Chest Dip (Between Benches)

The Chest Dip, also known as “dipping” or triceps dips, is an exercise targeting the chest and triceps, although the anterior fibers of the shoulders also assist.

Compared with the bench press, dipping places more emphasis on the lower fibers of the chest muscles and less emphasis on the upper fibers. The relative involvement of the triceps is slightly greater than with the bench press.

Chest Dips in the example are performed between two benches. However, they can also be performed between many other objects. These do have to meet several requirements:

Sturdy surface. If you use the backrests of folding chairs, first place a camera so you can share the fall on YouTube.
Sufficient height: With your legs tucked in, you should be able to complete the full range of motion.
Correct distance. Ideally, the distance should be shoulder-width to approximately ten centimeters wider.

Chest Dip (between benches) execution

Place your hands with your arms extended on the benches. Preferably at the end so your wrist does not have to be fully bent.

Support yourself on your arms while crossing your feet behind you. This is your starting position.

Lower yourself in a controlled manner by bending your arms. Lower until your elbows form a 90-degree angle.

Push yourself back up by extending your arms (avoid fully extending them).

Chest Dip (between benches)

Active muscles:

Pectoralis major (large chest muscle, especially the lower and middle fibers)
Pectoralis minor (depending on execution)
Anterior deltoid (anterior fibers of the shoulder muscle)
Triceps brachii
Serratus anterior
Coracobrachialis (coracoid arm muscle)

Stabilizing muscles:

Rotator cuff (stabilizing shoulder muscles, supraspinatus, subscapularis, teres major, teres minor)
Serratus
Trapezius
Biceps brachii
Latissimus dorsi
Core muscles

Chest Dip (between benches) technique

The terms chest dip and tricep dip are often used interchangeably. Often, they are therefore exactly the same exercise.

You can adjust the emphasis on different muscles or parts of a muscle by leaning your body forward. This places somewhat more emphasis on the middle and upper fibers of the chest (although the lower part will continue to do most of the work). The pectoralis minor and front of the shoulders will also have to work harder when you perform the exercise while leaning forward. The contribution of the chest as a whole will be somewhat greater relative to the involvement of the triceps.

You could also bring your elbows more out to the sides instead of backward to place more emphasis on the chest. This is not directly recommended for shoulder safety.

For some, such adjustments turn a tricep dip into a chest dip. Whether that is justified, opinions will continue to differ.

Leaning forward does, incidentally, become considerably more difficult when you perform dips with additional weight. Dips with additional weight may quickly become necessary when your own body weight does not provide sufficient resistance.

Conversely, for many people their body weight is simply too heavy. This can be remedied with resistance bands or counterweight machines. You can also place your feet diagonally in front of you on the floor to make the exercise easier, as in the (chest) dip bent knees.

At a glance