Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

Weighted Three Bench Dips: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The weighted three bench dips is a triceps-focused exercise that involves supporting your body weight between three benches while adding extra resistance. It targets the triceps and also works the chest and shoulders. This movement requires significant upper body strength, stability, and proper form to avoid injury.

Primary muscles
Triceps
Secondary muscles
Chest , Shoulders
Equipment
Weighted
Level · type
Advanced · Compound
Demonstration of the weighted three bench dips
Front view: muscles worked by the weighted three bench dips. Primary: triceps. Secondary: chest and shoulders.
Back view: muscles worked by the weighted three bench dips. Primary: triceps. Secondary: chest and shoulders.
Primary Secondary

How to do the weighted three bench dips

  1. Step 1: Sit on the edge of a bench with your hands gripping the edge, fingers pointing forward.
  2. Step 2: Walk your feet forward, sliding your butt off the bench and supporting your weight with your arms.
  3. Step 3: Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping your back close to the bench.
  4. Step 4: Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push yourself back up to the starting position.
  5. Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the weighted three bench dips by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Weighted Three Bench Dips alternatives

More exercises that train the triceps as their main target:

More triceps exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.