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Smith Machine Bench Press

A beginner strength exercise for the chest, done with a machine.

Smith Machine Bench Press: starting positionSmith Machine Bench Press: finishing position
Main muscles
Chest
Also works
Shoulders and Triceps
Equipment
Machine
Level
Beginner
Type
Compound
Movement
Push

How to do the Smith Machine Bench Press

  1. Place a flat bench underneath the smith machine. Now place the barbell at a height that you can reach when lying down and your arms are almost fully extended. Once the weight you need is selected, lie down on the flat bench. Using a pronated grip that is wider than shoulder width, unlock the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
  2. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest.
  3. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
  4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
  5. When you are done, lock the bar back in the rack.

Sets and reps

Strength3–5 sets of 3–5 reps, rest 2–3 minutes
Muscle3–4 sets of 6–10 reps, rest about 2 minutes
Endurance or fat loss2–3 sets of 12–15 reps, rest 60–90 seconds

Log every set in MyoStats and it works out your estimated one-rep max and suggests the next weight or rep target, so you keep progressing without guessing.

Alternatives to the Smith Machine Bench Press

Questions

What muscles does the Smith Machine Bench Press work?

Mainly the chest, with the shoulders and triceps helping.

Is the Smith Machine Bench Press good for beginners?

Yes. It's rated a beginner exercise: start light and learn the movement before adding weight.

What can I do instead of the Smith Machine Bench Press?

Good alternatives that train the chest: Decline Smith Press, Leverage Chest Press, Leverage Decline Chest Press or Leverage Incline Chest Press.

How many sets and reps of the Smith Machine Bench Press should I do?

Strength: 3–5 sets of 3–5 reps, rest 2–3 minutes. Muscle: 3–4 sets of 6–10 reps, rest about 2 minutes. Endurance or fat loss: 2–3 sets of 12–15 reps, rest 60–90 seconds.

Exercise steps and photos: free-exercise-db (public domain).