Triceps exercise
Smith Machine Close-Grip Bench PressHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Triceps
- Also works
- Chest
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Smith Machine Close-Grip Bench Press?
- Set a flat bench so the bar lines up with your lower chest.
- Grip shoulder-width or a little narrower, then rotate the bar off the hooks.
- Lower the bar to your lower chest, elbows close to your sides.
- Touch lightly, then press until your arms are straight.
Cues
- Elbows tucked to your ribs
- Forearms vertical at the bottom
- Touch, don't bounce
Common mistakes
- Hands too close; keep them about shoulder-width apart.
- Elbows flaring wide; tuck them in as you lower.
- Bench in the wrong spot; line the bar up with your lower chest.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
Starting position
A flat bench (pad top about 45 cm high) inside a Smith machine, the bar on a fixed vertical track. Bench placed so the track crosses the lower end of the breastbone (just above the xiphoid) when the lifter lies on it. Head, upper back and hips on the pad; feet flat on the floor about hip- to shoulder-width, knees about 90°. Shoulder blades pulled down and back; natural low-back curve, no big arch. Closed pronated grip (palms towards the feet), thumbs round the bar, wrists straight over the forearms. Hands shoulder-width or slightly narrower: about 1.0× biacromial width, roughly 30–38 cm between the hands. The hands never touch. The bar is released from the hooks by rotating it back.
The movement
The bar moves straight up and down on the track; there is no J-curve as with a free bar. The elbows stay under the bar and close to the body. Head, hips and feet stay still; the bar stays level.
End position
(turnaround point): bar lightly touches the lower chest at the bottom of the breastbone. Forearms vertical from the side. Upper arms tucked about 30° out from the torso (accept 20–45°), never flared. Elbows a few centimetres below the bench top level, close to the ribs.
Tempo
Lower 2 s, light touch 0.2 s (no bounce), press 1.3 s, short pause 0.5 s at the top.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench | flat | pad top 40–50 cm | |
| Track position | over bottom of sternum | lower chest band | |
| Grip width (between hands) | 1.0× biacromial width | 0.9–1.1× (about 30–38 cm) | |
| Elbow at top | 175° | 170–180° (no snap) | |
| Upper arm from torso at the touch | 30° | 20–45° | |
| Forearm from vertical at the touch | 0° | 0–10° | |
| Bar to chest at the touch | 0 cm (light touch) | 0–2 cm |
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Smith Machine Close-Grip Bench Press is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
