Dumbbell Bench Dip

Description

How to Do Dumbbell Bench Dip

1. 1
   Setup

   Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell placed vertically on each thigh, close to your knees.

2. 2
   Setup

   Place your hands flat on the bench, slightly wider than hip-width, with fingers pointing forward. Scoot your hips forward until they are off the bench, supporting your body with your hands and feet.

3. 3
   Setup

   Extend your legs straight out in front of you, balancing the dumbbells on your quads near your hips, or place your heels on the ground for less challenge.

4. 4

   Inhale as you slowly lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping them pointing straight back and close to your torso, until your upper arms are parallel to the floor or a 90-degree angle is formed at the elbow.

5. 5

   Exhale as you push through your palms and extend your elbows to return to the starting position, focusing on squeezing your triceps at the top.

Tips

• Keep your elbows pointing straight back and close to your body throughout the movement to maximize triceps engagement and protect your shoulders.
• Control the eccentric (lowering) phase, taking 2-3 seconds to descend, to enhance muscle activation and time under tension.
• To increase difficulty, place your feet on an elevated surface; to decrease difficulty, bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the floor closer to the bench.
• Maintain a slight forward lean in your torso, keeping your chest up and shoulders down, to prevent shrugging and improve stability.

Common Mistakes

• ×Flaring elbows out to the sides reduces triceps engagement and places undue stress on the shoulder joints; instead, keep your elbows tucked in and pointing directly behind you.
• ×Not going deep enough limits the range of motion and muscle activation; ensure your elbows reach at least a 90-degree angle at the bottom of the dip.
• ×Shrugging your shoulders towards your ears strains the neck and shoulders; actively depress your shoulders away from your ears throughout the exercise.