Smith Machine Shoulder Press

How to Perform the Smith Machine Shoulder Press

Set an adjustable bench to a near-vertical position (about 85-90 degrees) under the Smith Machine.
Sit on the bench with your back flat against the pad and position yourself so the bar descends just in front of your face.
Grasp the bar with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Unrack the bar and hold it at chin or upper chest height with your elbows pointing down and slightly forward.
Press the bar straight up by extending your arms overhead until your elbows are fully extended but not locked.
Lower the bar back down slowly under control to chin level.
Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions, then re-rack the bar by twisting the safety hooks.

Pressing the bar too far in front of or behind the head

Position the bench so the bar travels in a straight line just in front of your face for the most natural pressing path.

Arching the lower back excessively

Keep your core braced and your back flat against the bench pad; excessive arching can strain the lower back.

Not lowering the bar far enough

Lower the bar to at least chin level to achieve a full range of motion for maximum shoulder development.

✓Builds shoulder size and pressing strength with the safety of a guided bar path
✓Allows heavier overhead pressing without a spotter
✓Effective for building all three heads of the deltoids and the triceps

●Adjust the bench angle slightly back from fully vertical to reduce stress on the shoulder joints.
●Experiment with grip width; slightly wider targets the lateral delts more, slightly narrower targets the front delts and triceps.
●Use this exercise as your primary overhead pressing movement when you do not have a spotter available.

Strength

4-5 sets of 4-6 reps at 80-90% 1RM

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 8-12 reps at 65-75% 1RM

Endurance

2-3 sets of 15-20 reps at 50-60% 1RM

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