Smith Machine Bench Press

Smith Machine Bench Press Instructions

• Firmly plant your heels into the ground with your shins roughly perpendicular to the floor.
• Focus on pinching your shoulder blades (scapulas) together as you lie back on the bench.
• This creates a stable shoulder position to press from.
• Grip the barbell slightly wider than shoulder width
• Try to ‘break the bar’ in half as you grip it, this will create lat and upper back tightness.
• Control the descent, properly loading your chest and triceps while keep your shoulders and trunk braced.
• Still continue to ‘break the bar’ apart as you press up, this will keep your form locked in.

*Tips*

• Do not bounce the weight off your chest
• Since it is a Smith Machine, the bar path will be fixed. Meaning, you can load the barbell a bit more than normal.
• You always want to be in control of the barbell. Do not fling the barbell up and down the machine.