Weighted Dips Strength Standards Calculator

The Exercise This Calculator Uses

This weighted dips strength standards calculator is built around one exercise on purpose: parallel bar weighted dips done the same way every time.

Weighted dips tell you a lot about pressing strength once the weight gets heavy. You’re supporting your own bodyweight, adding extra weight on a belt or chain, and lowering yourself into a deep position before pressing back to full lockout. There’s no bench to lie on, no rack to brace against, and no easy way to save the last reps once your strength runs out. You either get back to the top with good form, or the set is done.

Keeping the test this specific is what makes the result useful. Each time you run the calculator, you’re testing the same dip, under the same rules. Every result becomes a snapshot of your weighted dip strength on that day. When you come back later, you’re not guessing whether a different setup or looser standard changed the outcome. You’re comparing this test to your last one, plain and simple.

That’s the point. Same exercise. Same standards. A clear picture of where your weighted dip strength stands—and what actually changed the next time you check.

Weighted Dips (Strict, Repeatable Reps)

For this calculator, weighted dips are done for strict, repeatable reps—and that wording matters.

Strict means every rep starts from a stable lockout at the top and finishes after you’ve lowered yourself deep enough and pressed all the way back up without cutting the rep short. There’s no bouncing at the bottom, no rushing through the hard part, and no changing how you dip just to get through the last few reps. The dip you start with should be the same dip you finish with.

Repeatable reps matter because they tell you where your pressing strength actually holds up. One hard rep can always be forced. A full set where each rep looks the same shows you how much strength you can rely on once the weight gets challenging. When the final reps start to get sloppy or you can’t reach full lockout anymore, the set has already told you what you need to know.

That’s why this calculator doesn’t care about chasing a single max rep. You enter a weight you can handle for multiple reps done the same way from start to finish. Those reps are used to estimate your strength, then set aside. What matters is that the set stayed honest.

Using repeatable reps also keeps your results consistent over time. When you come back and run the calculator again, you’re testing the same dip under the same rules. Your result becomes another snapshot you can line up next to your last one. If the number changes, you know it came from your strength that day—not from a looser rep or a different style sneaking in.

What Counts as a Strict Weighted Dip Rep (How Reps Are Judged)

For this calculator, a strict weighted dip rep has a clear start, a clear bottom, and a clear finish. Nothing fancy—just the same dip, done the same way, every rep.

Each rep starts at the top with your elbows locked out and your body under control. You lower yourself until your shoulder crease is clearly below your elbow, then press back up until your elbows are fully locked again. The rep should look and feel the same from the first one to the last one. If you have to change how you dip just to finish the set, that rep has already stopped measuring the same thing.

Here’s what that means in practical terms.

Execution assumptions that must be met:

• Parallel bar dips only
• Shoulder crease clearly below the elbow at the bottom
• Full elbow lockout at the top
• Controlled reps with no bouncing

What does not count:

• Bench dips
• Any form of assistance
• Partial range of motion
• Kipping, leg drive, or using momentum to get back to the top

To keep this simple, the standards used by the calculator are summarized below.

These rules are not there to be picky. They’re there so every test means the same thing. The standards don’t change from one session to the next. When you come back and check again, you’re judged by the same dip under the same rules, which is what makes the comparison to your last result worth trusting.

The last reps are the ones that matter most. Early reps usually look fine for everyone. Where strength shows up is near the end of the set. If depth starts getting shallow, lockout disappears, or you have to swing or kick to get through the rep, the set has already given you the answer.

That doesn’t mean you failed. It just means your strength ran out right there. And because these judging rules stay the same every time you test, you can come back later and see whether those last reps hold together longer than they did before. That’s the whole point of keeping the reps strict and the standards fixed.

Why Weighted Dips Are One of the Clearest Tests of Pressing Strength

Weighted dips don’t give you much room to hide once the weight gets heavy.

