The smith wide grip bench press is a chest exercise performed on a smith machine with a wide grip to target the pectoral muscles. It also engages the tricep and shoulders as secondary muscles. The smith machine provides stability, making it accessible to those with less experience, but proper form and control are still required.
Also Works
TricepsShoulders
How to Perform
1
Adjust the bench to a comfortable position on the smith machine.
2
Lie down on the bench with your feet flat on the ground.
3
Grasp the barbell with a wide grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
4
Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows out to the sides.
5
Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
6
Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
7
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Pro Tips
•Position the bench so the bar path aligns with your mid-chest, not your throat or lower ribs.
•Use a grip 1.5 times shoulder width to maximize chest stretch while keeping the shoulders in a safe range.
•Unrack by rotating the bar hooks, then lower slowly with full control since the fixed path removes your ability to adjust mid-rep.
Common Mistakes
•Placing the bench too far forward or back under the Smith bar, which forces an unnatural bar path relative to the chest.
•Bouncing the bar off the chest to move heavier weight, which risks rib bruising and kills muscle tension.
•Flaring the elbows to a full 90 degrees, which combined with the wide grip puts the shoulders in a vulnerable position.