# Smith Machine Shoulder Press: how to do it

- Main muscles: front delts
- Also works: side delts, triceps
- Equipment: smith, bench
- Level: beginner
- 3D demo (side view): https://media.trainaq.com/exercises/smith_machine_shoulder_press/5eff0014fd/side-m-720.mp4

## Steps

1. Set an upright bench so the bar runs just in front of your face.
2. Sit with back, head and hips on the pad, feet flat.
3. Grip slightly wider than shoulders, then rotate the bar off the hooks.
4. Lower the bar to just under your chin, tipping your head back slightly.
5. Press straight up until your arms are straight.

## Cues

- Head back slightly, then through
- Elbows under the bar
- Back stays on the pad

## Common mistakes

- Bench too far back so the bar hits your face; move it forward.
- Gripping very wide; keep hands just outside shoulder width.
- Arching off the pad to finish reps; brace and keep contact.

## Starting position

An upright bench (back pad 80–90°, vertical or nearly so) sits inside a Smith machine. The bar runs on a fixed vertical track. Buttocks, upper back and head on the pad; feet flat, about shoulder-width apart, knees about 90°. Wrists straight.

## The movement

The bar moves in a straight vertical line (the machine allows nothing else). The body does the adjusting: the head tips back slightly while the bar passes the face and returns to neutral above it. Elbows stay pointed forward and under the bar. Torso, hips and feet do not move; lower back stays on the pad.

## End position

(turnaround point): arms extended overhead, elbows 170–180° with no hard snap. The bar sits on the track line, just in front of or directly over the shoulder joints, roughly above the forehead to crown from the side. Head back to neutral once the bar passes the forehead.

## Tempo

Press 1.5 s, hold 0.2 s at the top, lower 2 s, pause 0.3 s at the chin.

## Form in numbers

| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Back pad angle | 90° | 80–90° |  |
| Grip width (× shoulder width) | 1.4× | 1.2–1.5× |  |
| Bar at bottom | 4 cm above clavicles, under chin | chin height to front of shoulders |  |
| Elbow at top | 175° | 170–180° (no snap) |  |
| Neck extension as bar passes face | 10° | 5–15° |  |

## Sources

1. [[ExRx.net: Smith Shoulder Press (Internet Archive copy)](](https://web.archive.org/web/2025/https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidAnterior/SMShoulderPress)
2. [[ACE: Seated Shoulder Press (barbell)](](https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/exercise-library/43/seated-shoulder-press/)
3. [[Achievable: CSCS exercise technique list, part 5 (third-party paraphrase of NSCA technique, barbell shoulder press)](](https://app.achievable.me/study/cscs/learn/exercise-technique-for-free-weight-and-machine-training-exercise-list-part-5)

Source: https://trainaq.com/exercises/smith-machine-shoulder-press