The Smith Machine bench press is a great supplement to any chest workout if you want to increase the size of your pecs, especially if you don’t want to use free weights.
The article will walk you over the muscles this exercise can target, how to do it, why it can help you, and the many versions.
When performed correctly, Smith Machine bench presses may help you build your pecs, overcome training plateaus, and lift big weights without the assistance of a spotter. We put this piece together to provide you a clear understanding of the advantages, the muscles used, and the mechanics of the Smith Machine bench press.
Is Smith Machine Bench Press Effective?
You don’t need a spotter besides you to do larger lifts with the Smith Machine. Beginners can benefit most from Smith Machine and bench press. But with continuous practice and use of the progressive overload approach, anybody can execute it and notice improvements in strength and muscle size. By eliminating the need for additional effort to support the bar, performing the bench press workout on the Smith Machine enables you to lift large weights. This can also benefit more seasoned lifters who have reached a training plateau.
Bench Press Smith Machine versus a Regular Bench Press
The first thing that becomes apparent when comparing the bench press performed with a regular barbell to the Smith Machine is the felt difference in weight when doing the exercise.
Smith Machine Bench Press Bar Weight
The majority of commercial gyms use Olympic barbells, which typically weigh 45 pounds. The weight that the Smith Machine removes ranges from 10 to 20 pounds. You can lift larger loads with the Smith Machine than with a standard barbell bench press because of the reduced perceived weight, the added safety of the safety pins, and the elimination of the need to steady the bar.
Bar Track
Furthermore, the design of the smith machine rack allows weight to slide on a vertical stand. You may execute an aided form of the bench press without having to steady the bar in order to complete regulated repetitions.
Safety
The Smith Machine eliminates the need for a spotter while lifting very large objects by including locking pins and safety spotter arms that halt the bar in the event of a failure rep.
Smith Machine And Bench Press: How To
The bench press Smith Machine and the barbell bench press are both bench presses, but there are a few minor setup and execution variations to be aware of.
When performing Smith Machine bench presses, you have to pay more attention to the initial setup before starting the exercise. For the Olympic or traditional bench press, the rack, barbell, and bench are set. Setting up the bench is necessary for Smith Machine presses.
Whenever trying to raise the bar with more weight added, it is crucial to ensure proper setup, irrespective of the Smith Machine bench variance you are performing.
Straighten and Angled Course
The rail that the bar moves along on Smith Machines typically comes in two different styles: straight and angled. There are commercial gyms with perfectly vertical, straight tracks that don’t alter your form when performing a bench press. By raising the bar up and bending your wrists in either direction, you may adjust the bench to your preferred level of comfort when unracking the bar. The pitch of an angled Smith Machine can range from five to twelve degrees, it is important to know which direction to face the bench during setup before doing a Smith Machine bench press.
Beware of the mirrors at the gym; many people will set up the Smith Machine bench with its back to the mirror. Rather, you should think about how the bar moves and if it mimics the same natural route as performing the exercise with a barbell.
The bar will start just above your upper chest and shoulders and descend to the center of your chest, for example, while executing a normal bench press. After that, you raise the bar back up to your head. On a slanted Smith Machine, if you set up the bench incorrectly, you would be forcing the bar up away from your face. Which is less effective and might cause injury because you would be pushing up against your natural form.
Before performing Smith Machine presses, always begin with an empty bar so that you may gauge the bar’s trajectory in relation to your body. The objective is to transfer the exact identical movement pattern from any Smith Machine exercise to the free weight equivalent of that same exercise. Exercises involving the bench press should essentially pull your head toward you rather than away from it.
Setting Up For A Smith Machine Bench Press Regular
To determine the starting position and the bottom of the press, examine if the Smith Machine has a vertical or inclined track. Move a bench to the center of the machine and lower the bar to reach it while laying on your back and raising your arms to the sky. Position the bar on the hooks at a level about where your wrists will be.
Set up safety pins on both sides once the bar is at the correct height and your bench is in the center. Adjust the pins to allow for a complete range of motion or slightly bent elbows.
Make sure your stance is proper so the bar points in the desired direction. Align the bar with your nipple line or slightly above it when lying down on the bench. For angled tracks, ensure the bar aligns with your mid to upper chest region before unracking.
Test your setup by unlocking the bar, pulling yourself up, and extending your wrists. Lower the bar gradually to your chest to see where it ends up. Remember that everyone has different body mechanics, so what feels good to you might not be good to someone else.
Unracking
Before starting working sets, ensure you’re set up correctly by performing some repetitions only using the bar. If necessary, make minor modifications by slightly shifting your body on the bench or the bench itself forward or backward.
