Bench Dip (Bodyweight)

The Bench Dip is a beginner-friendly bodyweight exercise that targets the triceps by lowering and raising your torso using a stable surface behind you. It effectively builds arm strength and upper body endurance with minimal equipment.

Exercise movement reviewed by:Cody Lockling, MS, CSCS
How Iridium Helps

Since bench dips can place significant stress on the anterior shoulder capsule if performed incorrectly, the AI monitors your RPE and joint feedback to ensure you stay within safe intensity ranges. If you report shoulder discomfort, the system instantly suggests biomechanically friendlier alternatives like cable pushdowns. Additionally, by tracking your push strength recovery, the app intelligently adjusts rep targets to maximize hypertrophy without overtraining your smaller muscle groups.

Form Cues

Do
  • Place hands shoulder-width apart with fingers pointing forward
  • Keep your back grazing the bench throughout the descent
  • Lower slowly until your elbows form a 90-degree angle
  • Squeeze your triceps hard at the top of the movement
Don't
  • Don't let your hips drift forward away from the bench
  • Don't flare your elbows out to the sides
  • Don't shrug your shoulders up toward your ears
  • Don't drop lower than parallel to avoid shoulder strain

Common Mistakes

  • Hips moving too far forward
  • Flaring elbows outward
  • Excessive depth straining shoulders
  • Rounding the shoulders forward
  • Using momentum to bounce up

Muscles Worked

This exercise primarily isolates all three heads of the triceps brachii, with a specific emphasis on the lateral and medial heads for arm thickness. It also engages the anterior deltoids and lower pectorals as stabilizers, while the forearms work to maintain wrist position and grip.

Primary

Triceps Lateral HeadTriceps Medial Head

Secondary

Lower ChestForearms

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