You’re adding extra weight, lowering into a deep position, and pressing back to the top. There’s no bench holding you in place and no rack to lean into. When your pressing strength is there, you come back up the same way every rep. When it isn’t, it shows up fast.

What makes weighted dips a good test is how clearly they show where a set starts to fall apart. Early reps almost always feel fine. The difference shows up near the end. You might hit the bottom and struggle to get started. You might reach the top but miss full lockout. You might get halfway up and stall because you don’t have enough strength left to finish the rep cleanly. When that happens, you don’t have to guess what ended the set—the dip makes it obvious.

This clarity matters when you’re trying to understand your strength instead of just chasing numbers. Because the dip setup and judging rules stay the same every time, each test gives you a clean snapshot you can compare to the last one. You’re not wondering if today’s reps were easier because the standard slipped or because you changed how you dipped. You’re looking at the same test, under the same rules, again.

That’s why weighted dips work so well as a strength check. They don’t reward clever shortcuts or last-second saves. They reward being strong enough to press yourself out of the bottom and finish each rep the same way until you can’t. When your result changes from one test to the next, you can trust it’s telling you something real about your pressing strength.

How Strict Weighted Dip Reps Usually Break Down

Strict weighted dip reps rarely fall apart all at once. Most of the time, you still get back to the top—but the way you get there starts to change near the end of the set.

The first few reps don’t tell you much. Almost everyone looks solid early on. Where your pressing strength really shows up is in the last reps, when fatigue sets in and you either finish the same dip you started with or you don’t.

Here’s how breakdown usually shows up:

• Depth gets shallower. You stop reaching the same bottom position because getting out of the hole is harder than it was a few reps ago.
• Lockout starts to disappear. You reach the top, but your elbows don’t fully straighten before you drop back down.
• The bottom feels heavier. You hit depth and stall for a moment because you don’t have enough strength left to press cleanly out of it.
• Body position changes. You start leaning forward or swinging slightly just to get through the rep.

None of this means you did something wrong. It tells you exactly where your strength ran out on that set. The moment you have to shorten depth, skip lockout, or change how you dip to keep going, the set has already given you the answer.

This is also why comparing tests matters. When you come back and run the calculator again, you’re not just looking at whether the number changed. You’re seeing whether these breakdown points show up later in the set than they did last time—or whether they show up sooner. Because the standards stay the same, that comparison stays honest.

If the last reps hold together longer than before, that’s progress, even if the result doesn’t move much. And if they fall apart earlier, that tells you something too. Weighted dips are clear like that. They don’t wait until everything collapses to show you what’s going on—they show it rep by rep, right where your strength runs out.

How This Weighted Dips Strength Score Is Determined

This score is meant to answer one simple question: how strong you were on weighted dips under these rules on that day.

You enter three things—your bodyweight, the extra weight you added, and how many strict reps you completed. The reps aren’t being judged or ranked on their own. They’re used only to estimate how strong you were during that set. Once that estimate is made, the reps are out of the picture.

From there, the calculator looks at how much extra weight you handled compared to your bodyweight. That’s what the score is built on. Two lifters might add the same amount of weight to their dips, but if one weighs a lot more than the other, those sets don’t mean the same thing. The score accounts for that so the result matches what actually happened.

The same calculation is applied every time you test. Nothing changes behind the scenes. That consistency is what makes comparisons worthwhile. When you check again later, you’re not lining today’s result up against a different formula or an easier standard. You’re looking at the same score, calculated the same way, from your last test to this one.

The score also places you into a strength level—Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, or Elite. Those levels aren’t there to label you. They’re there to give context and to make it easier to see when something has actually changed from one snapshot to the next.

One important thing to understand is how progress is tracked. When you compare tests over time, the calculator looks at the weight you added, not the estimated number. The estimate helps classify the result, but changes are shown based on what you actually put on the belt and completed for reps. That keeps the comparison grounded in real work, not swings in the math.

