Smith Machine Bench Press Workout

As you go about your program to build muscle mass, you might consider doing your a smith machine bench press workout.  While most people think of the smith machine as a piece of equipment that is going to be primarily devoted to helping strengthen the lower body as you perform squats and deadlifts on it, you cannot overlook the benefits it can have on your upper body training as well.

There are many different ways to incorporate the smith machine into your bench press workout so that you can see superior results.

Let’s look at why you should consider doing a bench press workout on a smith machine.

No Spotter Is Required

The very first reason to consider doing your bench press workout on a smith machine is because no spotter is required.  All you’ll simply have to do is rotate the wrists and you’ll instantly have a safeguard should you begin to fail.

For many people who have erratic schedules, finding time to get together regularly with a workout partner can be quite the challenge, but using the smith machine makes it unnecessary.

This way you can hit the gym to do your bench press workout at any time you’d like without having to worry about the problems associated with going at it alone.

You’ll Get A Psychological Boost

The second important reason to consider using a smith machine to help with your bench press workout is because you’ll get a psychological boost as well.  Due to the fact that you are going to have that ‘safety’ net while doing your lifts, this can give you a much stronger tenacity to push through an additional rep when you otherwise would have quit.

It is quite scary thinking about failing when you’re mid-way through a rep if you’re sitting there alone, but with the smith machine this will never be a concern.

You’ll find that you’ll see faster overall strength gains when using a smith machine because of this fact.

Incline And Decline Bench Press Can Both Be Included

Finally, the last reason to consider a smith machine is because you can easily perform both incline bench press as well as decline bench press while using it.

Since you’re simply rolling a flat bench underneath the smith machine to execute this exercise, if you raise or lower that flat bench, you’ll adapt to the exercise you’re trying to perform.

Including both of these flat bench variations in your routine is important for ongoing progress as they’ll help to challenge the chest muscles from different angles and help to reduce the chances that you hit a strength building plateau.

If you’re just performing flat bench day after day, you won’t be targeting the chest from a number of different angles and maximizing the muscle strength development.

So definitely do give some consideration to doing a smith machine bench press workout.  It’s a great addition to any upper body routine aimed at building more lean muscle tissue.

[stextbox id=”grey” caption=”About the Author”]Shannon Clark holds a degree in Exercise Science from the University of Alberta, where she specialized in Sports Performance and Psychology.  In addition to her degree, she is an AFLCA certified personal trainer and has been working in the field for over 8 years now.[/stextbox]