Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

The Smith machine incline bench press is a machine-based movement targeting the chest, particularly the upper chest. The Smith machine mimics a barbell but provides more stability. This movement can be programmed in low reps for strength or higher reps for muscle and strength endurance. It is often performed for moderate to high reps, such as 8-12 reps per set or more, as part of a chest or upper-body focused workout.

Benefits

  1. Adds size and strength to the chest and triceps
  2. Many lifters find they feel the movement more in their chest and less in their shoulders than the traditional bench press
  3. The bar moves on a track making it easier to control
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Smith Machine Incline Bench Press Images

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Smith Machine Incline Bench Press Instructions

Smith Machine Incline Bench Press muscle diagram
  1. Place an incline bench underneath the smith machine. Place the barbell at a height that you can reach when lying down and your arms are almost fully extended. Once the weight you need is selected, lie down on the incline bench and make sure your upper chest is aligned with the barbell. Using a pronated grip (palms facing forward) that is wider than shoulder width, unlock the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
  2. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your upper chest.
  3. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
  4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
  5. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.

Caution: If you are new at this exercise, it is advised that you use a spotter as this exercise can be a bit challenging. If no spotter is available, then be conservative with the amount of weight used.

Same as the Barbell Incline Bench Press but with a Smith Machine.

Alternative Exercises for Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

Incline dumbbell bench press thumbnail image Incline dumbbell bench press thumbnail image

Incline dumbbell bench press

Muscle Targeted: Chest
Equipment Type: Dumbbell
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