How to Bench the Right Way on a Smith Machine

The Smith Machine is a valuable training tool for improving the bench press. Here's how to do it for strength and muscle gains.

Before I became a NASM-CPT, I worked on set with fitness pros like Tony Horton and Jackson Bloore — and that's where I first heard the term "beach muscles." It's a nickname for your anterior chain — the front side of your body — including the chest, shoulders, biceps, and abs. And while all bodies are beach bodies, it's also valid to have physique goals or enjoy seeing muscle definition as a result of your training.

These muscles play a functional role in everyday life (think: pushing yourself off the floor or carrying groceries), but they're also commonly trained with aesthetics in minds. Enter: the Smith machine bench press. Whether you're looking to press heavier or add size to your upper body, this guided variation can help you lift with focus and intention.

Should I Do Bench Press on a Smith Machine?

Sure, a lot of lifters might hesitate to use the Smith machine for bench press — and it's not without reason. You've probably heard that the fixed bar path makes the move "less functional," or that it reduces stabilizer muscle recruitment compared to a free weight bench press. Some worry it puts their shoulders in an unnatural position or that it's even CHEATING to use a machine instead of a barbell.

But don't write-off the Smith machine just yet.

"Benching on the Smith machine is a great option for isolating the pecs without worrying about balance or needing a spotter," says Jonathan Flicker, CPT, CES, and owner of FLICKER STRONG. "It's especially effective for beginners learning proper mechanics, as well as lifters looking to control stress on the shoulder joints, whether due to past injury or neurological limitations that affect balance."

In fact, the fixed track can be a major advantage if you're chasing muscle growth. With the added stability, you can slow your tempo and push closer to failure — all without compromising form or needing someone to spot you.

How To Do Smith Machine Bench Press with Perfect Form

Setup is key to performing a bench press on the Smith machine. Before you start busting out your reps, adjust the bench so the bar lines up with your mid to lower chest when lowered. We'd also recommend working with a slanted vertical path Smith machine, allowing the weight to travel closer to your head when pressed overhead and closer to your chest when lowered.

How To:

• Set your safety stops around chest height when lying on the bench, and position the bar so it's a little less than arms distance from the bench.
• Lie on your back on the bench with the bar aligned slightly above your mid-chest and feet planted flat on the ground.
• Grip the bar with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, pack your shoulder blades back and down, chest proud, and allow a slight arch to your lower back.
• Unlock the bar, breath in, engage your core, and lower the bar down to your chest.
• Exhale as you drive your feet into the ground and press the bar back up, using your chest, not just your arms, to complete your rep.

Tip: We'd recommend keeping your elbows tucked at about a 45-degree angle from your torso, however we'll get into more of the elbow tuck debate later in this article.

Smith Machine Bench Press Muscles Worked and Benefits

The bench press is one of the three big lifts in powerlifting — alongside the squat and the deadlift — and it's well-respected for its ability to build upper body strength and size. The Smith machine variation targets many of the same muscles: the pectoralis major, anterior deltoids, and triceps, with some activation in your serratus anterior (responsible for scapular stability and movement) and core.

While the fixed bar path requires less stabilizer muscle engagement, that added stability makes it easier to isolate the chest — making it beginner- and rehab-friendly, as well as ideal for bodybuilders focused on hypertrophy.

Plus, if you're not in the most chatty mood — maybe you wear one of those, "Don't talk to me before I've had my coffee" type shirts — the Smith machine allows you to get your lift in without asking around for a spotter, since you can rack and re-rack the bar at multiple heights.

Smith Machine Bench Press Common Mistakes

"It's important to note that many classic bench-pressing mistakes still apply," says Flicker. Here are some common technique errors to take note of and correct during your reps.

Elbow Position: Whether you bench with elbows tucked or flared depends on several factors — including how much weight you're lifting and potential imbalances between your shoulder joints, stabilizers, and the major prime movers of the shoulder — pecs, delts, traps, rhomboids, and lats. (NASM) If you don't experience pain, benching with your elbows flared out can help emphasize the chest. However, Flicker notes that this wide position may place added strain on the shoulders. If you feel discomfort during your press, try reducing how far your elbows extend outward and keep them slightly closer to your body to protect your shoulder joints. Typically, bodybuilders flare, powerlifters tuck, but do what feels comfortable for your body.

Lifted Feet: Don't just let your feet be an after thought in this Smith machine chest press — moving around, placed without purpose. Keep them flat on the ground to drive power from your legs during the concentric portion of your lift.

Wrist Bend: If your wrists bend back too far during your press, it can both decrease your pressing power and place unnecessary strain on your joints. Keep your wrists in a neutral position — making a straight line from you hands through your wrists and down your arm — with the bar gripped low in your palm. This can help support proper alignment and limit discomfort.

