RIRLift app icon RIRLift

Calculators · free, no account

Weighted dip calculator

Enter your bodyweight, the weight on your dip belt (a negative number for machine or band assistance), and the reps you did with the reps you had left. The calculator estimates your dip one-rep max as added weight, plus what to hang for 3, 5, 8 and 10 reps.

Use a negative number for band or machine assistance.

Unit
Reps in reserve

How many more you could have done. 0 means none.

Example result

Estimated dip 1RM, added weight

+40kg

Total moved, you plus the load

120kg

80 kg bodyweight + 20 kg × 5 with 2 in reserve counts as 7 reps to failure.

Added weight for each rep max
  • +40 kg1RM
  • +32.5 kg3RM
  • +25 kg5RM
  • +17.5 kg8RM
  • +12.5 kg10RM
Build a dip session

Weighted dip examples

From the assisted machine to a belt with two plates. Each set gives a different answer, and a different next step.

  • Example 1

    On the assisted dip machine

    A 90 kg lifter on the machine set to 25 kg of assistance, 8 reps with 2 left.

    Your bodyweight
    90 kg
    Added weight
    -25 kg
    Reps completed
    8
    Reps in reserve
    2
    • Estimated dip 1RM, added weight−5 kg
    • Total moved, you plus the load84.5 kg

    The 1RM sits just under bodyweight: one unassisted dip is close. Keep sets of 8 and take 5 kg off the assistance each time they feel easier than planned.

    Build a dip session Open with these numbers

  • Example 2

    Eight clean bodyweight dips

    A 165 lb lifter who does 8 full-depth dips with about 2 left.

    Your bodyweight
    165 lb
    Added weight
    0 lb
    Reps completed
    8
    Reps in reserve
    2
    • Estimated dip 1RM, added weight+50 lb
    • Total moved, you plus the load215 lb

    Ten reps to failure at bodyweight means it's time for the belt. Start sets of 5 a little under the 5RM figure, so each set ends with 1 or 2 reps left.

    Build a dip session Open with these numbers

  • Example 3

    Two plates on the belt

    An experienced lifter at 200 lb who did 3 reps with 90 lb hanging, 1 rep left.

    Your bodyweight
    200 lb
    Added weight
    90 lb
    Reps completed
    3
    Reps in reserve
    1
    • Estimated dip 1RM, added weight+120 lb
    • Total moved, you plus the load319 lb

    A heavy triple near the limit is the best input there is. For strength work, triples and fives come off the rep max row; leave a rep or two in reserve so depth doesn't shrink as the set goes on.

    Build a dip session Open with these numbers

  • Example 4

    Six bodyweight dips

    A 62 kg woman who does 6 dips to parallel with 1 more in the tank.

    Your bodyweight
    62 kg
    Added weight
    0 kg
    Reps completed
    6
    Reps in reserve
    1
    • Estimated dip 1RM, added weight+12.5 kg
    • Total moved, you plus the load74.5 kg

    She could dip a small plate for a single, but sets of 8 still need a little help. The next step is more bodyweight reps: once sets of 8 come with 2 in reserve, the belt goes on.

    Build a dip session Open with these numbers

Your bodyweight is most of the load

A dip lifts you plus the belt. At 80 kg with 20 kg on the belt, each rep moves 100 kg, so a plates-only 1RM calculator working from the 20 kg underestimates your max badly.

This calculator estimates a max for the total and subtracts your bodyweight, so the answer is the weight to hang. The total is shown too, which is the fair number to compare between lifters of different sizes.

Depth decides the number

A dip that stops a few inches higher is an easier lift, and it turns into more reps and a bigger estimate. Pick one depth, upper arms at least parallel to the floor, and count only reps that reach it.

If depth shrinks as a set goes on, the set is over. Enter the reps that hit depth and treat the rest as reps you didn't have.

Dip technique

The lift this calculator is for

Chest Dip

Chest, Triceps

Shallow reps and leg kicks add reps your chest and triceps didn't earn, and the estimate inflates with them. The same depth and the same still body on every rep keep the number honest.

How to do it

  1. Stand between the bars, grip them with your palms facing each other and jump or step up until your arms are straight.
  2. Bend your knees, cross your ankles behind you and tip your chest forward about 30 degrees.
  3. Pull your shoulders down away from your ears before the first rep.
  4. Bend your elbows and sink until your upper arms are about parallel to the floor and your chest feels stretched.
  5. Drive the bars down and away from you until your elbows are straight, then start the next rep without swinging.

Cues

  • Chest over the bars
  • Upper arms to parallel
  • Shoulders down, neck long

Common mistakes

  • Cutting reps to half depth as the set gets hard: once you can't reach parallel, the set is over.
  • Shrugging your shoulders toward your ears at the bottom: press them down, and end the set when you can't.
  • Kicking your legs out of the bottom: keep your ankles crossed and count only reps pressed without momentum.

Full dip guide

Make it fit you

  • Stop the plate swinging

    A swinging plate pulls you off the bars and costs reps. Hang it short on the chain, or use a weighted vest, and pause at the top for a second before each rep.

  • Test with 3 to 8 reps

    Choose a belt weight, or an assistance level, that makes 3 to 8 reps hard. Long bodyweight sets give a rough estimate at best.

  • Round to your plates

    Loads round to 2.5 kg or 5 lb. If your gym's smallest plate is heavier, round down and add a rep before adding weight.

  • Re-enter your bodyweight

    A few kilos of bodyweight change the effort as much as a plate does. Use a recent weigh-in each time you run the numbers.

  • Leave reps in the tank

    Weighted dips near failure tend to lose depth first. Stop 1 or 2 reps short and enter them as reps in reserve; how to use RIR covers judging them.

Questions

How do I calculate my weighted dip 1RM?

Add your bodyweight to the weight on the belt, estimate a max from that total and your reps, then subtract your bodyweight. The calculator does it in one step and counts the reps you had left.

Does it work for the assisted dip machine?

Yes. Enter the assistance as a negative number: a machine set to 25 kg is −25. A negative result means you're that far from one unassisted dip.

How deep should a weighted dip be?

Upper arms at least parallel to the floor, the same depth every rep. Reps that stop short make the estimate higher than your real strength.

Is a weighted dip heavier than a weighted pull-up?

It depends on your build and training. Run the same kind of set through the pull-up calculator and compare your own numbers.

How do dips compare to the bench press?

They train similar muscles, but the load is different: you move your body, not just a bar. Estimate each lift on its own; the bench press calculator handles the barbell.

Sources

Track every dip, assisted or weighted

Log reps and RIR on every dip set. RIRLift tracks your reps at bodyweight and, once you add load, sets the next session's weight from what you did.

Get RIRLift on the App Store Build a session

Coming to Android · Join the waitlist

4.8 on the App Store 3,000+ lifters
Built for real lifters and is so useful for tracking workouts in my Apple Watch
★★★★★ Alop72, App Store