Smith Machine Bench Press Exercises

According to Arnold Schwarzenegger in "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding," the bench press is the single most important exercise for building the chest. If you want to build an impressive, chiseled chest -- just like creating a marble sculpture -- the first thing you need is a big mass of raw material to chisel away at. Because it is the heaviest upper body exercise, the bench press is the exercise that will give you that slab of muscle you can later refine with isolation movements. But because the bench press is so heavy, it can be intimidating to perform without a spotter. The Smith machine solves that problem by providing a safe way to perform the heavy bench press alone.

Smith Machine Flat Bench Press

For the basic Smith machine flat bench, you only need a Smith machine and a flat bench, or an adjustable bench that you can set to flat. Where you position the bench will depend on whether your Smith machine guides the bar completely vertically, or if there is a slight angle to it. If the bar is perfectly vertical, place the bench so that you can touch the bar to your mid-to-low pectorals. If the machine has an angle, place the bench so that the bar is over your neck at the top of the movement, and at your lower pectorals at the bottom. Start with the bar hooked high and load it. Lie under the bar, lift it and twist it to release the hooks. Lower the bar to your chest, then press it back up. If you get in trouble, just twist the bar so that the hooks catch. To build muscle, perform eight to 12 reps for three sets. To build strength, perform three to five reps per set, but only if you're an experienced lifter.

Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

For this exercise you'll need an adjustable bench or an incline bench. Slide the bench under the bar so that the bar will touch your mid-chest at the bottom of the movement. Set the bar higher than you would for a flat bench and load it. Lift the bar, disengage the hooks and lower the bar to your mid-chest, then press it back up. This variation on the bench press will help build your upper chest and anterior delt heads. The more upright you are, the bigger role your shoulders play in the exercise. This exercise will ensure definition between your upper and lower pectorals. To build muscle, perform eight to 12 reps for three sets. To build strength, perform three to five reps per set, but only if you're an experienced lifter.

Smith Machine Decline Bench Press

You can move a lot of weight on the decline bench press because it removes the shoulders from the exercise and has a shorter range of motion than a flat bench press. Performing the movement on a Smith machine will allow you to go even heavier. Slide an adjustable bench or decline bench under the Smith machine, placing it so that the bar will lower to the very top of your stomach. Because the range of motion is shorter, use a slightly narrower grip than you might with your other bench presses. To build muscle, perform eight to 12 reps for three sets. To build strength, perform three to five reps per set, but only if you're an experienced lifter.

Ballistic Bench Press/Bench Throw

A study published in the March 2010 issue of the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" found that free weight bench stimulates slightly more muscle growth than Smith machine bench does. But this ballistic exercise can only be performed safely on a Smith machine. It's also only meant for experienced lifters. Place a flat bench under the bar of the Smith machine as if you were going to do regular Smith machine flat bench presses, but load the bar with much less weight. Set the safety catches for this so that the bar can't touch your chest. Press the bar explosively, and at the top of the movement, let the bar travel 2 or 3 inches beyond your hands, then catch it as it comes down. Most lifting is done slowly, so this exercise will help develop your fast twitch muscles and teach your central nervous system to fire harder.