10 Best Weighted Bench Dip Alternatives for Strength & Rehab

The Weighted Bench Dip is done seated. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Dumbbell Close-grip Press, the Dumbbell Seated Bent Over Triceps Extension and the Three Bench Dip.

Updated Ranked by our 12-factor similarity model How it works

Original Exercise: Weighted Bench Dip

Weighted Bench DipPlay demonstration
Primary muscle
Triceps
Equipment
Weighted
Difficulty
Advanced
Type
Compound

Secondary muscles: Chest, Shoulders

How to perform Weighted Bench Dip
  1. Sit on a bench with your hands gripping the edge, fingers pointing forward.
  2. Slide your butt off the bench, supporting your weight with your hands.
  3. Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
  4. Push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
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Ranked Weighted Bench Dip Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Weighted Bench Dip on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Open "How to perform this exercise" on a card for the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

  1. Best match
    Dumbbell Close-grip PressPlay demonstration

    1. Dumbbell Close-grip Press

    95% match
    • Triceps
    • Dumbbell
    • Intermediate
    • Compound

    Pick this when you want an easier version that still works the triceps.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs.
    2. Using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width.
    3. Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. This will be your starting position.
    4. As you breathe in, slowly lower the dumbbells to your side until they are about level with your chest.
    5. As you exhale, use your triceps to lift the dumbbells back to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
  2. Dumbbell Seated Bent Over Triceps ExtensionPlay demonstration

    2. Dumbbell Seated Bent Over Triceps Extension

    91% match
    • Triceps
    • Dumbbell
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
    2. Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight and your head up.
    3. Extend your arms straight back, keeping your elbows close to your head.
    4. Pause for a moment, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
  3. Three Bench DipPlay demonstration

    3. Three Bench Dip

    89% match
    • Triceps
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Sit on a bench with your hands gripping the edge, fingers pointing forward.
    2. Slide your butt off the bench, supporting your weight with your hands.
    3. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
    4. Push yourself back up to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
  4. Barbell Close-grip Bench PressPlay demonstration

    4. Barbell Close-grip Bench Press

    87% match
    • Triceps
    • Barbell
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
    2. Grasp the barbell with a close grip, slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
    4. Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
    5. Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Body position: lying on your back, not seated
  5. Close-grip Ez-bar Press

    5. Close-grip Ez-bar Press

    87% match
    • Triceps
    • Ez-barbell
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie on a flat bench with an EZ bar loaded to an appropriate weight.
    2. Using a narrow grip lift the bar and hold it straight over your torso with your elbows in. The arms should be perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position.
    3. Now lower the bar down to your lower chest as you breathe in. Keep the elbows in as you perform this movement.
    4. Using the triceps to push the bar back up, press it back to the starting position by extending the elbows as you exhale.
    5. Repeat.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Body position: lying on your back, not seated
  6. Ez-bar Close-grip Bench PressPlay demonstration

    6. Ez-bar Close-grip Bench Press

    87% match
    • Triceps
    • Ez-barbell
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
    2. Grasp the ez barbell with a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing forward.
    3. Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
    4. Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
    5. Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
    6. Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Body position: lying on your back, not seated
  7. Barbell Lying Close-grip PressPlay demonstration

    7. Barbell Lying Close-grip Press

    87% match
    • Triceps
    • Barbell
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
    2. Grasp the barbell with a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing towards your feet.
    3. Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
    4. Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
    5. Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest, then push it back up to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Body position: lying on your back, not seated
  8. Dumbbell Neutral Grip Bench PressPlay demonstration

    8. Dumbbell Neutral Grip Bench Press

    87% match
    • Triceps
    • Dumbbell
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
    2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and your arms extended straight up over your chest.
    3. Slowly lower the dumbbells down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
    4. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the dumbbells back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Body position: lying on your back, not seated
  9. Reverse Triceps Bench Press

    9. Reverse Triceps Bench Press

    87% match
    • Triceps
    • Barbell
    • Advanced
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie back on a flat bench. Using a close, supinated grip (around shoulder width), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked extended in front of you and perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position.
    2. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest. Tip: Make sure that as opposed to a regular bench press, you keep the elbows close to the torso at all times in order to maximize triceps involvement.
    3. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your triceps muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
    4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
    5. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Body position: lying on your back, not seated
  10. Barbell JM Bench PressPlay demonstration

    10. Barbell JM Bench Press

    86% match
    • Triceps
    • Barbell
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
    2. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
    4. Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Weighted Bench Dip
    • Body position: lying on your back, not seated

How to Choose the Right Weighted Bench Dip Substitute

Pick a substitute based on joint health, equipment, and the triceps head you want to emphasize. For long‑head emphasis, choose overhead extensions with shoulder flexion and a slow eccentric; cue: keep upper arm vertical and move only at the elbow. For lateral/medial head focus, use close‑grip pressing or pushdowns with elbows pinned. If you need minimal equipment, select parallel‑bar or assisted dips and control depth to protect the shoulder. Always prioritize exercises where you can maintain elbow alignment and progressively add load or reps.

Weighted Bench Dip FAQ

What muscles does Weighted Bench Dip work?

Weighted bench dips primarily load the triceps, long head, lateral head and medial head, while also engaging the anterior deltoid and lower pecs. The movement combines shoulder extension and elbow extension; keep elbows tucked to increase triceps activation and reduce shoulder shear.

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Similarity scores compare exercise metadata such as movement pattern, muscles, equipment and body position. They are not a safety rating or a check that you own the equipment. Learn about our methodology