The Smith press starts with the unracking process. Lying on your back, extend your arms and use an overhand grip that is a bit wider than the width of your shoulders to hold the bar with both hands. Keep your chest up and plant your feet firmly on the ground.
To release the lock or unrack the bar, you must apply pressure to it and then, based on your body’s alignment, bend your wrists either forward or backward. For instance, to unlock the bar on an inclined Smith Machine, press up and then bend your wrists forward.
Lowering And Raising
The second motion is the descent, or lowering, of the bar. Breathe in as you progressively bring the bar down to your mid-chest, keeping your elbows tucked in at a 40–75 degree angle. You shouldn’t extend your elbows out to the sides or tuck them in too firmly against your body. Lower the bar to your chest so that your elbows are in line with your wrists.
Depending on your unique situation, you can lower the bar to your chest or a few inches above it. You might not descend as low as other individuals if you are immobile or if you have problems with your elbows or shoulders. Simply aim to raise yourself back up until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle or slightly beyond.
Breathe out as you raise the bar with your arms fully extended by contracting your pecs. To extend the amount of time under stress, you might decide to lockout at the elbows or to stop just short of full lockout. You will complete the whole range of motion and take a quick break at the peak of the action if you lockout.
SMITH MACHINE BENCH PRESS BENEFITS
No Spotter Required
You can lift big weights without a spotter when you use the Smith Machine. If you are unable to complete a rep entirely. You may set the safety pins to a level that will protect you from possible damage. Just be careful to adjust the safety pins so that you have adequate room to escape off the bench in the unlikely event that you are unable to raise the bar again.
Lowers the Risk of Injury
The idea that using Smith Machines can cause injuries or muscular imbalances is a frequent misconception. Just like any other piece of workout equipment, improper use might have negative effects. Paradoxically, the Smith Machine is used in injury rehabilitation because it provides a firm, seamless movement.
Increases Your Weight Lifting
When doing a Smith Machine bench press, the supporting muscles are not as much used to help press the weight up. Your pecs still get a full range of muscular activity as a result. According to this study, pec activation for bench presses performed with a Smith Machine and a regular barbell was comparable. There was a discernible difference in the lateral deltoids’ level of participation.
Great for Burning Down on your Pecs
Smith Machine bench presses allow you to train your pecs until they are exhausted, even though they may engage fewer muscles in the upper body overall. This skill will guide you into the land of expectation of strength and muscular increases by keeping you on the progressive overload road.
Smith Machine bench press muscles worked
Bench presses using the Smith Machine work the same muscles as normal barbell bench lifts, with one exception. When doing a bench press on a Smith Machine, your anchor muscles don’t have to work quite as hard to make sure the bar is moving in the correct direction. But no matter the variant of the bench press you perform, you will probably be pressing the weight with identical muscles.
Major Pectoralis
The bulk of your chest is composed of this noticeable muscle. Often called the pecs, this muscle is mostly in charge of the humerus’s flexing, inner rotation, and flexion. To put it simply, this is the main force behind the majority of pressing motions, such as the bench press Smith Machine.
Deltoids
Comprising the anterior, medial, and posterior deltoids, the deltoid is the biggest muscle in the shoulder. They are in charge of arm flexion, extension, abduction, and compensation for rotator cuff injuries in addition to aiding in the prevention of dislocation. Shoulder weakness increases the risk of injury not only while lifting weights or reaching up high. But, also when doing other overhead tasks.
It may also have a detrimental effect on your range of motion and posture. Although the medial and rear delts help, the anterior deltoids are the main focus of the Smith Machine bench press. Which shoulder muscles are worked more might also be affected by the bench’s angle.
Triceps Brachii
While they don’t move the weight as much during a bench press. The triceps do play a role in supporting your movement. The triceps assist in stabilizing the weight during a standard bench press. However this assistance is much diminished with Smith Machine presses.
Best Smith Machine Bench Press Workouts
Never listen to someone who tells you that doing Smith Machine bench presses is bad. It’s fine to utilize a Smith Machine. If your goal is to isolate your chest and increase the volume of your pushing exercises. Just take a look at the several professional bodybuilders that use the Smith Machine to achieve muscle growth. Incase you don’t believe us.
Flat Out Smith Machine Bench Press
We’ve previously covered the advantages, form, and muscles used in the Smith Machine bench press. To guarantee you are getting the most out of this workout. Remember to adhere to the correct body stance and execution directions. Remember that first setup is critical to finishing a flat bench press Smith Machine that is both secure and efficient.
Smith Machine Incline Bench Press
With two exceptions, the cues for this Smith Machine incline bench press variant are the same as for a standard bench press. The ideal inclination for the bench is between 30 and 45 degrees. The bar should descend to the upper chest. Compared to a flat bench, a Smith Machine incline bench press will target your front delts and upper chest more.
