The Smith Machine Bench Press is a beginner-friendly machine strength exercise that targets the chest, with the triceps and shoulders working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesChest
Secondary musclesTriceps, Shoulders
EquipmentMachine
LevelBeginner
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Smith Machine Bench Press
Position a flat bench under the Smith machine bar and load the desired weight.
Lie back so the bar tracks over your mid-chest and plant your feet on the floor.
Grip the bar wider than shoulder width and set your shoulder blades into the bench.
Rotate and lift the bar to disengage it from the safety hooks.
Lower the bar under control until it sits about an inch above your chest, then pause.
Press it back up without locking the elbows hard, and repeat for the prescribed reps.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Fixed bar path lets a lifter train chest pressing close to failure without a spotter.
Built-in hooks give a bail-out point at almost any height in the range.
Removes most of the balance demand, so attention goes to bar position and tempo.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Using a narrow grip on the fixed track shifts the load onto the front deltoids instead of the chest.
Lying too far up or down the bench forces the fixed bar path to a point your shoulders cannot press safely.
Bouncing the bar off the chest replaces controlled work with momentum and jars the shoulder joint.
Forgetting to rotate the bar back into the hooks before sitting up leaves the load unsupported.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Smith Machine Bench Press, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
