Smith Incline Bench
Learn how to perform Smith Incline Bench, a Chest exercise, with setup, breathing and common mistakes.
Smith Incline Bench · Preview
Setup
Set up the incline bench, lie back, and pull your shoulders back to open your upper chest. Press your feet firmly into the floor.
Start phase
Unrack the bar and slowly lower it toward the upper chest just below your collarbones. Keep your elbows from flaring too far out and feel your upper chest stretch.
End phase
Press the bar up. Keep your shoulders from rolling forward and return to the start position with tension in your upper chest.
Target muscles
Think about pressing the bar with your upper chest. If you feel only your shoulders pushing, lower the bench angle and try again.
Common mistakes
A bench angle that is too high turns this into more of a shoulder exercise. Keep the bench at no more than 45 degrees, and first check the bar path with an empty bar.
Breathing
Take a deep breath as you lower and exhale as you press. Exhaling as you press can help you engage your upper chest.
Coach tip
The Smith bar follows the same path, making it useful to pause briefly at the bottom before pressing. If your upper chest is hard to feel, try pausing where you lower the bar.
