Fitafter50
Search

Exercise library / Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

Suggestions, not prescriptions. Exercises here pass automated checks. They have not been clinically reviewed, and no exercise is right for everyone. Adjust to your comfort and ability.

An incline press in the Smith machine, guiding the bar to target the upper chest and front delts.

Main focus
Strength
Level
Starting
Equipment
Gym machines, A bench
Load
A guided machine path
Stability
Guided by a machine
Before you start
  • Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
  • Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
  • Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
  • Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.

Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.

What you need

A gym machine, with a trained person to show you the set-up the first time.

How to do it

  1. Set an incline bench at 30-45 degrees inside a Smith machine.
  2. Lie back and grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width.
  3. Unrack and lower the bar to your upper chest.
  4. Pause briefly at the bottom.
  5. Press the bar back up until your arms are extended.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

How much

To start: 1 to 2 sets of 8 to 12 slow repetitions, resting 1 to 2 minutes between sets.

As it gets easier: 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 12 repetitions with good form, resting 1 to 3 minutes. Add load or repetitions gradually, no more than about once a week.

How it should feel: The muscles you are working should feel the effort. The last repetitions should be hard but controlled, never shaky or painful.

Make it easier

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Make it harder

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Tips

  • Position the bench so the bar lands on the upper chest, not the throat.
  • Stack your wrists directly above your elbows.
  • Avoid driving your head forward off the bench as you press.

Safety

  • Warm up first, and keep your breathing steady. Breathe out on the effort and in as you ease off. Do not hold your breath.
  • Move with control. Do not lock your joints straight at the end of a movement.
  • Choose a version, load and number of repetitions you can finish with good form. The last few should feel hard but not shaky.
  • Adjust the seat, pads and range so the machine fits your body before you add weight.
More safety notes
  • Start with a light weight and learn the movement.
  • Use the full, controlled range that feels comfortable. Do not let the weight stack drop or bounce.

From the source

  • Avoid driving your head forward off the bench as you press.

When to stop

  • Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
  • Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
  • Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
  • Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
  • After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.
  • A pad or handle does not fit and cannot be adjusted.
  • You cannot control the weight through the whole movement.

Other ways to do this movement

Sign in and we will show other ways to do this, with other equipment or at a different level, chosen from your own answers. Sign in

Where this comes from

Steps and tips are from an open exercise dataset named below. Starting amounts, equipment and safety notes are Fitafter50's general guidance. Nothing here is clinically reviewed.

Steps and tips: Exercise data by RepDB (repdb.co). License: RepDB Free Tier License v1.0: personal or commercial use inside applications, visible attribution, no redistribution as a dataset or API. All credits.

    This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.