Most gyms have at least one Smith machine, a barbell trapped between vertical or near-vertical rails. The rails limit the bar to moving in only one plane of motion, so there's little to no risk of losing control of the weight. Safety pegs spaced periodically along the rails give you numerous opportunities to rack the bar, even without a spotter; just twist the bar so the hook on each end latches onto a set of safety pegs. One of the most popular Smith machine exercises is the bench press. If you're doing a Smith bench press for the first time, getting properly positioned on the bench beneath the bar can be a bit of a riddle.
Step 1
Position yourself in front of the weight-free Smith machine bar. Twist the bar to remove its hooks from the machine's safety stops. Lift the bar to roughly level with your elbows, then twist it to hook the bar onto the machine's safety stops. This positions the bar low enough that you'll be able to reach up and grasp it from the bench but high enough that you can slide beneath it without too much trouble.
Step 2
Push the weight bench underneath the center of the Smith bar, perpendicular to the bar. Estimate the bench position so that when you lie down face up, the Smith bar will be over the midline of your chest.
Step 3
Sit down on the bench in front of the bar, then ease yourself back into a lying position. If there's no room to do this without banging the back of your head on the bar, grasp the racked bar for support and carefully slip your head and shoulders sideways beneath the bar, then straighten out on the bench. Note which way the bar twists to unhook from the safety stops, and make sure not to accidentally unhook it as you slide into position.
Step 4
Scoot yourself farther up on the bench until the bar is centered over your nipples. You can grasp the bar to help leverage yourself up the bench, but again, be careful not to twist the bar so that it unhooks from the safety stops.
Step 5
Reach up and touch the bar with both hands to verify you're in the proper position. It should be positioned high enough that your arms bend only slightly when you grasp it but low enough that you can safely lift it off the safety pegs without having to raise your shoulders off the bench. Perform a practice repetition, if necessary, with the unweighted bar.
Step 6
Exit the bench in the reverse action of your entry. Grasp the bar for support, careful not to unhook it. Slide down the bench until you can sit up without hitting your head on the bar, or angle your body to slip sideways off the bench.
Step 7
Place the appropriate weight plates on the bar, then slide underneath the bar again to perform your bench press. Once you're comfortable with how you've placed the bar, you can weight the bar before you lie down the first time, but until then, position yourself without any weight on the bar to make adjusting easier.
Tips and Warnings
- Set the Smith machine's safety stops to the bottom end of your range of motion, just above chest level. This keeps the bar from crushing you if you lose control of it.
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