You’ll never outgrow the bench dip. You can do it anywhere with any kind of equipment, or lack thereof, and it can be progressed indefinitely. Move your feet from the floor to another bench or chair, add weight, raise one leg, change your grip, and so on. But if you’re in the gym and you have a partner, you can use it to maximum effect with weighted bench dip dropsets.
How To Do It:
Place your hands on the edge of a bench with your thumbs facing each other, and extend your legs in front of you, resting your feet on another bench. Support your weight on the heels of your hands—keep your elbows straight. Have a partner put several 45-pound plates on your lap and make sure they’re secure.
Bend your elbows and lower your butt, stopping when your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Extend your elbows to come up. Aim for 8–12 reps and then have your partner remove a plate so you can continue repping out. Repeat the process for two or three drop- sets. Do these at the end of your workout.
Reducing the load just enough to allow the set to continue will work your triceps to exhaustion and hit a wide range of muscle fibers. You may find this exercise easier on your elbows than dips using parallel bars or triceps extensions. Make sure your feet don’t start slipping on the bench mid-set.
Quick Tips: Keep your neck neutral. You can look up with your eyes, but don’t tilt your head back. Be careful not to go too low or descend too quickly. Bench dips can aggravate the shoulders, especially when using extra weight.
