Home › Exercises › Smith Machine Bench Press

Smith Machine Bench Press

The Smith Machine Bench Press primarily targets your Chest, with support from Shoulders, Triceps. It requires machine and is best suited to beginner lifters.

Beginner level · Equipment: Machine · Compound · Push

Primary muscles: Chest Secondary muscles: Shoulders, Triceps

How to perform Smith Machine Bench Press

  1. Step 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. Step 2. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest.
  3. Step 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. Step 4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
  5. Step 5. When you are done, lock the bar back in the rack.

Sample sets & reps for Smith Machine Bench Press

  • Strength: 4-5 sets × 3-5 reps, 2-3 min rest. 80-90% 1RM, RPE 8-9.
  • Hypertrophy: 3-4 sets × 6-10 reps, 90s-2 min rest. 70-80% 1RM, RPE 7-8.
  • Power / explosiveness: 5-6 sets × 2-3 reps, 2-3 min rest. 60-75% 1RM, max bar speed.

Pick the scheme that matches your goal. Beginners should start at the lower end of every range; progress weight only when you hit the upper end of the rep range with one or two reps in reserve.

Related Chest exercises

  • Alternating Floor Press — kettlebell
  • Around The Worlds — dumbbell
  • Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip — barbell
  • Barbell Guillotine Bench Press — barbell
  • Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip — barbell

See all Chest exercises →

Want a workout that includes Smith Machine Bench Press and 870+ other exercises? Try the AI Planner — 2 weeks free