Smith Machine Bench Press

Starting position

• Position the bench under the Smith machine so the bar travels over the middle of the chest.
• Grip slightly wider than shoulder width, unhook the bar, arms straight.

Execution

• Lower the bar under control to the chest, elbows about 45° from the body.
• Press up powerfully.
• At the end of the set, hook the bar back in.

Common mistakes

• Bench misaligned: the bar hits the neck or the belly.
• Bouncing the bar off the chest.
• Forgetting to set the safety stops.