Think of the score as information, not a verdict. It’s a clear summary of how strong you were on that day, under the same rules you’ll be using the next time you check. When the score changes—or stays the same—you can trust it’s reflecting your weighted dip strength, not a different setup or a different way of counting.

What Your Weighted Dips Result Actually Means

Your result is a snapshot of how strong you were on weighted dips under these rules on that day.

It’s not a label and it’s not a prediction. It’s a clean check on what happened when you dipped with strict reps, full depth, and full lockout—no shortcuts. That snapshot matters because it gives you something solid to compare against the next time you test.

A lower result usually shows up in a familiar way. The early reps feel fine, then the last ones get tough. You might struggle to get out of the bottom, miss lockout, or have to change how you dip just to finish the set. That doesn’t mean you’re bad at dips. It means your strength ran out right there.

A higher result tends to look different. You hit depth on every rep, press back up without hesitation, and finish the set the same way you started it. Even when the reps get hard, your form stays where it should be. That’s a sign your pressing strength is holding together when the weight challenges you.

What matters most isn’t where you land once. It’s what happens when you come back.

Because each test is judged the same way, you’re always comparing this snapshot to your last one. Sometimes progress shows up as a higher score. Other times the score stays the same, but the last reps feel steadier and you don’t have to fight as hard to finish them. That still counts. And sometimes the result goes the other way, which tells you your strength wasn’t in the same place that day.

Use the result as information you can work with. It tells you what held up, what didn’t, and where the set ended for real. Over time, those snapshots give you a much clearer picture of your weighted dip strength than any single number ever could.

Weighted Dips Strength Levels Explained

The strength levels in this calculator—Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, and Elite—are there to give your result context, not to size you up.

Each level describes how much extra weight you were able to dip compared to your bodyweight, under the same strict standards. That’s it. The goal isn’t to chase a title or attach an identity to where you land. It’s to make it easier to see where your strength sits right now and to notice when it changes the next time you check.

Two people can add the same amount of weight to their dips and land in different levels. That doesn’t mean one did better or worse—it just means the strength on display in that set wasn’t the same once bodyweight is accounted for. These levels exist to keep the comparison honest and grounded in what actually happened during the set.

Here’s how the strength levels are defined in this calculator:

These levels aren’t permanent, and they aren’t something you “are.” They’re short descriptions of what your strength looked like on that day, under these rules. When you come back later and test again, the value isn’t in defending the level you landed in before. It’s in seeing whether your next snapshot ends up in the same place—or somewhere different.

That’s how these levels are meant to be used: as a reference point, not a verdict.

What Is a “Good” Weighted Dips Result?

A good weighted dips result is one you can stand behind and recognize again the next time you test.

That’s why questions like “How much weight should I be able to do on weighted dips?” or “Is 20 kg, 50 kg, or 60 kg good?” don’t have one clean answer on their own. The number matters, but it only makes sense once you look at who’s lifting it, how the reps finished, and what happened the last time you checked.

Bodyweight changes the picture right away. Adding 20 kg means something very different for a lighter lifter than it does for a heavier one. The calculator accounts for that so you’re not comparing raw numbers that don’t tell the same story. Two people can dip the same added weight and show very different strength once bodyweight is considered.

Rep consistency matters just as much. A weight that lets you hit full depth and lockout on every rep— especially the last few—is a solid result for where you are. If that same weight only works because depth gets shorter or lockout disappears at the end, the number looks better on paper than it does in reality.

That’s why the most useful comparison is to your own last snapshot, not a number you saw online. If you dipped 20 kg last time and this time the reps finish stronger and cleaner, that’s a better result—even if the weight didn’t change. If you moved up to 50 kg and the reps still hold together the same way, that’s meaningful progress. And if 60 kg shows up with rushed finishes or missed lockout, that tells you something too.

A good result isn’t about hitting a certain number. It’s about seeing the same dip hold together under more challenge than it did the last time you checked. When the weight, the reps, and the comparison to your prior snapshot all line up, you know you’re looking at real progress— not just a heavier belt.

