Smith Incline Bench Press

The Smith machine incline bench press is an incline press performed on a bar fixed to vertical rails, set over a bench angled at about 30 degrees. It targets the upper chest and front deltoids, and the fixed path lets you press heavy with no spotter and no balancing, which makes it useful for pushing close to failure safely.

Targets: Pectoralis Major Clavicular Head
Also works: Deltoid Anterior, Triceps Brachii
Equipment: Smith machine
Level: Intermediate
Start with: 3 × 10-12, 60s rest

How to do it

Set an adjustable bench to about 30 degrees and position it so the bar lowers onto your upper chest.
Lie back, set your feet flat and pull your shoulder blades together and down into the bench.
Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width, rotate it to unhook it from the safeties, and set the stops just above chest height.
Lower the bar under control until it touches your upper chest, just below the collarbones.
Press back up to straight arms, then rotate the bar to re-hook it when the set is done.

Form cues

Keep the shoulder blades pinned back the whole set.
Elbows at roughly 45 degrees from your torso, slightly under the bar.
Lower slowly; the fixed bar makes it tempting to drop it fast.

Common mistakes

Setting the bench in the wrong spot so the bar comes down on your neck or your stomach. Check the bar path with an empty bar before loading it.
Using too steep an incline. Past about 45 degrees it becomes a shoulder press; 30 degrees keeps the upper chest in charge.
Skipping the safety stops. The machine only protects you if the stops are set just above your chest.

Where this fits in a week

Dietly Fit scores one photo a week out of 100, names the area holding the score back, and builds the week around it — so a movement like this gets programmed when your pectoralis major clavicular head is what needs the work, not because it was next on a list.

More chest movements

Demonstration courtesy of Gym Visual. Sets and reps are a starting point, not a prescription. Speak to a qualified professional before starting a new exercise program, particularly if you are managing an injury or a health condition.