The Right and Wrong Path: When doing a barbell bench press, the bar follows a slight arc — starting slightly above your chest and lowering toward your mid-to-lower chest, often called a "J-curve." A Smith machine, however, follows a fixed path — either straight up and down or angled — which doesn't always accommodate this natural movement (similar to how the movement pattern for a Smith machine squat varies from a standard back squat).

If the machine's path doesn't align with your body mechanics, it can increase stress on your shoulders or elbows. To avoid this, adjust your bench position so the bar tracks just below your nipples at the bottom of the rep. In general, an angled bar path (facing in a direction where the bar moves away from your head as it lowers) better mimics a free weight bench press and allows for a more natural pressing motion. 

Smith Machine Bench Press Variations and Alternatives

Here are some moves to substitute in for the Smith machine bench press when you want to shake up the stimulus for your chest. When trying a new Smith machine exercise, bust out a few reps without any weight to make sure you have the bar and your bench set up right.

Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

Set up an adjustable bench with a 30-45 degree incline to shift the focus of this press onto your upper chest and front deltoids. Maintain a 90-degree angle with your elbows at the bottom of the movement to limit joint stress and discomfort.

How To Smith Machine Incline Bench Press:

• Situate your bench so that when the bar is lowered it hits your upper chest.
• Set the bar at a height where you can easily rack and re-rack it with your arms extended.
• Place your safety stops just below your lowest range of motion, high enough to catch the bar if you're unable to complete your reps.
• Take a shoulder-width grip on the bar, plant your feet flat on the ground, and pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench. This creates a proud chest and a slight arc in your lower back.
• Unrack the weight, breath in, and lower the bar to your upper chest.
• Breath out as you press the weight back to start.

Smith Machine Decline Bench Press

With similar mechanics to your bench press, adjust your bench so that you're lying back at about -15 degrees to target your lower chest. For this move, it's best to have foot pads or a leg roller on your bench to help lock you in.

How To Smith Machine Decline Bench Press:

• Place your declined bench centered on the Smith machine, in a spot where when the bar is lowered down, it hits your lower chest.
• Situate your safety stops so they're low enough to allow you a full range of movement, but high enough to catch the bar if you can't complete a rep.
• Set your hands shoulder distance apart, with shoulder blades pulled back, chest proud, and a slight arch to your lower back.
• Unrack the weight and as you control the bar down to your lower chest.
• As you exhale, drive the weight back up to start.

Smith Machine Wide Grip Bench Press

The chest is here to lift with this wide grip variation, which limits the recruitment of your triceps and shoulders. This lift uses a similar setup to your standard Smith machine bench press, but also tends to be more difficult, so start out with a lower weight than you would for your bench press.

How To Smith Machine Wide Grip Bench Press:

• Set up how you would for a Smith machine bench press — bench lined up, bar set to a reachable distance, and safety stops in place.
• With your feet planted, shoulder blades down and back, chest proud, and a slight arch to your back, move your hands out wide on the barbell.
• Lower the bar down to just above your nipples.
• As you exhale, press up to start.

Takeaway

The Smith machine bench press is an excellent chest builder — especially for those training without a spotter, new to the movement, or looking to focus on hypertrophy without worrying about balance. With a few simple adjustments to the bar path and form, you'll be cranking out reps in no-time and building some "beach muscles" to be proud of.

If you're curious about how our Smith machine rack attachment could work with a home gym rack, check out our Ares 2.0 Builder.

FAQs

Can I use a Smith machine and bench press?

Yes! When working with a Smith machine with an angled path, opt to situate your bench so that as the bar lowers, it tracks further away from your head. This will help to mimic the natural path seen when bench pressing with a barbell. Try dialing in your form without added weight, then when you're ready and the safety stops are set, get to pressing.

Is a Smith machine bench press good?

Yes and no — it really depends on your goals and what feels comfortable. If hypertrophy is the goal, using a Smith machine is a great option to dial in the focus on building size in your pecs, delts, and triceps. However, because the bar path is fixed, it may feel unnatural or uncomfortable depending on your body mechanics. If you experience any pain or discomfort while using a Smith machine for bench press, try lowering the weight, checking your form, and if it still doesn't feel right, head over to some free weights to tackle your work.

Is a Smith machine bench press effective?

A Smith machine bench press is totally effective at putting the heat on your primary movers. While you won't get as much engagement from your stabilizer muscles as you would when working with a free moving barbell, you'll have the freedom to put your entire intention and focus on pushing the weight and targeting your pecs, anterior delts, and triceps.

Rosie Borchert is NASM-CPT, former Nike Volleyball coach, and fitness writer whose work has appeared on BarBend and Tonal. If anyone would like to hire her to play beach volleyball, snowboard, binge watch TV, or go climbing, please get in touch.

This article was reviewed by Ashley Boyer, ACE-CPT, for accuracy.