Know your exercise: Bench Dips

A popular bodyweight exercise, bench dips are great for the triceps. They also target the chest and shoulder and help add upper body strength.

A popular bodyweight exercise, bench dips are great for the triceps. They also target the chest and shoulder and help add upper body strength. To top it, they're easy to do.

Here's how you do it:

Step 1: Place a bench behind you and with the bench perpendicular to your body and sit down.

Step 2: Lower yourself to the ground while using your palms to support your body. Keep your arms wide, but not too wide (only shoulder-wide) and extend your legs forward and perpendicular to the torso. This is the starting position.

Step 3: Slowly lower your body by bending the elbows until your forearm and upper arm are almost perpendicular. Make sure elbows are close and forearm is pointing down.

Step 4: Raise yourself using your triceps muscles, to bring your torso again and return to the starting position.

Tips: Keep your back as close to the bench as possible. Don't bend your knees as this will make the exercise easier and put less pressure on your triceps muscles.

Variations

This exercise can be made tougher by doing it on two benches, one to support your hands and another one for your legs. When you get used to that variation as well, you can use plates or weights on top your lap to increase the challenges.

Try these exercises also for better shoulders

• Know your exercise: Front dumbbell raise
• Dumbbell shoulder press
• Know your exercise: Dumbbell side raise
• Know your exercise: Bent-over dumbbell rear delt raise
• Know your exercises: Biceps curl
• Triceps cable extensions
• Preacher curls
• Concentration Curls

For more articles on exercises, check out ourknow your exercises section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.