Assisted Triceps Dip
Description
The assisted triceps dip is a regression of the standard dip performed on an assisted dip machine or with a resistance band looped around the bars. The assistance reduces your effective body weight, allowing you to build the pressing strength needed for full bodyweight dips. It trains the same muscles — triceps, chest, and shoulders — with adjustable difficulty.
Muscle Group
Equipment Required
Assisted Triceps Dip Instructions
- Set up on an assisted dip machine. Select the appropriate counterweight — more weight means more assistance.
- Kneel or stand on the assistance platform. Grip the parallel bars with arms locked out, supporting your weight.
- Keep your torso upright for tricep emphasis (or lean forward for more chest involvement).
- Tuck your elbows close to your sides. Brace your core.
- Lower your body by bending at the elbows. Descend until your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor.
- Press back up by extending at the elbows. Drive your hands into the bars.
- Lock out at the top. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
- Reduce the assistance weight over time as you get stronger, progressing toward bodyweight dips.
Assisted Triceps Dip Form & Visual
Assisted Triceps Dip Benefits
- Effective progression toward bodyweight dips
- Adjustable difficulty via counterweight selection
- Trains the triceps, chest, and shoulders with reduced load
- Allows higher rep volume than bodyweight dips for beginners
- Builds the pressing strength needed for advanced calisthenics
- Easy to track progress by reducing assistance over time
Assisted Triceps Dip Muscles Worked
- Triceps brachii
- Pectoralis major (sternal head)
- Anterior deltoid
- Rhomboids and trapezius (stabilizers)
- Core (stabilizer)
Assisted Triceps Dip Variations & Alternatives
- Bodyweight Tricep Dip
- Weighted Tricep Dip
- Weighted Bench Dip
- Band-Assisted Dip
- Negative (Eccentric) Dip
- Dips Between Chairs
- Bench Dip (feet on floor)
