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Exercise guide

Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

How to do the Smith Machine Incline Bench Press with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.

CompoundMachineBeginnerPush
Primary muscles

Chest

Secondary

Shoulders, Triceps

Equipment

Machine

Step by step

How to do the Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

  1. 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. 2

    As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your upper chest.

  3. 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. 4

    Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

  5. 5

    When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.

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Every Smith Machine Incline Bench Press set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap, so your chest volume is visible at a glance, and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.

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Where the Smith Machine Incline Bench Press fits

The Smith Machine Incline Bench Press shows up in training built around a specific goal. See how it fits:

Related

More chest exercises

FAQ

Smith Machine Incline Bench Press: common questions

What muscles does the Smith Machine Incline Bench Press work?

The Smith Machine Incline Bench Press primarily works the Chest. It also recruits the Shoulders and Triceps as supporting muscles.

Is the Smith Machine Incline Bench Press suitable for beginners?

Yes. The Smith Machine Incline Bench Press is a beginner-level exercise, so it's a solid choice if you're new to training. Start light and focus on the movement pattern before adding load.

What equipment do I need for the Smith Machine Incline Bench Press?

To do the Smith Machine Incline Bench Press you'll need a weight machine.

Is the Smith Machine Incline Bench Press a compound or isolation exercise?

The Smith Machine Incline Bench Press is a compound exercise, it moves multiple joints and works several muscle groups at once, which makes it efficient for building overall strength.

How do I do the Smith Machine Incline Bench Press with correct form?

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. Follow the full step-by-step above for the complete movement.

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