Machine Bench Press

Chest
Shoulders
Triceps

Equipment: Machine

New to this

Your first machine bench press

What weight should I start with on the machine bench press?

Start at 30 to 40 lb on the stack, or the empty carriage plus one 10 lb plate if it is a plate-loaded machine. Machines vary a lot, so treat your first set as a test and adjust from there.

You have got it right if 10 reps feel steady and you are not fighting the seat.

What usually goes wrong on the machine bench press?

Set the seat so the handles line up with the middle of your chest, not your collarbone. Sit back with your shoulder blades flat against the pad and both feet on the floor.

Press out until your elbows are almost straight, then return under control until your hands are back level with your chest.

Most common mistake: letting the seat sit too low, which pushes the press angle up into the shoulders. Check the handle height every time, since the last person probably changed it.

If the press machine is in use

The incline dumbbell press is more demanding on balance, which is a fair trade once you have a few weeks in. The barbell bench press is the standard free-weight version, worth swapping to only if someone can spot you.

How to do it

Sit down on the Chest Press Machine and select the weight.
Step on the lever provided by the machine since it will help you to bring the handles forward so that you can grab the handles and fully extend the arms.
Grab the handles with a palms-down grip and lift your elbows so that your upper arms are parallel to the floor to the sides of your torso.
Tip: Your forearms will be pointing forward since you are grabbing the handles. Once you bring the handles forward and extend the arms you will be at the starting position.
Now bring the handles back towards you as you breathe in.
Push the handles away from you as you flex your pecs and you breathe out. Hold the contraction for a second before going back to the starting position.
Repeat for the recommended amount of reps.
When finished step on the lever again and slowly get the handles back to their original place.