Weighted Dips vs Bench Press: Which is Better for Mass?

Battle of the chest exercises: weighted dips vs bench press. Which is better for pure mass gains?

Both weighted dips and the bench press are proven chest and triceps builders. The bench press has two benefits over weighted dips: you can hit the muscles from several angles (incline/flat/decline) and you can more easily add weight, which means you can make progress more easily. Because of this, the bench press is slightly superior to weighted dips for mass. However, ideally you would include both in your routine.

Before diving into the pros and cons of weighted dips vs bench press, let’s establish the proper function and form of both exercises first.

Do Dips Work the Same Muscles as the Bench Press?

Sort of.

Both exercises are upper body pushing movements, which means the following three muscle groups will be involved to some extent:

• Pecs
• Triceps
• Deltoids

However, the proportion to which each muscle group is involved is going to differ between weighted dips vs bench press. And this change becomes more significant when it comes to different bench variations such as incline and decline.

Weighted Dips: Muscles Worked + How to

Dips are primarily thought of as either a chest or triceps exercise. But, the anterior deltoids are also worked to a significant degree.

And, you can change the focus of the dip by changing the width of the grip. The closer the grip, the more the triceps will be worked. The wider the grip, the more the pecs get worked.

There isn’t a lot of research available looking at weighted dips muscle activation. But, one study from the Journal of Physical Education Research analyzed electromyographic (EMG) activity in the triceps and pecs by comparing the following four exercises:

• Vertical dips
• Wider-grip vertical dips
• Back dips (AKA bench dips)
• Diamond push-ups

The researchers found vertical dips to be the most effective at activating the triceps. Whereas wider-grip vertical dips were the most effective at activating the pecs. (1)

And this supports the idea that changing your grip width changes the muscular focus of the exercise.

Watch this excellent video for a 7-minute breakdown of how to do weighted dips properly:

Bench Press: Muscles Worked + How to

We all know the bench press is widely believed to be the king of the chest exercises.

But, it’s also known as an effective triceps builder. As is the case with dips, the closer your grip is the more the triceps will be worked, and the wider the grip the more the pecs get worked.

A systematic review from 2017 looked at 14 studies using surface EMG analysis of the bench press to determine which muscles show the greatest activity. The researchers found the pectoralis major and the triceps brachii to be the most active during the flat bench press. And the anterior deltoid was the third most active. (2)

So, we know both from anecdotal and research evidence the bench press is extremely effective at targeting the pecs and triceps. And, to a lesser degree, the anterior deltoids.

The bench press is a technical lift. And most people have developed some bad habits with it. If you really want to know how to bench properly, watch this excellent 10-minute video:

Weighted Dips for Mass: Pros and Cons

Pro: Better at Activating the Lower Pecs

The movement of weighted dips actually mimic the decline bench press more so than flat. To truly mimic the flat bench, you would have to perform dips horizontally, which would be quite a challenge!

Decline is known to be better at activating the lower pecs and less effective at activating the clavicular head (upper pecs).

In fact, famous strength and conditioning coach Bret Contreras performed his own EMG experiment utilizing a wide variety of different chest and triceps exercises.

He found weighted dips activated the lower pecs much more so than any of the bench press variations (with the exception of the guillotine press, which I don’t recommend because it can be dangerous). In fact, weighted dips had the highest lower pec mean activation of any exercise performed. (3)

Granted, this is not peer-reviewed research, but it indicates dips are excellent at lower pec activation. And this isn’t surprising, given the similarity of the movement to the decline bench.

Pro: Excellent Triceps Builder

In the same study from Bret Contreras, he also measured EMG activation of the medial head of the triceps.

Bret found weighted dips to be one of the best exercises for mean activation of the medial head. Better than any of the bench press variations. Only rope and cable extensions scored higher than weighted dips.

And it’s not really a surprise this is the case. Dips force you to push and control your entire body throughout the movement. Because you have to keep your body semi-upright, you lose a little bit of chest activation, especially in the upper (clavicular head) portion.

So, naturally, the triceps will take over and become dominant.

Pro: Easy to Master Technique

Dips are really easy to master.

