What equipment do you need for the smith machine bench press?

You need flat bench and smith machine to do the smith machine bench press.

What is a good smith machine bench press?

For men, a good smith machine bench press is about a 230 lb estimated one-rep max, the Gold (intermediate) standard in Kovo. Beginners start near 112.5 lb and elite lifters pass 365 lb. For women, the standards run from about 42.5 lb to 232.5 lb. The tier table above lists every rank from Bronze to Champion.

Chest · Smith Machine

Smith Machine Bench Press

How to do the smith machine bench press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.

Equipment: Smith Machine
Difficulty: Intermediate
Logged as: Weighted reps
Movement: Horizontal Press
Mechanic: Compound

Find more:Chest exercises Machine exercises

How to do it

Lie on a bench under a Smith machine. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width. Lower it to your chest and press back up.

1Lower the bar to your chest under control and press it back up along the fixed path; you should feel your chest, shoulders, and triceps working
2Keep your shoulder blades retracted and your feet firmly planted for stability
3Press to full extension without locking your elbows harshly

Common mistakes

Don't bounce the bar off your chest or allow your elbows to flare excessively
Avoid arching your back or lifting your hips off the bench
Don't let your wrists bend backward, keep them in line with your forearms

Muscles worked

The smith machine bench press mainly works the mid chest, with the triceps, upper chest, lower chest, and front delts assisting.

Mid ChestPrimary
TricepsSupport
Upper ChestSupport
Lower ChestSupport
Front DeltsSupport
ForearmsMinor
Upper AbsMinor

Smith Machine Bench Press strength standards

See how your smith machine bench press ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.

Bronzee1RM112.5 lb
Silvere1RM165 lb
Golde1RM230 lb
Platinume1RM295 lb
Diamonde1RM335 lb
Champione1RM365 lb

Find your rank

Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.

Weight (lb)Reps

Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.

Kovo programs the smith machine bench press for you and tracks it every session.

We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.

Get Kovo free Estimate your 1RM

More chest exercises

See all chest exercises →

Last reviewed April 2026.