Kneeling Assisted Dip Machine

The assisted dip machine takes a movement most beginners cannot yet perform and makes it trainable, by carrying part of your bodyweight on a counterweighted knee pad. You kneel on the pad, grip the handles with your arms straight, and lower yourself the same way you would on parallel bars, except the machine gives back exactly as much help as you dial in. That is its real advantage over a band assist: the assistance is measurable, so you can reduce it in small steps and see the progression in numbers rather than guesswork. The triceps do most of the work, with the chest and front deltoids contributing as you lean forward. Keeping the elbows close to the body rather than flaring them out keeps the emphasis on the triceps and the shoulder joint in a position it can control.