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How to do the Smith Incline Reverse Grip Press

ChestSmith MachineBeginner

The Smith Machine Incline Reverse Grip Press is a underrated upper-chest builder that shifts stress to the clavicular head while reducing shoulder strain through its supinated grip angle. Master this movement and you will unlock a fuller, more developed upper chest that most lifters never achieve.

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Muscles worked

Primary
Pectorals (chest)
Secondary
Front deltsTriceps

Step-by-step

  1. Set the bench to a 30 to 45 degree incline inside the Smith Machine and grip the bar with palms facing toward your face, hands just outside shoulder width
  2. Unrack the bar and lower it under control to your upper chest, keeping elbows at roughly 45 degrees from your torso
  3. Press the bar back up in a straight vertical path along the Smith track, fully extending without locking out your elbows
  4. Re-rack with control after your final rep, ensuring your wrists stay stacked over your forearms throughout the set

Common mistakes

  • Letting the wrists collapse backward under load, which strains the joint and kills force transfer, so actively brace your wrists and keep them neutral throughout the press
  • Flaring the elbows out wide in an attempt to feel the chest more, which increases shoulder impingement risk, so keep elbows tracked at 45 degrees
  • Setting the bench too far back so the bar path does not align with the upper chest, so position the bench so the bar descends directly to your upper pec line

Pro tip — On every rep, actively think about pulling your hands toward each other without actually moving them, this isometric squeeze creates constant tension across the upper chest fibers and dramatically improves the mind-muscle connection that turns this from a tricep-dominant press into a true upper chest exercise.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 6–10 reps
Get stronger4–5 sets × 3–6 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 10–12 reps

Rest: 2–3 min between sets (60–90s on lighter days).

More Chest exercises

Barbell Bench PressBarbell Bench PressBarbell Decline Bench PressBarbell Decline Bench PressBarbell Decline Wide Grip PressBarbell Decline Wide Grip PressBarbell Front Raise And PulloverBarbell Front Raise And PulloverBarbell Incline Bench PressBarbell Incline Bench PressCable Bench PressCable Bench Press
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