Ask a room full of lifters for the best chest builder and most of them will say the barbell bench press. It’s the lift everyone tests and everyone wants a bigger number on. The dip gets far less attention, which is a shame, because it’s one of the most underrated upper body builders going.
Both lifts work the chest, triceps, and shoulders, so picking between them isn’t obvious. Dips lean on the lower chest and let you train to failure without a spotter. The bench press moves more weight and is one of the three lifts you’ll compete on if you ever step on a powerlifting platform.
I run both, and below I break down where each one wins so you can decide which belongs in your program, or whether you should do what I do and keep them both.
Table of Contents
- 1 What’s the main difference between dips and the bench press?
- 2 Pros and Cons
- 3 Exercise Form
- 4 Muscles Used
- 5 When to Do Each
- 6 Dips vs Bench Press: Which Is Better for You?
- 7 Dips vs Bench Press: FAQs
- 8 Other Exercise Comparison Posts
- 8.1 Glute Bridge vs Hip Thrust: Differences & Benefits
- 8.2 Flat vs. Incline Bench Press: Which is Better?
- 8.3 Preacher Curl vs Bicep Curl: Differences, Pros, and Cons
- 8.4 Bench Press vs Chest Press: Pros and Cons
- 8.5 Trap Bar Deadlift vs. Barbell Deadlift: Is One Better?
- 8.6 Leg Press vs. Squat: Differences, Pros, and Cons
- 8.7 Leg Press vs Hack Squat: Differences & Benefits
- 8.8 Barbell Curl vs Dumbbell Curl: Benefits & Differences
- 8.9 Belt Squat vs. Back Squat: Pros & Cons
- 8.10 Preacher Curl vs Concentration Curl: Which is Better?
- 8.11 Concentration Curl vs. Bicep Curl: Which Exercise Should I Be Doing?
- 8.12 Tricep Extension vs Skull Crusher: Pros and Cons
What’s the main difference between dips and the bench press?
The main difference is where the load lands and how much of it you can handle. Dips bias the lower and middle chest, while the bench press spreads the work across the whole pec more evenly. Most lifters are also a lot stronger on the bench, so if strength is the goal, the bench wins on the weight you can move and the fact that it’s a competition lift.
Dips have their own edge. They carry over better to real-world pushing, they’re a staple in gymnastics and CrossFit for a reason, and they teach you to control your full bodyweight through a deep range. You can scale them up with a dip belt or down with a band, so a near-beginner and a strong lifter can both get something out of them.
Pros and Cons
Dips Pros
- Compound lift that builds the chest, triceps, and shoulders at once.
- Trains shoulder stability and mobility through a deep range.
- No spotter needed, so you can push a set to failure safely.
- The best fix on this list if your lower chest is lagging.
- You can run them on parallel bars, rings, or a dedicated dip station.
- Free-weight movement, so you’re not locked into a machine’s bar path.
- Lean forward to hit the chest harder, or stay upright to shift the work to the triceps.
- Start with bodyweight, then load with a dip belt or take weight off with a band.
- More functional carryover than the bench press.
- Light enough on recovery to tack on as accessory volume after your pressing.
Dips Cons
- A dip belt caps how much extra load you can hang on.
- The bottom of a dip can put your shoulders in a rough spot. Dropping well past 90 degrees raises injury risk, so film yourself and keep to a range your shoulders tolerate.
- You’ll be weaker on dips than on the bench, full stop.
- They aren’t a powerlifting lift, so they matter less if you plan to compete.
For effective alternatives to the tricep dip, check out our recommended tricep dip alternatives.
Bench Press Pros
- One of the most effective lifts for chest, triceps, and shoulder size and strength.
- Switch to an incline or decline bench to bias different parts of the chest.
- Swap in dumbbells to train each arm on its own and even out imbalances.
- Almost every gym has the bar, rack, and bench you need.
- It’s a tested strength lift in powerlifting, strongman, and football.
- You can move serious weight, which makes progressive overload easy to track.
- Free-weight movement, so you control the bar path.
Bench Press Cons
- Training to failure means a spotter and sometimes a lift-off.
- Less functional carryover than dips, since you rarely press something off you while lying flat.
- The empty Olympic bar is 45 lbs, which can be too much for some true beginners.
- A big arch shortens the bar’s travel. That’s great for moving weight, less so for chest growth.
- Heavy benching with a big arch loads the lower back.
- More fatiguing than dips, so it eats more of your recovery.
Exercise Form
How to Do Dips Correctly
There are a few ways to dip, but the bodyweight parallel bar dip is the most common, so that’s the one I’ll walk through.
- All you need is a set of parallel bars roughly shoulder-width apart and your bodyweight.
- Grab the bars and press up until your arms and body are fully extended.
- Bend your knees to 90 degrees and cross one ankle over the other. Hold your legs there for the whole set.
- Take a breath and bend your elbows, leaning your torso forward. The more you lean, the more chest you hit.
- When your upper arms reach about parallel, pause, then press back up by driving through your chest and triceps. Don’t sink past 90 degrees at the bottom or you’ll put the shoulders under needless strain.
- Lock out at the top, then repeat for your reps.
Here’s a clean demo of dip technique and the common mistakes to avoid.
Video from Jeff Nippard.
