Shoulders · Smith machine

Smith Machine Shoulder Press

The Smith machine shoulder press is an overhead pressing exercise that primarily targets the anterior and lateral deltoids along with the triceps. Its fixed bar path minimizes stabilizer demands, making it well suited for safely overloading the shoulders or accumulating volume in the middle of a workout.

Muscles: Shoulders
Equipment: Smith machine
Type: Strength
Animation: Men and women

How to do it

Sit on a bench positioned under the Smith machine.
Adjust the bench so that the bar is at a height slightly above your shoulders.
Grasp the bar with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width, palms facing forward.
Unrack the bar and lower it to just above your shoulders.
Inhale and brace your core. Exhale as you press the bar upwards, extending your arms fully.
Focus on using your shoulder muscles, particularly the deltoids, for the press.
Keep the movement controlled, avoiding jerky motions.
Slowly lower the bar back to just above shoulder height, controlling the movement.

Common mistakes

Excessively arching the lower back turns the press into an incline chest exercise and strains the lumbar spine.
Lowering the bar too far below chin level places extreme shearing stress on the shoulder joints.
Locking out the elbows aggressively at the top takes continuous tension off the deltoids and overloads the elbow joint.
Placing the bench too far forward or backward forces an unnatural pressing angle against the fixed track.

Tips

Set the bench at a high incline of about 75 to 80 degrees instead of completely vertical to reduce impingement risk.
Keep the elbows positioned slightly forward directly under the bar rather than flared straight out to the sides.
Lower the bar under strict control and reverse the movement smoothly without bouncing off the safety stoppers.

Sets and reps

For shoulder hypertrophy, perform 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions with 90 to 120 seconds of rest. When using it as a high-volume accessory lift, use 3 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions with 60 to 90 seconds of rest.

Muscles worked

Your coach guides every set

Turn on the coach in Gloox: it asks how you feel, picks the weight from your history and cues technique and rest. Rate each set and the next one is tuned to you.

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Questions

Is it safe to press behind the neck in the Smith machine?

Pressing behind the neck on a fixed vertical plane forces extreme external shoulder rotation and strains the rotator cuff. Pressing in front of the head to chin or upper-chest height is much safer for the joints.

How does this differ from a seated barbell shoulder press?

The Smith machine eliminates balance requirements, allowing you to push closer to failure with focused deltoid tension without the risk of dropping the bar.

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