The only contact points with the equipment are your hands. So there’s less points of contact to stabilize the movement and therefore less to worry about. There are two technical issues most people tend to have when doing dips:

1. Leaning forward too much or not enough
2. Going too deep with the movement and putting the shoulder at risk

As explained in the instructional video above, you want to be leaning forward a bit instead of standing straight up like a pencil. And you don’t want to dip too deep or else you risk putting your shoulder in an unnatural and potentially dangerous position.

It’s also a good idea to keep your feet crossed so they don’t provide unwanted momentum.

But, that’s about it. Beyond that, there isn’t much technique involved in weighted dips.

Con: Difficult to Make Progress With Heavy Weight

This is one of the reasons dips are often overlooked.

Any movement which uses barbells and dumbbells makes it extremely easy to add weight. But, with weighted dips you are going to need to use a dip belt. These can be uncomfortable and awkward with weights stacked together hanging between your legs.

And the more weight you add, the more awkward it becomes and the more you have to stabilize the position of your body.

Dips are a bodyweight exercise, so your bodyweight counts against you when doing them. This means heavier folks are going to find dips to be pretty difficult. If you are already 250+ pounds, unless you are freakishly strong, you’re going to be able to add only minimal weight over time.

And, as I’ve talked about before, adding weight to the bar is the primary and best way to make progress in the gym.

So, this is a serious con which has to be considered when comparing weighted dips vs bench press.

Need a High Quality Dip Belt for Weighted Dips?

Here is my #1 dip belt recommendation:

HYPELETICS Weighted Dip Belt

If you’re looking for a durable dip belt which won’t break the bank, I think this is the best option. There are two sizes: small and regular. The small size is for waist size 20″ – 30″, and the regular size is 30″ – 40″.

The belt itself is made of high-grade neoprene, which means it is strong yet flexible enough to be comfortable.

And, instead of an annoying metal chain, a high quality strap is used to secure the weights. Plus the strap is long enough to hold up to 6 Olympic-sized 45 pound plates!

Check out the reviews here.

Bench Press for Mass: Pros and Cons

Pro: Several Variations Available (Flat/Incline/Decline)

Perhaps the biggest benefit of the bench press is the variety of angles which you can hit it from:

• Incline
• Flat
• Decline

A study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research looked at EMG activation across several muscle groups by comparing incline, flat, and decline bench press. Interestingly, very little difference was found in the activation of the upper pecs between flat and incline. But, the researchers found the upper pecs were significantly less active during the decline bench. (4)

We know the decline bench is similar to weighted dips. And we know from Bret Contreras’ study that weighted dips activate the lower pecs to a higher degree. So they likely underemphasize the upper pecs.

Therefore incline bench offers a critical angle to hit the pecs from which are underemphasized by weighted dips.

Beyond any research or facts, it just seems intuitively true that the more angles you can hit a muscle from, the more ways you can stimulate that muscle to grow. And this is especially true with a large muscle group like the pecs.

Pro: Easy to Make Progress With Heavy Weight

The current world record for the raw (unequipped) bench press is a mind-boggling 782.6 pounds! Now, I don’t know the world record for weighted dips, but I can comfortably assume it’s much much lower than that.

And this is a significant benefit of the bench press.

Being able to consistently add more weight to the bar means more opportunity for growth in the long run. And, like I mentioned already, heavier people will have trouble with weighted dips. But, not only will they not have trouble with the bench press, they will probably be able to lift more weight! There’s a reason most of the best benchers in the world are also enormous people. The leverage helps.

And weighted dips just get really awkward and hard to control as you move up in weight.

I mean, you have to keep adding plates to your dip belt, and it just gets awkward and uncomfortable after awhile. It’s hard to keep your form tight when you have three 45 pound plates dangling between your legs!

Con: Hard to Master Technique

Now we arrive at the biggest flaw of the bench press: the technical prowess required to truly master it.

For me, the bench press was one of the hardest lifts to really “get”. And horrible bench press technique is on full display at every commercial gym on the planet. I recommend most people to use a more powerlifting-style technique which is similar to the one shown in the instructional video above.

Unlike with weighted dips, with the bench you have four points of contact: both feet and both hands.

And utilizing leg drive is a huge factor if you really want a heavy bench press. Which is something many people struggle to do successfully.

