How to Do the Smith Machine Close-Grip Bench Press

Beginner · Machine · Targets Triceps, Chest, Shoulders

How to perform it

1. Place a flat bench underneath the smith machine. Place the barbell at a height that you can reach when lying down and your arms are almost fully extended. Once the weight you need is selected, lie down on the flat bench. Using a close and pronated grip (palms facing forward) that is around shoulder width, unlock the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
2. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest. Tip: Make sure that as opposed to a regular bench press, you keep the elbows close to the torso at all times in order to maximize triceps involvement.
3. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your triceps muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
5. When you are done, lock the bar back in the rack.

Muscles worked

The Smith Machine Close-Grip Bench Press primarily targets your Triceps, with support from your Chest, Shoulders. You'll need machine.

Make it count toward your goal

Random sets rarely move the needle. In NYUS, the Smith Machine Close-Grip Bench Press slots into a plan built for your goal — sets, reps and progression auto-suggested, logged in two taps, and folded into a weekly review that adapts what comes next.

More Triceps exercises

Train smarter