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How to do it
- Set an adjustable bench upright inside the Smith machine and center it under the bar.
- Adjust the bar to about eye level when you are seated, and load it.
- Sit with your back flat on the pad and grip the bar just outside shoulder width with an overhand grip.
- Unrack the bar by rotating the hooks free, then brace your abs.
- Press the bar overhead until your elbows are almost straight.
- Lower it under control until your elbows are bent to about ninety degrees, then repeat.
Common mistakes
- Sitting too far forward or back, which forces the shoulders along a path that is not their own.
- Bouncing the bar out of the bottom, which skips the hardest part of the press.
- Arching away from the bench to move a heavier load, which shifts work to the chest and spine.
- Assuming the fixed-path load carries straight over to free-weight pressing, which it only partly does.
Muscles worked
- Primary
- Front Delts
Same movement, other equipment
Similar exercises
Good to know
- What muscles does the Smith Machine Seated Overhead Press work?
- Mainly the front delts. It also works the abs and triceps.
- What equipment do you need for the Smith Machine Seated Overhead Press?
- It uses a machine. Without it, the Band Overhead Press and the Cable Overhead Press train the same muscles the same way.
- Is the Smith Machine Seated Overhead Press good for beginners?
- GymVim rates it beginner.