Assisted dips

Also called machine-assisted dips, assisted triceps dips, kneeling assisted dips.

What are assisted dips?

Assisted dips are parallel-bar dips performed on a machine with a moving knee pad that offsets part of your bodyweight. You lower between the handles and press back to straight arms while the pad travels with you. The exercise trains the triceps, chest and front of the shoulders; changing the assistance setting changes how much of your bodyweight you press.

Two rear three-quarter anatomical illustrations of a man using a counterweighted assisted-dip machine against a white background. In the left frame he kneels high on the black assistance pad with his arms straight and hands on the parallel handles. In the right frame the pad and his body are lower, his elbows are bent behind him and his upper arms are near horizontal. The machine frame, weight stack and knee pad are visible in both frames. Dark red shading covers the triceps, with lighter red across the sides of the chest and parts of the back and shoulders.

How do you perform assisted dips?

Set up

Choose an assistance setting, take hold of the parallel handles and step onto the machine's supports.
Keep holding the handles as you place one knee and then the other on the pad; settle at the top with your arms straight and your body still.

Execution

Bend your elbows to lower between the handles, keeping your knees on the pad and your elbows travelling mostly behind you.
Stop when your upper arms are about parallel with the floor, or sooner if the position is uncomfortable.
Press the handles away until your arms are straight, without bouncing on the pad or shrugging your shoulders.
After the final rep, keep hold of the handles, return one foot and then the other to the supports, and guide the unloaded pad upward.

Common mistakes

Climbing onto or off the pad without holding the handles
The counterweighted pad moves as your weight transfers to or from it. Keep a secure handhold and move one knee or foot at a time so the change happens under control.
Bouncing on the assistance pad
Separating from the pad and landing on it changes the support from one moment to the next. Keep both knees in contact and let your body and the pad travel together.
Letting the shoulders rise toward the ears
Shrugging changes the top position and often appears as the rep becomes harder. Finish tall between the handles while keeping the neck relaxed.
Forcing a deeper bottom position
The useful endpoint is one you can control without shoulder discomfort. Treat upper arms roughly parallel with the floor as a landmark, not a target to push past.

Where it fits in a session

Early in a pressing or upper-body session, before fatigue makes the moving pad and shoulder position harder to control.

Choose enough assistance to keep every repetition smooth between the same top and bottom positions. Record the machine and its setting because the assistance scale can differ between machine designs.

Muscles worked

triceps brachii
pectoralis major
anterior deltoids

The triceps straighten the elbows while the pectoralis major and front of the shoulders help bring the upper arms back toward the torso. The moving knee pad supports part of the lifter's bodyweight; it changes the load, not the basic dip movement. These three groups are listed together rather than ranked because the amount each contributes changes with torso angle and elbow path.

Variations

Dips — Uses parallel bars without a counterweighted pad supporting part of your bodyweight.
Band-assisted dip — Uses an anchored resistance band for support instead of a machine pad.
Assisted chest dip — Uses more forward torso lean and a slightly wider elbow path to shift more of the press toward the chest.
Negative dip — Starts at the top and trains only the controlled lowering phase without machine assistance.

Frequently asked questions

What muscles do assisted dips work?

Assisted dips train the triceps, pectoralis major and front deltoids. The triceps straighten the elbows while the chest and front of the shoulders help move the upper arms back toward the torso as you press.

How are assisted dips different from regular dips?

The pressing movement is the same, but the machine's moving pad supports part of your bodyweight. Regular dips use parallel bars without that counterweight, so your arms support and press your full bodyweight.

How much assistance should I use?

Choose a setting that lets you lower and press through the same comfortable range without bouncing, shrugging or losing contact with the pad. On most machines, selecting more counterweight provides more help, but check the instructions on the machine you are using.

Should assisted dips target the chest or triceps?

Both work on every repetition. A more upright torso with the elbows close tends to keep the press triceps-focused, while a modest forward lean and slightly wider elbow path involve more of the chest. Choose one position and keep it consistent through the set.

Can I use a resistance band instead of an assisted-dip machine?

Yes, but it is a different setup. A band stretches between the bars and supports the knees or feet, while the machine supplies support through a linked moving pad. Log them separately if you want comparisons between sessions to remain clear.

Should I lock my elbows at the top of assisted dips?

Finish each repetition with straight arms while keeping the shoulders down and the body controlled. Do not snap the elbows backward or use the top to bounce into the next repetition.

Sources

Tiwana MS, Sinkler MA, Bordoni B. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Triceps Muscle. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536996/
Baig MA, Bordoni B. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Pectoral Muscles. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545241/
Elzanie A, Varacallo MA. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Deltoid Muscle. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537056/