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Smith Machine Bench Press

beginner · push_horizontal

Setup

Roll a flat bench into the middle of the Smith machine, right under the bar. Set the safety stops on the rails one notch below the point where the bar touches your chest as you lie down: low enough to let you press the full range, high enough that the bar cannot settle onto you if you run out of strength. Load the plates on both ends and lock them with collars while you are still standing, then lie on the bench with your eyes under the bar.

Execution

  1. Lie on the bench with your feet planted on the floor, pin your shoulder blades to the bench and rotate the bar off the hooks.
  2. Inhale and lower the bar along its fixed vertical path until it lightly touches your mid-chest.
  3. Keep your elbows at about 45 degrees from your torso as you lower, not flared out to 90.
  4. Exhale and press the bar straight back up along the rail, without locking the elbows out hard at the top.
  5. If you run out of strength mid-set, lower the bar onto the safety stops on the rails, let it rest there, then sit up.
  6. At the end of the set, guide the bar back to hook height and rotate it to re-lock before releasing your grip.

Breathing

Inhale as you lower, exhale as you press up. Do not hold your breath to move a heavier weight; if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, a hernia or you are pregnant, never hold it at all, lighten the load and exhale on the press.

Quick cues

  • Pin your shoulder blades to the bench.
  • Elbows at 45 degrees, not flared out.
  • Out of strength means lower onto the safety stops.
  • Rotate to re-lock before letting go.

Common faults

  • Fault: Forgetting to set the safety stops just above the chest before a heavy set

    Fix: Always set the stops before loading plates; this is the safety net for training alone.

  • Fault: The shoulder blades lifting off the bench on a heavy press

    Fix: Drop one plate increment and pin the shoulders to the bench before each press.

  • Fault: Flaring the elbows to 90 degrees on the way down

    Fix: Tuck the elbows in closer, to about 45 degrees, so the shoulder is not pinched.

  • Fault: Forgetting to rotate the bar back onto the hooks before releasing

    Fix: Bring the bar back to hook height, rotate to lock and feel it stop solidly before letting go.

Equipment

smith_machine, bench

Muscle groups

chest, arms, shoulders