10 Best Weighted Three Bench Dips Alternatives for Strength Gains

What can you do instead of Weighted Three Bench Dips? Use parallel‑bar dips, close‑grip bench press, cable pushdowns, overhead triceps extensions, or ring dips. Focus on elbow extension and scapular stability: keep elbows tucked and scapula depressed to emphasize the triceps long head while reducing shoulder hyperextension.

Original Exercise: Weighted Three Bench Dips

Weighted Three Bench Dips
Primary Muscle
Triceps
Equipment
Weighted
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Compound
Secondary Muscles: Chest, Shoulders
How to Perform Weighted Three Bench Dips
  1. Sit on the edge of a bench with your hands gripping the edge, fingers pointing forward.
  2. Walk your feet forward, sliding your butt off the bench and supporting your weight with your arms.
  3. Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping your back close to the bench.
  4. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push yourself back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Best Weighted Three Bench Dips Alternatives

Best Match
Ez Bar Standing French Press

1. Ez Bar Standing French Press

90.4% Match
Triceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the ez barbell with an overhand grip.
  2. Raise the barbell above your head, fully extending your arms.
  3. Keeping your upper arms close to your head, slowly lower the barbell behind your head by bending your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Elbow Dips

2. Elbow Dips

88.7% Match
Triceps Body-weight Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on the edge of a bench or chair with your hands gripping the edge next to your hips.
  2. Slide your hips forward off the bench and straighten your legs, keeping your heels on the ground.
  3. Bend your elbows and lower your body towards the ground, keeping your back close to the bench.
  4. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push through your hands to straighten your arms and lift your body back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Standing Palms In Press

3. Dumbbell Standing Palms In Press

85% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level with your palms facing inwards.
  2. Keeping your core engaged and your back straight, press the dumbbells upwards until your arms are fully extended overhead.
  3. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Arnold Press V. 2

4. Dumbbell Arnold Press V. 2

85% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with back support and hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level, palms facing your body and elbows bent.
  2. Press the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended and your palms are facing forward.
  3. Rotate your wrists as you lift, so that your palms end up facing forward at the top of the movement.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Cuban Press

5. Dumbbell Cuban Press

84.4% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with your palms facing down.
  2. Keeping your core engaged and your elbows slightly bent, press the dumbbells up and overhead until your arms are fully extended.
  3. Rotate your wrists so that your palms are facing forward.
  4. Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position, rotating your wrists back to the starting position as you do so.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dips - Triceps Version

6. Dips - Triceps Version

81.2% Match
Triceps Body-weight Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. To get into the starting position, hold your body at arm's length with your arms nearly locked above the bars.
  2. Now, inhale and slowly lower yourself downward. Your torso should remain upright and your elbows should stay close to your body. This helps to better focus on tricep involvement. Lower yourself until there is a 90 degree angle formed between the upper arm and forearm.
  3. Then, exhale and push your torso back up using your triceps to bring your body back to the starting position.
  4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Dumbbell Standing Overhead Press

7. Dumbbell Standing Overhead Press

81% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level with your palms facing forward.
  2. Press the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended overhead.
  3. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to shoulder level.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Ez Barbell Seated Triceps Extension

8. Ez Barbell Seated Triceps Extension

80.3% Match
Triceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with your back straight and feet flat on the ground.
  2. Hold the ez barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
  3. Raise the barbell overhead, fully extending your arms.
  4. Keeping your upper arms stationary, lower the barbell behind your head by bending your elbows.
  5. Pause for a moment, then raise the barbell back to the starting position by extending your arms.
Dumbbell W-press

9. Dumbbell W-press

80% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
  2. Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height, elbows bent and palms facing forward.
  3. Press the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended overhead.
  4. Lower the dumbbells back to shoulder height.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press

10. Dumbbell Shoulder Press

80% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. While holding a dumbbell in each hand, sit on a military press bench or utility bench that has back support. Place the dumbbells upright on top of your thighs.
  2. Now raise the dumbbells to shoulder height one at a time using your thighs to help propel them up into position.
  3. Make sure to rotate your wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing forward. This is your starting position.
  4. Now, exhale and push the dumbbells upward until they touch at the top.
  5. Then, after a brief pause at the top contracted position, slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position while inhaling.

Why You Might Need a Weighted Three Bench Dips Alternative

You might substitute Weighted Three Bench Dips for shoulder pain, limited equipment, or to change loading patterns. The three‑bench position forces shoulder extension and heavy scapular depression, which increases long‑head triceps tension but also raises glenohumeral load and impingement risk. Choose alternatives when you need finer load progression, less shoulder extension, or safer scapular mechanics. For example, the close‑grip bench press lets you load elbow extension with less shoulder extension—keep your elbows tucked 10–20 degrees and press through the mid‑palm to bias triceps. Cables maintain continuous tension and allow controlled 2–3 second eccentrics to protect the joint.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Select a substitute based on shoulder health, desired movement pattern, and equipment. If you must avoid shoulder hyperextension, pick elbow‑dominant moves like cable pushdowns or lying triceps extensions and cue a full elbow lockout with a slow eccentric. For heavy compound strength, choose close‑grip bench press or weighted parallel‑bar dips where you can progressively load; keep scapula retracted and drive through the elbows to prioritize triceps. For hypertrophy, prefer cables for constant tension and use 6–12 reps with controlled 3–4 second eccentrics. Also consider grip and arm angle to bias different triceps heads.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Weighted Three Bench Dips work?

Weighted Three Bench Dips primarily target the triceps brachii—especially the long and lateral heads—through resisted elbow extension. They also recruit the anterior deltoid and pectoralis major due to shoulder extension; keep shoulders depressed and elbows tucked to bias the triceps and limit chest involvement.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Weighted Three Bench Dips?

The best bodyweight alternative is parallel‑bar dips, which preserve the vertical pressing pattern and heavy elbow extension. To emphasize triceps, keep your torso more upright, tuck the elbows, and control the descent for a 2–3 second eccentric; if shoulders are sore, use band‑assisted dips or slow bench negatives.

Can I build muscle without doing Weighted Three Bench Dips?

Yes—you can build triceps size and strength with other elbow‑extension movements like close‑grip bench press, skull crushers, and cable pushdowns. Prioritize progressive overload, controlled eccentrics (3–4 seconds), and maintain elbow tuck to maximize triceps activation across 6–12 rep sets.

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