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Smith Wide Grip Bench Press animation

How to do the Smith Wide Grip Bench Press

ChestSmith MachineBeginner

The Smith Machine Wide Grip Bench Press locks you into a fixed vertical path, letting beginners focus entirely on chest activation without worrying about bar stability. Master this movement and you will build the foundation of pressing strength and upper-body confidence that carries over to every chest exercise you will ever do.

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Muscles worked

Primary
Pectorals (chest)
Secondary
Front deltsTriceps

Step-by-step

  1. Set the bar at chest height, grip just outside shoulder width with wrists stacked over elbows, and unrack by rotating the bar forward
  2. Lower the bar slowly to your mid-chest, keeping elbows at roughly 75 degrees from your torso rather than flaring fully out
  3. Pause for one count at the chest without bouncing, then drive the bar back up by squeezing your pecs together through the full range
  4. Lock out at the top, re-rack by rotating the bar back into the hooks only after your set is fully complete

Common mistakes

  • Letting the elbows flare out to 90 degrees which shifts stress to the shoulder joint instead of the chest, so keep elbows angled slightly inward toward your hips
  • Bouncing the bar off the chest to move heavier weight which removes tension from the muscle and risks injury, so lower under control and pause briefly at the bottom
  • Positioning the bench too far forward or backward under the bar causing a diagonal press path that fights the Smith track, so adjust the bench until the bar travels straight down to your mid-chest

Pro tip — Before you unrack, retract and depress your shoulder blades hard into the bench and hold that position throughout the entire set, this creates a stable shelf that protects your shoulders and dramatically improves the force transfer from your chest into the bar.

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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