Smith machine bench press
Primary muscles: Chest. Assisting muscles: Shoulders, Triceps.
How to do it
- Place a flat bench under the Smith machine and set the bar at a height you can reach lying down with your arms almost extended.
- Lie back on the bench, grip the bar with a pronated grip slightly wider than shoulder-width, unhook it from the catches and hold it straight above you — the starting position.
- Breathe in and lower the bar under control until you feel it on mid-chest.
- Breathe out and press the bar back up, squeeze your chest at the top and hold for a second.
- Repeat the movement.
- Hook the bar back onto the catches at the end.
Key to the execution: Position the bench so the bar comes down exactly on the mid-chest line, not on your neck.
Common mistakes
- Not setting the bar height correctly, which strains the shoulder on the unrack.
- Lowering the bar to your neck instead of your chest.
- Forgetting to hook the bar back onto the catches at the end of the set.
Alternatives: exercises for the same muscles
Log your sets and see your progress
In the PlanSports app you pick the exercise, log weight and reps, and each exercise page shows your best weight and progression. The AI coach puts the exercises into a 4-week program.
Chest exercises › Training programs by sport ›The exercise pages are compiled by PlanSports; if you have an injury or pain, talk to your coach or doctor first.