How to Bench Press Correctly
The walkthrough below covers the flat barbell bench press. There are other variations, but this is the one to learn first. Dial in your full bench press form before you start loading it heavy.
- You’ll need a flat bench, an Olympic barbell, plates, and ideally a spotter.
- Set the rack height so there’s a slight bend in your arms when you grab the bar, so you can unrack and re-rack cleanly.
- Lie back and plant your feet. Keep your head, upper back, and glutes on the bench. The bar should sit over your eyes.
- Grip the bar a touch wider than shoulder-width with straight wrists. Wrist wraps help once the weight climbs.
- Pull your shoulders down and back by squeezing your lats, traps, and rhomboids. You’ll have a slight arch in your lower back.
- Unrack and bring the bar over your chest, in line with your nipples.
- Take a breath and lower the bar by bending your elbows, keeping them tucked to about 45 degrees from your torso.
- Touch your chest, pause, then drive the bar up and back by extending your arms and squeezing your chest and triceps.
- Lock out at the top and repeat for your reps.
For a full walkthrough, watch the demo below.
Video from Buff Dudes.
Muscles Used
Dips Muscles Used
Dips mainly hit the lower and middle chest (the sternocostal head) and the triceps. They also pull in the upper chest, pec minor, front delts, lats, rotator cuff, and forearms.
Primary
- Lower & Middle Chest
- Sternocostal Head
- Triceps Brachii
- Lateral Head
- Long Head
- Medial Head
Secondary
- Upper Chest
- Clavicular Head
- Shoulders
- Anterior Deltoid
- Forearms
- Rotator Cuff Muscles
- Supraspinatus
- Infraspinatus
- Teres Minor
- Subscapularis
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Pectoralis Minor
Bench Press Muscles Used
The bench press works the whole chest (sternal and clavicular head) and the triceps, with the pec minor, front delts, lats, forearms, rotator cuff, rhomboids, and traps pitching in. For a deeper look, see our guide to the bench press muscles worked.
Primary
- Pectoralis Major
- Sternocostal Head
- Clavicular Head
- Triceps Brachii
- Long Head
- Medial Head
- Lateral Head
Secondary
- Pectoralis Minor
- Shoulders
- Anterior Delt
- Rhomboids
- Rotator Cuff
- Teres Minor
- Subscapularis
- Infraspinatus
- Supraspinatus
- Traps
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Forearms
When to Do Each
When to Do Dips
Dips fit anyone chasing chest and triceps size or better shoulder control. Run them on upper body, chest, or push days.
They’re a compound lift, but they don’t beat you up like a heavy bench, so you can put them early, in the middle, or at the end of a session. Plenty of bodybuilders and powerlifters save them for last to bank extra chest volume.
They also pair well as a bench accessory. If you bench and dip in the same session, bench first while you’re fresh.
Keep most sets in the 6 to 12 range, though they take well to heavier and lighter work too. Once you’re strong enough to load them hard, grab a dip belt.
When to Do the Bench Press
The bench is taxing, so it goes at the front of your workout. It’s the better pick if your top priority is upper body strength and a bigger chest, shoulders, and triceps.
If you compete in a strength sport, bench often to keep the groove sharp. Two to three times a week works well. You can train it anywhere from 1 to 5 reps for strength, 6 to 12 for size, and 12 to 20 for endurance.
It usually lands on chest, push, or upper days, though some powerlifters give squat, bench, and deadlift their own dedicated sessions to mirror meet day.
Dips vs Bench Press: Which Is Better for You?
If you only have room for one, pick by your goal.
Chasing strength or planning to compete? Bench press, no contest. It moves the most weight and it’s one of the three powerlifting lifts, so nothing trains a competition press better than the press itself.
Want a bigger, fuller chest, especially a lagging lower chest? Dips earn the nod, or at least an equal spot. The forward lean and deep stretch load the lower pec in a way flat benching doesn’t.
Shoulders that bark on heavy pressing? Lean toward whichever one your joints tolerate. For some lifters that’s controlled, not-too-deep dips; for others it’s benching with a moderate arch and tucked elbows. Stay out of the painful bottom range on dips and don’t chase depth your shoulders hate.
For most people the honest answer is both. They cover different jobs and barely cost each other anything in recovery, which is why nearly everyone with a big chest benches and dips. Run the bench as your heavy pressing lift, add dips as accessory volume, and clean up your form on each before you pile on weight.
Dips vs Bench Press: FAQs
Are dips better than bench press?
Neither is flat-out better. The bench press wins for max strength and total weight moved, and it’s the version you compete on. Dips win for lower-chest development, shoulder control, and carryover to real pushing. For overall chest and triceps size, the best approach is running both.
Should I do dips or bench press?
If you can only pick one and you want strength, bench. If you want chest size and healthier-feeling shoulders, dips. Most lifters are better off doing both: bench as the heavy pressing lift early in the session, dips as accessory volume after.
Dips vs incline bench press: which is better for chest?
They hit opposite ends of the chest. The incline bench press loads the upper chest and front delts, while dips bias the lower and middle chest. If your upper chest is the weak point, incline benching is the better fit; if your lower chest lags, go with dips. Doing both rounds out the whole pec.
Other Exercise Comparison Posts
If you enjoyed this post, check out our comparisons of other popular exercises below.
