest a weight plate flat across your thighs, holding it steady with one hand if needed.
- Slide your hips forward off the bench so your weight is supported by your arms.
How to do it
- Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping them pointing backward rather than flaring out to the sides.
- Descend until your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor, or as deep as your shoulders comfortably allow.
- Pause briefly at the bottom.
- Press back up by straightening your elbows until your arms are fully extended.
- Repeat for the set, keeping your hips close to the bench throughout.
Form cues
- Elbows track backward, not out to the sides.
- Hips stay close to the bench, not drifting forward away from it.
- Shoulders stay down and back, not hunched up toward your ears.
- Depth stops where your shoulders feel loaded but not pinched.
Breathing: Inhale as you lower into the dip, exhale as you press back up to full extension.
Common mistakes
Flaring the elbows out to the sides instead of keeping them pointed back.
Fix: Keep your elbows tracking straight behind you; flaring them out shifts stress onto the front of the shoulder.
Descending so deep that the shoulders round forward and pinch.
Fix: Stop at the depth where your upper arms are about parallel to the floor, or shallower if your shoulders feel any pinching.
Letting the hips drift forward away from the bench.
Fix: Keep your hips tracking straight down and up, close to the edge of the bench, rather than swinging forward.
Using momentum by bouncing out of the bottom position.
Fix: Pause briefly at the bottom and press up with a controlled, deliberate push.
How to program it
- This loads your triceps and shoulders through a full bodyweight-plus-added-weight range, so two sessions a week with a day of rest between them is a sensible default for the joint recovery involved.
- Three sets of 8 to 12 reps is a solid range once you can comfortably complete bodyweight bench dips for similar numbers.
- It pairs well on a push day after your main pressing work, as a triceps-focused finisher rather than the first exercise of the session.
Safety notes
- Stop lowering the moment you feel pinching at the front of the shoulder rather than tension in the triceps.
- Add weight gradually; a plate that forces you to shorten your range of motion is heavier than the exercise is ready for yet.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Push
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Category
- Strength
Frequently asked questions
How much weight should I add to bench dips?
Start with a light plate, 5 to 10 pounds, and only increase once you can complete your full range of motion without any shoulder pinching.
What's the difference between a bench dip and a regular dip?
A bench dip supports your hands behind you on a bench with your feet elevated in front, while a full dip on parallel bars suspends your entire bodyweight between your hands, which demands more shoulder and core stability.
How many sets and reps should I do?
Three sets of 8 to 12 reps works well for most people once the bodyweight version feels manageable for similar numbers.
Why do my shoulders hurt during bench dips?
That's usually a sign you're descending too deep or letting your elbows flare out. Shallow the range slightly and keep your elbows tracking straight back.