Typical Weighted Dips Strength Ranges

What follows is meant to give you context for how weighted dip sets usually finish, not a target to aim for.

They describe how weighted dip sets usually end at different strength levels when the reps are judged the same way every time. They’re not goals, and they don’t override what your own reps actually looked like when you tested.

At lower levels, sets usually end early because the bottom position becomes hard to get out of. Depth gets shorter, lockout starts to slip, or the last rep stalls halfway up. The weight might feel manageable at first, but the set finishes once the dip has to change.

In the middle ranges, most reps still look the same. The last few are slower and take more effort, but depth and lockout are still there. The set ends because you can’t press yourself back up anymore, not because the rep turned into something else.

At higher levels, the dip stays consistent from start to finish. You hit the same depth, reach full lockout, and keep your body position steady even when the set gets hard. The set ends because you’re out of strength, not because form falls apart.

A few things to keep in mind when you read this section:

• Bodyweight always matters, which is why the calculator accounts for it instead of relying on raw weight alone.
• The way the last reps finish tells you more than how the first reps feel.
• Landing lower with solid reps is more useful than landing higher with reps you had to save.

Use this section as a reference point, then look back at your own snapshots. If the same weight finishes more solidly than it did last time, that’s progress—even if your strength level doesn’t change. And if the set falls apart earlier than before, that’s useful information too.

This context helps you orient yourself. Your own history is what tells you where you’re actually going.

How Bodyweight Changes Weighted Dips Performance

Bodyweight changes how weighted dips should be read, even when the added weight stays the same.

Adding 20 kg doesn’t mean the same thing for everyone. If you’re lighter, that extra weight makes up a bigger portion of what you’re pressing. If you’re heavier, it makes up less. The dip itself might look identical, but the strength required to finish the set isn’t.

That’s why this calculator treats bodyweight as context, not as weight you’re lifting. The only thing you’re being tested on is the extra weight you added and how well you handled it for strict reps. Bodyweight is there to help make sense of that number so the result reflects how strong you were, not just what was on the belt.

This also matters when you look at change over time. If your bodyweight stays about the same and the added weight you can handle goes up, that’s a clear strength gain. If your bodyweight changes and the added weight stays the same, the snapshot still tells you something useful. And if both change at once, comparing this test to your last one helps you see what actually shifted instead of guessing.

The goal isn’t to favor lighter or heavier lifters. It’s to keep the standard fair and consistent. When bodyweight is accounted for the same way every time, your snapshots stay comparable. That’s what lets you look back and say, with confidence, whether your weighted dip strength has really changed or not.

What Strength Is Required to Perform Weighted Dips Well

Weighted dips ask one simple thing: can you keep the same dip together when the weight starts to test you?

To do that, a few things have to hold at the same time. You need enough strength to control yourself into the bottom position without crashing. You need enough strength to press yourself out of that bottom position without stalling. And you need enough strength to finish the rep all the way to lockout without cutting it short once fatigue shows up.

When all of that is there, the set feels steady. You lower under control, hit the same depth every rep, press back up, and lock out without rushing. The last rep looks like the first one, even though it takes more effort to finish.

When one of those pieces isn’t there yet, the set ends in a predictable way. You hit depth and can’t get moving again. You get most of the way up but don’t have enough strength left to finish. Or you reach the top but skip lockout just to keep the set going. The dip still happens, but it isn’t the same dip anymore.

That’s what this exercise checks so well. It doesn’t let one strong phase cover up a weaker one. You can’t rely on momentum at the bottom or grind forever at the top. The rep only counts if everything holds together from start to finish.

Over time, this strength tends to show up in layers. First, you get better at controlling the bottom. Then you get more reliable pressing out of it. Later, lockout stays there even when the set gets hard. Each test shows you which part held and which part didn’t.

That’s why weighted dips are such a clear strength check. They don’t ask how much you want the rep. They show you, rep by rep, whether your strength was enough to keep the whole dip intact on that day.

