Machine Seated Dip

Secondary muscles
Pectorals, Delts
Body part
Upper Arms
Position
Seated
Laterality
Bilateral (both sides together)
Category
Strength

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Sitting down changes the whole equation: your bodyweight is out of the movement, and the handles let you press against a stack you choose instead. That makes dip mechanics available at any strength level, and it suits drop sets and slow negatives that would be impractical on parallel bars.

How to do the Machine Seated Dip

  1. Adjust the seat height so that your feet are flat on the ground and your knees are at a 90-degree angle.
  2. Grasp the handles of the leverage machine with your palms facing down and your arms fully extended.
  3. Slowly lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
  4. Pause for a moment, then push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tip: Lock the elbows out with the shoulders pulled down and back, never shrugged up.

Muscles worked

Primary

Triceps · Arms

The triceps extend the elbow to lock out the top, and they take over completely when you stay upright with the elbows tucked.

Secondary

  • Pectorals — The lower chest gets loaded when you lean forward and let the elbows flare a bit, especially in the bottom stretch.
  • Delts — The front delts assist every rep and are the first thing to complain if you go too deep.

Common mistakes

  • Diving too deep — going far below the point where the upper arm is parallel to the floor stresses the front of the shoulder; stop when you feel a stretch across the chest and press back up.
  • Shoulders rolling forward — keep the shoulder blades pulled back and down, and stop the descent before they rotate forward.
  • Not choosing a target — leaning forward with elbows out hits the chest, while staying upright with elbows tucked hits the triceps; pick one and hold that position for the whole set.
  • Hands too far behind — this pushes the shoulders into a bad position; keep the hands close under the shoulders or use parallel bars instead.

Where it fits in a workout

Dips go early in a push session as a main pressing movement, or after bench press for extra chest and triceps volume. They superset naturally with pull-ups or chin-ups on the same station.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

Similar exercises

Without machine

Easier and harder

When to talk to someone

  • Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
  • Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
  • Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.

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More exercises

Sources

  1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
  2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
  3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
  4. CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)

Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.

Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.