How To Do Weighted Bench Dip: Benefits and Alternates

 

The weighted bench dip is a bodyweight triceps exercise that you can also make more challenging by placing weight plates over the legs. This is a useful exercise for people of all strengths and levels of experience.

When performed with strict form, the weighted bench dip is an effective exercise to build your triceps (the back part of your arms), even if using bodyweight alone. 

The triceps dip with weight will also target the shoulders (particularly the anterior delt heads), chest (pectorals), and serratus anterior.

In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about how to perform the weighted dips correctly. You will also learn its benefits, how to avoid common mistakes, and what is the best variation of weighted tricep bench dips.

What Is Weighted Bench Dips

The weighted bench dip is harder than a regular bench dip. The dip is a good triceps exercise for intermediate people. Both arms are used to hold the weight of the body and plate, so you have more control over the movement.

Weighted tricep dip is a great exercise for building the triceps muscles, the lower chest area and the front heads of the shoulders.

The use of a barbell plate will add resistance and make this exercise more difficult, which will require you to balance and stabilizer your upper body.

The resistance comes from a combination of body weight and added weight—usually a weight plate. The resistance comes from a combination of body weight and added weight—usually a weight plate.

Other ways to do this exercise:

  • Use a dumbbell instead of a weight plate.
  • Knee Bent Weighted Bench Dip: Do this exercise without the flat bench for your legs. For this variation, keep your feet on the floor and weight on your thigh.

Weighted Tricep Dip Benefits 

  1. Dips strengthen the muscles in your chest, shoulders, triceps, upper back, and lower back.
  2. When done correctly, bench dips can add muscle mass to your upper body. This exercise can also help build your strength for other exercises like bench presses.
  3. Dips are an excellent exercise to increase flexibility in the shoulders and wrists, as well as gaining muscle mass in the upper body.
  4. Bench dips require a great deal of core muscle activation. This helps you to be balanced, stable and coordinated.
  5. Also, it’s a great workout that uses a lot of muscles that will make your upper body stronger
  6. Bench dips are the best exercises that you can do at home and Gym. These exercises can be done with items like stairs, chairs, or other sturdy raised surfaces.
  7. It works all the 3 heads of triceps muscles, including the lateral head, long head, and medial head.
  8. Strong triceps help with shoulder stability and improve your range of motion.

Muscles Worked During Weighted Bench Dip

Primary: Triceps.

Secondary: Anterior Deltoid, Lower chestUpper Chest, Pectoralis Minor, Rhomboids, Levator Scapulae, Lats

Weighted Bench Dip

How To Do Weighted Bench Dip

  1. Place your hands on the edge of a bench and extend your legs in front of you, resting your feet on another bench
  2. Have a training partner place a weight plate on your thighs.
  3. Keeping your body close to the bench, bend your elbows and lower your butt, stopping when your upper arms are parallel to the floor. 
  4. Slowly push back up while squeezing your triceps. Do not lock the elbows out at the top of the exercise.
  5. Do 8–12 reps and then have your partner take a plate off, so you can keep going.

Most Common Mistakes While Doing Bench Dips With Weight

The Plate bench dip needs to be done perfectly to activate the necessary muscle groups. This exercise will get you the most out of it if you avoid the common mistakes.

  • If you do partial reps instead of a full rep, you will lose some of the benefits of the exercise. Make sure you lower down until your upper arm is parallel to the ground and your elbow is 90 degrees.
  • Ensure that your elbows stay tucked into your body throughout the dip. When you let your elbows flare out, you move the tension from your triceps to your shoulders, which can cause injury.
  • Make sure you are always using the right form by keeping your chest high and open and your head straight, making sure not to round your shoulders or hunch forward with each movement.
  • It is important that you start in an upright position. Leaning forward will focus on your chest and shoulder muscles and not your triceps.
  • You put too much pressure on your shoulder if you go too low in the dip
  • You shouldn’t lock your elbow at the top of the movement. Keeping them slightly soft maintains tension on the triceps.
  • Move slowly and with control for maximum results. Some of the moves benefits are missed if you rely on momentum to complete each rep.
  • You should only do weighted bench dips after you’ve mastered your bodyweight bench dips and can do them in a controlled manner. Never compromise form to lift more weight. It’s safer and more sensible to build up gradually.

Best Alternate Of Weighted Bench Dip

1. Tricep Floor Dip

Tricep Floor Dip is the simple yet effective tricep dips variation that you can do at home on floor.

Floor Tricep dips are still a good tricep workout, but will require more reps to train the triceps.

This is likely the best bodyweight tricep exercise for a beginner at home, if you have no bench, no chairs, and nothing else to work with.

Floor Tricep Dip

2. Knee Diamond Push-Up

The diamond push-up on the knees is a brilliant beginner exercise for the development of the triceps brachii. 

Once the diamond push-up on knees becomes easy, graduate to performing the exercise on your hands and forefeet. If you’re looking for a simple and good bodyweight movement to train and work your triceps, then diamond push-ups on knees is the best option for a Beginner.

Diamond push-up on knees

You can do more alternate of weighted bench dip at home.

How Many Sets And Reps?

Begin with 3 sets of 10 repetitions and increase your sets and reps over several weeks as you build muscle and strength in your triceps.

Takeaways

Weighted Tricep Bench dip is the best bodyweight exercise because it works your triceps the most, but it also works your chest and your anterior deltoid.

Regardless of your fitness goals, dips are a great addition to the workout plan.

Stay Fit, Live A Happy and Healthy Life

The weighted tricep bench dip is a very effective and challenging movement that primarily targets your triceps, but also works your shoulder, chest and core muscles.

Know More About Tricep Training

Video On: Weighted Bench Dips (Dumbbell and Band Options)

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