Why Weighted Dips Feel Different From Other Pressing Lifts

Weighted dips feel different because you’re moving your whole body through space while carrying extra weight—and there’s nothing holding you in place.

On a bench or a machine, you’re supported. Your position stays fixed and the weight moves. With weighted dips, you move. You have to control the descent, stay tight at the bottom, and then press yourself back up without anything to brace against. Once the weight gets heavy, that difference shows up fast.

Another reason dips feel harder is how they fail. On many presses, the last rep just slows down and you grind it out. With dips, the set usually ends more abruptly. You hit the bottom and can’t get moving. You get most of the way up and stall. Or you reach the top but can’t finish lockout. There isn’t much room to fight through a bad rep without changing how you dip.

That’s also why weighted dips often feel tougher than the numbers suggest. You might handle a decent amount of weight on a bench press, then add far less to dips and feel like you’ve hit a wall. That doesn’t mean your pressing strength disappeared. It means dips demand strength across the entire rep, not just part of it.

This is why comparing weighted dips directly to other presses usually leads you in the wrong direction. Each lift asks different things and breaks down in different ways. The better comparison is always your own last test. When the same dip feels steadier than it did before—or when you can handle more weight without the reps falling apart— you know something real has changed.

Weighted dips aren’t harder because they’re special. They’re harder because they don’t let weak spots hide. Once the weight starts to challenge you, the dip tells you exactly where your strength stands.

Why Weighted Dips Strength Standards Don’t Work Like Other Strength Tests

Most strength tests let the standard change without you noticing.

You don’t go quite as deep as last time. You don’t fully lock out the last few reps. Your form isn’t as good as it should be, but the rep still counts and the number goes up. It feels like progress, even though you didn’t show more strength—you just did the lift a little differently.

Weighted dips don’t handle that well, and this calculator is built to account for it. The standards stay fixed. Same bars. Same depth. Same lockout. The reps are judged the same way every time you test. That’s not about being strict for the sake of it. It’s about making sure the result means the same thing from one check to the next.

A lot of tools focus on how you compare to a chart or to other people. This one doesn’t. It’s built around comparing this test to your last test, under the same rules. Because the standard doesn’t change, you don’t have to guess whether the result improved because you got stronger or because your technique wasn’t as good as it should’ve been.

This also changes how progress shows up. Sometimes the number goes up. Other times it doesn’t—but the set finishes better than it did before. You reach the same depth on more reps. Lockout stays there on the last rep instead of disappearing. Those changes matter, and you only see them when the rules stay the same.

That’s why weighted dips need consistent standards. Without them, the test turns into a moving target. With them, each result becomes a clear snapshot you can trust. When something changes, you know it came from your strength—not from doing the dip differently than last time.

How Changes Between Tests Usually Show Up

When you compare one test to the next, changes don’t always look the way people expect.

Sometimes the number goes up. You add more weight and the reps still hold together. Depth stays there, lockout is solid, and you finish the set the same way you started it. That’s the cleanest kind of change. You showed more strength under the same rules.

Other times the number doesn’t change at all—but the set does. You use the same weight as last time, yet the last reps don’t feel as sketchy. You hit the same depth without hesitation. Lockout doesn’t disappear on the final rep. Nothing dramatic shows up on paper, but the dip holds together better than it did before. That’s real progress, even if the score looks familiar.

You’ll also see days where the result goes the other way. The weight feels heavier sooner. You struggle more at the bottom. Lockout slips earlier than last time. That doesn’t mean you lost strength for good. It means on that day, under those rules, your strength wasn’t in the same place. That’s useful to know before you talk yourself into forcing more weight.

This is where comparing snapshots matters. You’re not guessing based on memory or how fired up you felt that day. You’re lining up this test with your last one and seeing what actually changed. Because the standards stay the same, the comparison stays honest.

