Chest Dip with Bent Knees Between Benches

The Chest Dip, also known as a dip or triceps dip, is an exercise targeting the chest and triceps, although the anterior fibers of the shoulders also assist. In the bent-knees variation, part of the weight is supported by the legs to make the exercise easier. A useful way to perform this exercise when body weight still provides too much resistance.

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

Chest dips in the example are performed between two benches. However, they can be performed between many other objects. These requirements do apply:

Sturdy surface. If you use the backrests of folding chairs, first place a camera so you can put the fall on YouTube.
Sufficient height
Correct distance. Ideally, the distance should be shoulder-width to about ten centimeters wider.

Chest Dip bent-knees execution

1
Place your hands with your arms straight on the benches. Preferably at the ends so that the wrists do not have to bend fully.
2
Support yourself on your arms while placing your feet on the floor in front of you with your knees slightly bent. This is your starting position.
3
Lower yourself in a controlled manner by bending your arms. Lower until your elbows form a 90-degree angle and your buttocks almost touch the floor.
4
Push yourself back up by straightening your arms (avoid fully locking out).

Chest Dip bent knees

Active muscles:

Pectoralis major (large chest muscle, especially the lower and middle fibers)
Anterior deltoid (anterior fibers of the shoulder muscle)
Triceps brachii
Serratus anterior
Coracobrachialis (coracobrachialis muscle)

Stabilizing muscles:

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

Chest Dip bent-knees technique

The terms chest dip and triceps 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 anterior shoulders will also have to work harder when you perform the exercise while leaning forward. The contribution of the chest as a whole will become somewhat greater relative to the involvement of the triceps. In this variation, however, you cannot lean forward because of the placement of your feet.

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