Bench Dips

Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the edge of a bench and slide your hips off the edge. Keep your shoulders down away from your ears, open your chest slightly, and hold your torso upright.

Bend your elbows back to slowly lower your body. Keep your chest open so your shoulders do not round forward, and lower only as far as you can keep tension in your triceps.

Press the bench away with your triceps to lift your body. Keep your shoulders down as you straighten your arms, finishing with your triceps engaged.

Think about pushing the bench away with your triceps. If your shoulders take over, reduce the depth and focus on driving your elbows back.

Lowering too deeply can strain the front of your shoulders. Use a range where your triceps stay engaged, with your elbows pointing back instead of out.

Inhale as you lower and exhale as you press up. Do not bounce from the bottom; rise smoothly with your breathing.

Bending your knees makes this easier, while straightening your legs increases the load on your triceps. Start with a variation you can perform for 10 clean reps.