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

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

What is a good smith machine underhand bench press?

For men, a good smith machine underhand 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 Underhand Bench Press

How to do the smith machine underhand 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

Set up on a flat bench under a Smith machine with an underhand grip. Lower the bar to the lower chest and press along the fixed path while keeping elbows tucked.

1Upper chest and triceps pressing through a controlled fixed path with steady upper-back support.

Common mistakes

Bar path set too high on the torso, overextended wrists, and shoulder elevation off the bench.

Muscles worked

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

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

Smith Machine Underhand Bench Press strength standards

See how your smith machine underhand 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 underhand 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.