A bench press on a decline bench under the Smith machine, where the head-down angle and the guided bar path put the work on the lower chest.
What this exercise works
Muscles
pectoralis major · anterior deltoid · triceps brachii
Goals
hypertrophy · strength
Equipment
Smith machine
Category
Strength
Difficulty
beginner
Demonstration
Step 1
Step 2
How to perform the movement
Set a decline bench in the machine so the bar lines up with your lower chest when you lie down, and hook your legs under the pads.
Lie back with your head at the low end, take an overhand grip slightly wider than your shoulders and unrack the bar.
Lower the bar under control until it touches your lower chest, keeping your elbows at roughly forty-five degrees from your torso.
Press the bar back up until your arms are extended, without locking the elbows out hard.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then rack the bar before releasing your legs.
Technique cues and common mistakes
Line the bench up before you load it. The bar only moves in one plane, so if the bench is a few centimetres out the bar will meet your throat or your stomach instead of your lower chest.
Secure your legs under the pads first. Head-down and unsecured, you slide toward the low end of the bench on the first hard rep.
Come down and sit up slowly between sets. Long sets with the head below the heart make people light-headed, and this variation is where it happens.
From guide to workout
Put this exercise into your week
Tempo turns your plan into guided workouts, keeping reps, work intervals and recovery in one place.
