Chest / Beginner / Compound (multi-joint)

Smith Machine Bench Press

A bench press on a guided Smith machine bar that builds the chest, front delts and triceps.

At a glance

Primary

Chest, Front delts

Secondary

Triceps

Equipment

Smith machine, Bench

Movement pattern

Horizontal push

Level

Beginner

Type

Chest, Compound (multi-joint)

Loads the shoulder. Use a load you can control and skip it if it causes pain.

How to do it

1. Place a flat bench under the Smith machine so the bar lines up with your mid-chest.
2. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width and unrack it with arms straight.
3. Lower the bar under control to your chest.
4. Press the bar back up to full extension.

Tips

• Keep your shoulder blades retracted.
• Set the safety stops just below chest height.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Bench placed so the bar comes down on the neck or belly.

  Why it hurts: The fixed bar path can't adjust, so a bad setup forces the shoulders into a poor position on every rep.

  ✓ Instead: Position the bench so the bar touches the lower chest, and set the safety stops just above the chest.

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