Over time, patterns start to show up. The last reps stay solid more often. Breakdowns happen later in the set. Small increases in weight don’t throw your form off the way they used to. Those trends matter more than any single test.

That’s how this tool is meant to be used. Not to chase a perfect day, but to see how your weighted dips are holding up from one check to the next—and to make sense of those changes without guessing.

How to Use Your Result to Train More Effectively

Use your result to decide what deserves attention next, not to overhaul everything at once.

Start with how the set ended. That tells you more than the number by itself.

If the last reps fell apart early—depth got shallow, lockout disappeared, or you had to change how you dipped to finish—the message is simple: your strength didn’t hold together long enough that day. The useful move there isn’t piling on more weight. It’s recognizing that the dip changed before the set was done and letting that guide your next few sessions.

If the result stayed the same but the set finished better than last time, that matters. Using the same weight and hitting the same depth with steadier lockout is a step forward. You don’t need a new number to confirm that. The comparison to your last snapshot already did.

If the number went up and the reps still held together, that’s a clear signal. You showed more strength under the same rules. When increases happen without the dip falling apart, they tend to stick.

And if the result dipped, don’t rush to explain it away. Look at what actually happened. Did the bottom feel heavier sooner? Did lockout slip earlier? That’s useful information, especially if it shows up after a tough week or heavier training. It’s better to see that here than to find out by forcing weight when you shouldn’t.

The key is consistency. Use the same setup, the same standards, and similar rep ranges when you check again. Let the comparison to your last snapshot guide your decisions instead of reacting to how one day felt.

Over time, this keeps your training honest. You’re not guessing when to push or when to hold. You’re responding to what the dip actually showed you the last time you checked—and that’s how progress tends to carry over instead of disappearing a week later.

What This Weighted Dips Result Does Not Measure

The result from this calculator tells you one specific thing: how strong you were on weighted dips under these rules on that day. It doesn’t try to explain everything about your training, and it isn’t meant to.

A few things are intentionally left out.

There are no population percentiles. You’re not being ranked against a guessed group of lifters. There are no age adjustments. The standard doesn’t change based on how old you are. There are no coaching or technique cues built into the result, no motivation layered on top, and no guidance on when you should retest. All of that sits outside the job of this calculator.

That focus is deliberate. The calculator is here to give you a clean snapshot you can compare to your last one, not to tell you how to train or how to feel about the number.

To make that clear, here’s what the calculator does—and does not—use.

What this means in practice is simple. If your result changes, the calculator isn’t telling you why. It’s showing you what happened when you dipped under the same rules again. Figuring out the why belongs in your training, recovery, and schedule—not in the result itself.

Knowing what the result does not measure helps you use it correctly. You don’t overread it. You don’t argue with it. You use it as a clear reference point, then move on. That’s how the result stays useful instead of turning into guesswork.

Common Weighted Dips Benchmarks People Ask About

Most lifters eventually start asking about specific numbers on weighted dips.

Forty-five pounds. One-ten. One-thirty-five. Plates on the belt. Those questions come up because numbers are easy to remember and easy to compare—even when they don’t tell the full story by themselves.

The problem is that weighted dip benchmarks get misunderstood fast.

Adding 45 lb can be a solid result for many lifters if the reps are deep, controlled, and finish with full lockout. For a lighter lifter, that weight can already be a serious test. For a heavier lifter, it may be more of a starting point. The number alone doesn’t decide whether it’s “good.” The way the set finishes does.

110 lb usually gets attention because it looks impressive hanging from a belt. Sometimes it is. Other times it only works because depth gets shorter or lockout disappears near the end of the set. When that happens, the weight looks better than the strength behind it. This calculator helps put that result in context instead of letting the number stand on its own.

135 lb and above is where weighted dips become very demanding for most lifters. Sets at this level tend to expose weak spots quickly. If the reps stay deep and lockout stays there, it’s a strong showing. If not, the dip makes that clear within a rep or two.