Additionally, you have to have your shoulder blades pinched together to form a stable “shelf”, as well as keeping your lats involved to support the weight. And then you also have to consider the angle of the elbow and the path of the bar as it travels throughout the movement.

So, there’s a lot of moving pieces with the bench press which make it an extremely technical movement which is hard to master.

But, once you do master it, get ready for the mass gains to start pouring in.

Can Dips Replace the Bench Press?

When it comes to weighted dips vs bench press for pure mass gains, the bench press is, on net, superior.

And this is mainly due to the different variations (incline/decline/flat) as well as being able to lift heavier and heavier weight. But, I don’t think the difference is that extreme.

Luckily, we live in a world where you can do both weighted dips and bench press! I definitely recommend doing both exercises if you can.

I don’t think weighted dips can be a 1:1 replacement for the bench press because they won’t activate as much of the pecs. Of course, you could just stick to weighted dips and then do an exercise like incline flys to hit the upper pecs. Just an idea!

Here are some recommendations for how to program both weighted dips and the bench press into your routine:

• Do a bench-focused cycle for 4 weeks and then do a weighted dip cycle for 4 weeks and switch back and forth
• Start a workout with heavy bench press and then do bodyweight dips afterwards to fully exhaust the muscles
• Start a workout with weighted dips and then do light, high rep bench press to fully exhaust the muscles
• Stick to bench press as your primary movement, and when you start to plateau on strength, have a week where you only do dips

Hopefully these suggestions will get you moving in the right direction.

Towards bigger, better, and stronger pecs and triceps.

FAQ

Q: What is the dip to bench press ratio for strength?

A: Unfortunately, this is a really hard question to answer definitively. The angle of the torso as well as width of the grip will alter the numbers. And some people are just biomechanically more suited to one movement or the other.

The ratio doesn’t really matter all that much anyways. Like I mentioned earlier, the biggest factor to consider is how much weight you can comfortably add to the exercise. And it’s much easier to figure that out for bench, because it’s much easier to add weight comfortably to the bench press.

Q: Are weighted dips harder than the bench press?

A: When looking at the overall movement of weighted dips vs bench press, there are significant differences. Dips are a “closed chain” exercise, meaning the part of the movement furthest away from the body is fixed. In this case, the hands are fixed to the dip bars and the body is in motion.

The bench press is an “open chain” exercise. The hands are free to move with the bar and the body remains stationary. Generally speaking, closed chain exercises will be harder to perform than open chain because there is a lot more stability required.

Another example would be leg press and squats. Squats are closed chain, as the feet and hands are stationary, and the body is moving. Whereas with the leg press, the legs are free to move with the sled. And squats are definitely harder than leg presses!

For more on closed vs open chain exercises, read this excellent article from Healthline.

Q: Are dips safer than the bench press?

A: Both the bench press and weighted dips can be dangerous on your shoulders, especially if not performed correctly. Doing a full range of motion bench press will put your shoulders in a slightly compromised position. And going past a 90 degree arm angle with weighted dips will have the same effect.

There is one way in which dips are safer then the bench press. Your chance of dying is pretty much zero percent. Unfortunately, the bench press has killed people in the past.

Of course, these are freak accidents which virtually never happen, but it still kind of scares me. And it’s one reason I don’t bench heavy anymore. If the bar slips out of your hands (which it shouldn’t if you are gripping it correctly), it will land on your neck or chest, which could seriously injure you. Always be careful and bench in a power/squat rack. Having a spotter is crucial for heavier lifting too.

References

1. Bagchi, A. (June, 2015). A comparative electromyographical investigation of triceps brachii and pectoralis major during four different freehand exercises. Journal of Physical Education Research, Volume 2, Issue II, 20-27.
2. Stastny P, Gołaś A, Blazek D, Maszczyk A, Wilk M, et al. (2017) A systematic review of surface electromyography analyses of the bench press movement task. PLOS ONE 12(2): e0171632. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0171632
3. Contreras, Bret (February 22, 2010). Inside the Muscles: Best Chest and Triceps Exercises. Testosterone Nation
4. Barnett, Chris1; Kippers, Vaughan2; Turner, Peter1 Effects of Variations of the Bench Press Exercise on the EMG Activity of Five Shoulder Muscles, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: November 1995 – Volume 9 – Issue 4 – p 222-227

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