Bench Dip

How to perform it

1. 1Preparation and positioning. Use a stable bench that cannot slide or tip. Sit near the edge, place the hands beside the hips with fingers forward, and keep the feet on the floor for the beginner version.
2. 2Starting position. Move the hips just in front of the bench while keeping the shoulders controlled and the elbows extended without hyperextending them. Keep the knees bent enough that the feet can assist if needed.
3. 3Eccentric or lowering phase. Bend the elbows and lower the body by allowing the shoulders to move relative to the bench while keeping the hips close. Use only the shoulder-extension depth that remains controlled and symptom-free.
4. 4End position. Stop at the deepest position that preserves shoulder control, without forcing the upper arms below a fixed universal angle. The forearms remain reasonably vertical and the elbows track behind the body.
5. 5Concentric phase. Press the hands into the bench and extend the elbows to return the hips upward. Keep the chest and pelvis moving together instead of thrusting the head or ribs forward.
6. 6Breathing and bracing. Inhale during the descent and exhale during the press while keeping light trunk tension. Avoid bouncing at the bottom or using a breath hold to force a deeper range.
7. 7Valid repetition. Count one repetition when the elbows bend and extend through the chosen pain-free range with the bench stable and the feet controlled. The depth standard must stay consistent across the set.

Common mistakes

• Forcing excessive depth

  Fix: Use a shallower range and stop before the shoulder is pulled into an uncontrolled extension position.

• Shoulders rolling forward

  Fix: Keep the chest open and the shoulder girdle controlled while pressing the hands down.

• Hips drifting away

  Fix: Keep the pelvis close to the bench and bend the knees more if assistance is needed.

• Bouncing at the bottom

  Fix: Pause briefly or slow the descent so the elbow extension starts from a controlled position.

Safety

• Bench dips require substantial shoulder extension; people with limited or poorly tolerated shoulder extension should use a different pressing option or a reduced range.
• The bench must be stable and the feet must remain available for assistance; never use a setup that can slide or tip.
• Wrist and elbow symptoms are meaningful load signals; change the hand position or exercise rather than forcing a painful lockout.
• Do not interpret the bench dip as a universal prerequisite for parallel-bar dips; the joint positions and stability demands differ.

Progressions & alternatives

• regressionFeet-assisted Bench Dip— Keep more weight through the feet so elbow-extension practice can be performed with a smaller, controlled load.
• alternativeClose-grip Push-up— Train pressing and elbow extension without the same bench-dip shoulder-extension setup.
• progressionParallel-bar Dip— Move to a greater whole-body pressing demand and a different support environment only when the required shoulder range is tolerated.