How to do a Smith Machine Decline Press
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Smith Machine Decline Press
Decline Bench
Smith Machine
Instructions for Proper Form
Smith Machine Decline Press is a variation on the more standard Decline Bench Press. Like other Decline Bench Press variations, this compound exercise primarily targets the lower chest, shoulders, and triceps. The use of a Smith Machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability, allowing you to focus on exertion rather than stabilizing the movement. This can also help ensure proper form, making it a great exercise for beginners.
- Lie your back onto a decline bench while squeezing your shoulder blades together and securing your legs to the top of the decline bench.
- The bench should be in contact with your head, shoulders, and butt at all times.
- Position the smith machine bar over the bottom of your chest before grabbing ahold of it shoulder-width apart and an overhand grip.
- Keep your core braced as you unhook the bar and descend it towards the bottom of your chest by flexing your elbows at a 45 degree angle from your torso.
- Gently touch the bottom of your chest with the bar before exhaling the it back to the starting position.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Smith Machine Decline Press standards by male, female, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
- beginner8reps40lbs1 Rep Max50lbs
- intermediate8reps55lbs70lbs
- advanced8reps65lbs80lbs
Enter your stats to calculate your Reps & Weight
Alternative Exercises to Smith Machine Decline Press
1. Barbell Decline Bench Press
89 mSCORESWAPPED 1,071 TIMESBarbell Decline Bench Press is a variation on the standard Barbell Bench Press. Like the standard Barbell Bench Press, this compound exercise primarily targets the chest, but also recruits the triceps and shoulders. Performing this exercise on a decline helps to emphasize the lower part of the chest.
2. Smith Machine Bench Press
89.5 mSCORESWAPPED 677 TIMESSmith Machine Bench Press is a compound chest exercise that also recruits the triceps and shoulders. The use of the Smith Machine adds stability to the movement allowing you to focus more on exertion, or learning the movement.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Flat Bench
- Smith Machine
3. Smith Machine Incline Bench Press
96.4 mSCORESWAPPED 572 TIMESSmith Machine Bench Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Incline Bench Press. Like other variations, this compound exercise primarily targets the chest, shoulders and triceps. The added stability from the Smith Machine makes this a great exercise for learning, or for focusing on exertion rather than stabilizing the movement.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Smith Machine
4. Dumbbell Decline Bench Press
86.1 mSCORESWAPPED 452 TIMESDumbbell Decline Bench Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Decline Bench Press. Similar to other decline variations, this compound exercise primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps, however the decline adds more emphasis to your lower chest.
5. Cable Crossover Fly
97.3 mSCORESWAPPED 435 TIMESCable Crossover Fly is an isolation exercise that targets the chest. It’s a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Fly, and can easily be adapted to further isolate specific areas of the chest. Using cables to add resistance allows you to keep more consistent tension on your chest, as well as control the angle that the resistance is coming from.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Cable Crossover
6. Machine Fly
98.2 mSCORESWAPPED 389 TIMESMachine Fly is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Fly. This isolation chest exercise primarily targets the chest, but also recruits the shoulders. The use of a machine makes the exercise more stable allowing you to focus on exertion or learn the movement with minimal risk of injury. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to learn the movement, or advanced lifters looking to push this movement to it’s limit.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Fly Machine
7. Hammerstrength Decline Chest Press
86.5 mSCORESWAPPED 386 TIMESHammerstrength Decline Chest Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Decline Bench Press. This compound movement primarily targets your chest, focusing more on the lower pecs. The use of a Hammerstrength Machine restricts your range of motion and adds stability to the movement, allowing you to focus more on exertion rather than stabilizing the movement. This is a great exercise for getting consistent tension and improving muscle activation.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Hammerstrength (Leverage) Machine (all forms)
8. Incline Dumbbell Squeeze Press
85.9 mSCORESWAPPED 350 TIMESIncline Dumbbell Squeeze Press is a variation on the more standard Bench Press. Like other Bench Press variations, this compound exercise primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. The incline position emphasizes the upper chest and shoulders, while the act of squeezing the dumbbells together helps to maintain tension in the chest throughout the movement. This is a great exercise for building both strength and muscle mass in the upper chest.
9. Hammerstrength Chest Press
94.3 mSCORESWAPPED 312 TIMESHammerstrength Chest Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Bench Press. Similar to Bench Press, this compound exercise primarily targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. The use of a Hammerstrength machine forces you to use a fixed range of motion. This can help you either learn the movement, or focus your efforts on exertion rather than stability.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Hammerstrength (Leverage) Machine (all forms)
10. Dumbbell Squeeze Press
91.1 mSCORESWAPPED 310 TIMESSimilar to other Bench Press variations, this compound exercise primarily targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Unlike many other variations, some of the tension from this exercise is caused by pressing two dumbbells together rather than simply relying on the weight of those dumbbells. This helps maintain more tension in your chest throughout the movement without relying on other pieces of equipment. The positioning of the dumbbells can also take some tension out of your shoulders, and helps to further isolate your chest.