Triceps Dip (Between Benches)
Triceps Dip (Between Benches) Exercise Description
The Triceps Dip (between benches) is a bodyweight press that emphasizes elbow extension to train the triceps brachii, with assistance from the anterior deltoids and pectorals while the shoulder girdle and core stabilize. You support your hands on one bench and your heels on a second bench, suspending the hips between them to create a long lever challenge. Proper alignment—wrists stacked under shoulders, elbows tracking straight back, and shoulder blades gently retracted and depressed—keeps the movement focused on the triceps and reduces unnecessary shoulder stress. The controlled range is typically until the elbows reach about 90 degrees, or to a comfortable depth that maintains an open chest without the shoulders rolling forward. Pressing back to a straight-arm position finishes each repetition while keeping the torso close to the rear bench to limit excessive shoulder extension torque.
- Muscle Groups: Triceps
- Target Muscles: Triceps Brachii - Lateral Head
- Assisting Muscles: Deltoid - Anterior, Pectoralis Major - Sternal Head
- Stabilizing Muscles: Rectus Abdominis, Rhomboid Major, Transversus Abdominis, Trapezius - Lower Fibers, Trapezius - Middle Fibers
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Arms, Upper Arms
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: Bench, Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Push
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Elbow Extensors
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Outer Tricep
- Movement Direction: Vertical
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Male
How To Do The Triceps Dip (Between Benches) Exercise
‘- Place two flat benches parallel. Sit on the rear bench edge and grip beside your hips, fingers forward, thumbs around the edge.
– Set your heels on the front bench with legs straight; slide hips just off the rear bench. Arms straight, wrists under shoulders.
– Brace lightly. Lift chest, keep ribs down, and draw shoulder blades slightly back and down.
– Inhale and bend elbows straight back, keeping forearms near vertical; let your torso lower close to the bench.
– Stop around 90° of elbow flexion, or before shoulders dip below elbows or roll forward.
– Exhale and press through your palms to extend the elbows, returning to a tall, open-chest position without shrugging.
– Keep elbows pointing back (not flared), neck neutral, and hips close to the bench throughout.
– To finish, carefully bend knees, place feet on the floor, and sit back onto the bench.
Triceps Dip (Between Benches) Tips
‘- Stack wrists directly under your shoulders when you set up on the rear bench.
– Keep your fingers pointing forward and wrap your thumbs around the bench edge for a secure grip.
– Slide your hips just off the rear bench so your body forms a long lever between the two benches.
– Keep your shoulder blades slightly back and down with your chest lifted and ribs down to maintain an open chest.
– Bend your elbows straight back with forearms near vertical, keeping your torso close to the rear bench as you lower.
– Stop the descent around 90° of elbow bend, or before your shoulders drop below your elbows or roll forward.
– Press through your palms to return to a straight-arm, tall, open-chest position without shrugging.
– Keep elbows pointing back, neck neutral, and hips close to the rear bench throughout each repetition.
Triceps Dip (Between Benches) Beginner Introduction
The Triceps Dip (between benches) is a bodyweight press that highlights straightening the elbows against resistance, placing primary demand on the triceps while the front shoulders, chest, and core assist. It uses a pair of benches: hands rest on the rear bench and heels on the front bench so the hips hover between, turning the body into a long lever that challenges strength and control through the arms and torso.
During the movement, the body lowers and rises in front of the rear bench as the elbows bend and then extend again. A tall, open posture through the chest, a steady shoulder position, and a controlled depth all contribute to directing the workload into the backs of the upper arms rather than overloading the shoulder joints. The core and muscles around the shoulders contribute by holding the trunk steady while the arms move, creating a combination of upper-body pressing strength and stability work in a simple, equipment-light setup.