Triceps exercise
Seated Dip (Machine)How to do it, with form in numbers
How to do it
How do you do the Seated Dip?
- Sit with your back on the pad and thighs under the roller.
- Grip the handles beside your ribs, elbows bent and pointing back.
- Push the handles down until your arms are straight.
- Hold briefly, then let the handles rise slowly to 90° elbows.
Cues
- Back stays on the pad
- Elbows point straight back
- Shoulders down, chest up
Common mistakes
- Leaning forward to push: keep your back against the pad.
- Elbows flaring out: keep them tucked close to your sides.
- Letting the weight yank up: return slowly over two seconds.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
Starting position
A selectorised seated dip machine: a seat with a back pad (typically reclined about 10° from vertical), a thigh pad holding the legs down, and two lever handles at the sides of the body. Sit with the back and buttocks against the pads, thighs under the thigh pad, feet flat, knees about 90°. Neutral grip (palms facing in), wrists straight. Chest up, shoulder blades down and back.
The movement
The hands push straight down along the sides of the body as the elbows straighten; the upper arms swing from slightly behind the body to vertical. The back, buttocks and thighs stay on their pads; the torso does not lean forward or round to help. On the return the handles rise slowly, elbows still pointing back, until the elbows are back at 90°.
End position
(turnaround point): Arms pressed straight down, elbows about 170–175° (soft, not snapped), hands beside the hips or just in front of them, upper arms about vertical at the sides. Shoulders pressed down away from the ears. Brief hold.
Tempo
1.5 s pressing down, about 1 s hold with the arms straight, 2.5 s controlled return.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back pad recline (typical machine) | 10° | 0–15° | |
| Knee angle | 90° | 80–100° | |
| Elbow flexion at start | 90° | 85–100° | |
| Elbows out from torso, front view | 15° | 10–20° | |
| Elbow at end | 172° | 165–178° | |
| Upper arm at end | vertical | 0–10° behind | |
| Press / hold / return | 1.5 s / 1 s / 2.5 s | 1–2 s / 0.5–1 s / 2–3 s |
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Seated Dip is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