What all of these benchmarks have in common is this: they don’t mean much unless you compare them to your own last test. Two lifters hitting the same number may be showing very different strength depending on bodyweight and how the reps held together. Even for the same lifter, a number only matters if it holds up better than it did the last time.

Benchmarks can give you perspective. They shouldn’t decide how you judge your progress. For that, comparing today’s snapshot to your previous one—under the same rules— will always tell you more than chasing a number you heard someone else mention.

When It Makes Sense to Increase Weight on Weighted Dips

Adding weight to weighted dips makes sense after the dip stops changing at the end of the set.

That’s the line to watch. Not how fired up you feel. Not what you hit once. What matters is whether the last reps finish the same way the early ones do.

It usually makes sense to increase weight when a few things line up:

• You hit the same depth on the final reps without cutting them short.
• Lockout stays there instead of disappearing as the set gets hard.
• You don’t have to lean, swing, or rush anything just to finish.

When that’s happening, the dip is holding together. You’re not just getting through reps—you’re finishing the same dip under more stress. That’s the right time to add weight.

If the dip is still changing late in the set, adding weight usually works against you. The extra weight doesn’t reveal new strength. It just makes the same problems show up sooner. Depth shortens earlier. Lockout goes away faster. You end up practicing a worse version of the dip instead of building a stronger one.

This is where comparing snapshots helps. If your most recent test finishes better than your last one under the same rules, that’s a stronger signal than seeing a number move once. And if the number stayed the same but the reps held together longer, staying where you are is often the smarter move.

Small increases go a long way with weighted dips. Because the lift doesn’t hide weak spots, even a modest jump will show up quickly if the strength isn’t ready. That’s not a bad thing—it keeps the feedback clear.

The goal isn’t to see how much weight you can hang from a belt. It’s to add weight when the dip has earned it. When you do that, the next test tends to confirm the change instead of arguing with it—and that’s how progress sticks.

How Often You Should Re-Test Your Weighted Dips Strength

You don’t need to re-test this often for it to be useful.

For most lifters, checking in every few weeks is enough. That gives your training time to show up in the set instead of bouncing around based on how you feel on a single day. When you wait a bit, changes are easier to see and easier to trust.

Testing too often usually muddies the picture. A hard session earlier in the week, less sleep, or just an off day can make the result look worse than it really is. When that happens, the test starts driving decisions it shouldn’t.

Waiting too long has the opposite problem. If months go by between checks, it’s harder to tell when things started changing or which stretch of training actually helped.

A good time to re-test is after a stretch where:

• You’ve been doing weighted dips the same way consistently.
• The last reps are holding together better than they used to.
• You’re not guessing whether something changed—you want to confirm it.

When you do test again, keep everything steady. Same bars. Same depth. Same lockout. Similar rep range. That’s what makes the comparison to your last snapshot meaningful.

When you come back to test again, you’re comparing against your last result without having to remember what you did or write anything down.

Think of re-testing as a check-in, not an event. You’re not trying to prove anything on one day. You’re seeing whether the dip is holding together better than it did the last time you checked—and that doesn’t require constant testing to see clearly.

Track and Improve Your Weighted Dips Strength Over Time

One test tells you where you were. The value shows up when you look at what changes the next time you check.

Each time you use this calculator, you’re adding another snapshot under the same rules. Same bars. Same depth. Same lockout. Same way of judging reps. That consistency is what lets patterns show up instead of guesswork.

Over time, progress usually looks like one of a few things:

• The same weight finishes with steadier reps than before.
• The last reps hold together longer instead of falling apart early.
• A small increase in weight doesn’t change how the set finishes.

Those aren’t flashy changes, but they’re real. They tell you the dip is holding together better when it gets hard, which is what strength is supposed to do.

Not every check will move forward. Some days the result stays the same. Some days it goes the other way. That’s normal. The snapshots help you see whether that dip was just an off day or part of a bigger trend. You’re not relying on memory or how the set felt—you’re looking at what actually happened under the same rules.

