Plate Loaded Dip Machine

The plate loaded dip machine reproduces the pushing pattern of a parallel bar dip, but with the back supported and the load selected on the machine rather than determined by your bodyweight. That difference changes everything for a beginner: you can work well below what a bodyweight dip demands and progress in small, measurable increments, which is impossible when the load is your own body. The triceps do most of the work, with the chest and front deltoids contributing according to how far the torso leans forward. Setting the seat so the handles sit at shoulder height is what keeps the range in a position the shoulder tolerates. The machine does not replace parallel bars, since it removes the stabilising work they demand, but it complements them well at the end of a pushing session.