Weighted Dip
Heavy pressing that loads the triceps and lower chest together
How to do it well
The set-up and the rep in full, then the cues the app shows on the exercise card — the short version, for the moment you are standing in front of the bar.
Set-up
Add load with a dip belt, or hold a dumbbell between the knees. Jump up to support on parallel bars with straight arms, shoulders pulled down away from the ears, and lean the chest slightly forward.
The rep
Lower for two seconds by bending the elbows and letting them travel back, until the upper arms are about parallel to the floor or you reach the depth the shoulder is comfortable at, whichever comes first. Press back up to locked arms without swinging.
On the exercise card
- Chest slightly forward
- Only as deep as the shoulder allows
- Tempo
- 2s down
What goes wrong, and the fix
| What goes wrong | The fix |
|---|---|
| Going too deep | Only as deep as the shoulder allows. Discomfort at the front of the shoulder is the signal to stop higher. |
| Shrugging | Keep the shoulders down. Shrugged shoulders strain the front of the joint at depth. |
| Swinging to get up | Brace and keep the legs still. Use less load if it needs a swing. |
Make it easier, or harder
- Easier
- Bodyweight dips, or band-assisted dips with a shorter range.
- Harder
- More load, or a pause at the bottom.
How Train Smart prescribes it
The sets and reps below are the authored starting point. The actual weight you see is calculated from your own last top set and the week you are in within your four-week block.
It is heavy pressing that loads the triceps and lower chest together. AFL, soccer, basketball, boxing and MMA all use it at three sets of eight in the strength block, usually beside the bench press or the incline dumbbell press.
| Program | Session | Sets × reps | Load |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFL | Upper Power | 3 × 8 | BW + load |
| Soccer | Upper + Core | 3 × 8 | BW + load |
| Basketball | Upper + Trunk | 3 × 8 | BW + load |
| Boxing | Pull, Trunk + Neck | 3 × 8 | BW + load |
If you cannot do this one
Rack taken, kit missing, or it does not suit you. These are the swaps the app offers, matched by movement pattern and body region — each with the reason it is a fair substitute.
| Alternative | Why it works as a swap |
|---|---|
| Bench Press | Max horizontal pressing strength |
| DB Bench Press | Bigger range, even sides |
| Incline DB Press | Upper-chest + front-delt bias |
| Decline Bench Press | Lower-chest emphasis, shoulder-friendly |
| Floor Press | Shoulder-friendly, lockout strength |
| Spoto Press | Pause 1 inch above chest — tightness + control |
This exercise, in a program that knows why it is there
Train Smart puts this movement in the right session, at the right point in your block, at a weight calculated for you — and swaps it automatically if you do not have the kit.
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