Just incline a bench to a 30 to 45 degree angle. Position yourself and extend your arms in an overhand grasp. Little wider than shoulder-width apart, to grab the bar with both hands. Take the bar down and gently bring it up to your upper chest. Your front delts, triceps, and lats should all contract as you press the bar back up to the beginning position.
Continue until you reach the required number of reps. You may switch up your hand placement to a close grip if you want to work your triceps more. Or a broad grip if you want to isolate the upper chest more.
Smith Machine Decline Bench Press
Many of the mechanics used in the conventional bench press will also be used in the declining Smith press. The way your muscles are used. The best way to do the lift, and the bench arrangement are the key variations in this case. The sternocostal head or lower chest will be struck by the decline bench press. When bringing down the bar, you should aim for it to hit the bottom of your chest. The bench should be adjusted to a position between 15 and 20 degrees.
Place a bench at a drop of 15 to 20 degrees. Position yourself and extend your arms in an overhand grasp, little wider than shoulder-width apart, to grab the bar with both hands. Take the bar down to a level just below your chest after unracking it. You should push yourself up to the starting posture and extend your arms fully. Continue until you reach the required number of reps. Make sure the bench and bar are positioned correctly by performing a few practice repetitions. Before aiming for your lower chest.
Smith Machine Decline Reverse Grip Bench Press
You may perform this reverse grip bench press on a decline, incline, or flat bench. Additionally, you have the option to choose to a close, regular, or broad grip. You’ll be shifting part of the focus from your shoulders to your upper chest, triceps, and biceps with the reverse grip Smith Machine press. Surprisingly, the reverse grip bench press significantly boosts upper chest activation. Even though exercise is believed to focus the triceps more than the typical bench press. More precisely, this study demonstrated increased activation of the pec major’s clavicular area and biceps muscles.
Place a bench at a 15 to 20 degree inclination. Assume your posture, then extend your arms to grasp the bar with both hands in an underhanded grip. That is just a little wider than shoulder-width apart. With your elbows tucked in, unrack the bar and carefully drop it to slightly below your chest. As you return to the starting position, be sure your elbows are not flaring. Continue until the required number of repetitions is reached. Make sure the bar rests low enough on the chest. It normally takes a few warm-up sets to establish the most comfortable position.
Smith Machine Hex Press
The Smith Machine with vertical tracks are ideal for hex press work. An angled machine is not what we would suggest using for this one.
Positions that would be difficult to achieve with most standard Olympic benches can be achieved with a Smith Machine hex press. Due to the neutral grip employed, the hex press is a great workout for people who have shoulder issues. As the exterior rotation is minimized, the load is also center mass, which lessens the pressure on your shoulders. As your elbows are tucked to your sides the whole time. The Smith Machine hex press works your inner chest and triceps more than the standard bench press.
Place a level bench in the center of the Smith Machine, parallel to the bar. Some will place only their upper back on the bench and position it up perpendicular to the bar. Laying on the bench with the V-bar attached above you and going down the middle of your body, grab it. With your hands facing each other on the bar’s side, insert the V-bar under the bar using a neutral grip.
With your elbows curled down at your sides, unrack the bar and drop it toward the middle of your chest. Until your arms are completely extended. Engage your triceps and chest to press the bar upward. Continue until you reach the required number of reps.
Smith Machine Bench Press Wide Grip
You will be placing your hands nearly twice as wide as your shoulders when performing the wide grip Smith Machine press. Throughout the exercise, your elbows should remain below the bar and at around a 90-degree angle. This bench Smith press variant will minimize the strain on your shoulders and triceps. And placing the majority of the load on your chest. It’s harder to do this variation of the bench press. So start lighter than you may imagine and work your way up.
As opposed to the standard Smith press. The flat bench should be set up correctly so that it is lower than the bar. Lying on the bench, extend your arms and use an overhand grip, placing your hands two times shoulder-width apart, to hold the bar with both hands. Remove the bar from its rack and gradually lower it to your mid-chest. Making sure your elbows remain almost exactly beneath the bar. Contract your pecs to press the bar back to the beginning position.
Continue until you reach the required number of reps. Make sure you bring the bar down to the base of your chest. Additionally, pay attention to how your elbows are positioned.
Closing Remarks
Choose Smith Machine bench presses if you’re recovering from an injury, exercising your chest without a spotter, or attempting to fully exhaust your pecs to increase strength and muscle. We hope that as more people become aware of the advantages the Smith Machine provides for benching. They will give it a try. So go up to the mislabeled Smith Machine and start pushing when next you’re at the gymnasium and need to get going with some bench presses!