This is also why comparing yourself to your own history matters more than any outside reference. Charts and benchmarks can give perspective, but they can’t tell you if your dips are improving. Your snapshots can.

If the dip is finishing more solidly than it did a month ago, you’re on the right track. If it isn’t, that’s useful to know too. Either way, you’re not guessing. You’re responding to what the lift already showed you.

That’s how progress sticks with weighted dips. You check in, you look at how the set finished, and you let those patterns guide what comes next. Over time, those small, honest improvements add up to strength you don’t have to talk yourself into.

Related Tools

If you’re using this weighted dips calculator, these other strength standards tools pair well with it. Each one follows the same idea: one clear exercise, the same rules every time, and results you can compare without guessing.

Bench Press Strength Standards

A horizontal press measured under fixed standards. It gives you a clear look at pressing strength in a supported position and pairs well with weighted dips when you want to see how your pushing strength shows up across different setups.

Overhead Press Strength Standards

A strict, standing press that removes leg drive and support. Like weighted dips, it shows you quickly where pressing strength holds together and where it runs out, especially on the last reps of a set.

Weighted Pull-Ups Strength Standards

A clean counterbalance to weighted dips. This tool looks at added weight on a vertical pull, using the same repeatable approach so you can see how your pulling strength compares to your pressing strength over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much weight should I be able to do on weighted dips?

There isn’t one number that applies to everyone. A solid result is one where you can hit the same depth and full lockout on every rep, especially the last ones, and then see that hold together better the next time you test. The comparison to your last snapshot matters more than any single number.

Are weighted dips advanced?

They can be, once the weight gets heavy. Early on, they’re just a way to add resistance to a bodyweight press. As the weight increases, they become demanding because you have to control your whole body and finish every rep without support. How “advanced” they are depends on how well the reps hold together.

When should I progress to weighted dips?

It makes sense to add weight once you can do bodyweight dips with consistent depth and full lockout on every rep. The moment those basics stop slipping is when added weight starts telling you something useful.

What are common mistakes with weighted dips?

The most common ones show up late in the set: cutting depth, missing lockout, or swinging to get through reps. When that happens, the dip has changed, and the set has already given you its answer.

Is 45 lb on weighted dips good?

It can be. For many lifters, 45 lb is a meaningful test if the reps stay deep and finish with full lockout. For others, it may be an early step. The way the set finishes—and how it compares to your last test— matters more than the number.

Is 110 lb on weighted dips good?

Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. If the reps stay the same from start to finish, it’s a strong showing. If depth shortens or lockout disappears near the end, the number looks better than the strength behind it.

Is 135 lb on weighted dips good?

At that level, weighted dips expose weak spots quickly. If the reps hold together, it’s a very solid result. If they don’t, the dip makes that clear right away.

Do weighted dips include bodyweight plus added weight?

In this calculator, only the added weight is treated as the performance number. Bodyweight is used to put that number in context, not counted as weight you lifted.

Should weighted dips be done with full depth?

Yes. For this test, a rep counts only when the shoulder crease is clearly below the elbow at the bottom and you finish with full lockout at the top. Anything shorter changes the exercise.

Why do weighted dips feel harder than bench press?

With dips, you move your whole body and don’t have anything supporting you. When strength runs out, the set usually ends fast. Bench press allows more support and slower grinding reps, so the feel is different.

How much do weighted dips carry over to bench press or overhead press?

There’s carryover, but the numbers don’t translate directly. Each lift asks for strength in a different setup. That’s why comparing each lift to its own last test is more useful than comparing them to each other.

Can weighted dips be used as a primary pressing strength test?

They can, as long as the reps are judged the same way every time. When depth and lockout stay consistent, weighted dips give a clear picture of how pressing strength is holding up over time.

If you use these answers as reference points and keep comparing each result to your last snapshot, you’ll get more out of the tool than any single benchmark ever could.