Smith Shoulder Press

1. Place an upright bench under the Smith machine and set the bar at about seated shoulder height.
2. Sit with your back flat against the pad and position yourself so the bar travels just in front of your face.
3. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with your forearms vertical at the bottom position.
4. Unhook the bar, brace your core, and press it overhead until your arms are extended without slamming into the top of the track.
5. Lower the bar under control to about chin or upper chest level.
6. Keep your upper back and glutes in contact with the pad on every rep.
7. Finish the set, then twist the bar back onto the hooks before relaxing.

Common Mistakes

• Seat set too far back: If the bar path drifts behind your head, the shoulder joint is forced into an impinged position. Sit so the bar passes just in front of your nose.
• Cutting the range short: Stopping several inches above the chin turns the lift into a partial. Lower until your elbows reach roughly 90 degrees or slightly below.
• Overarching the lower back: Turning the press into an incline chest press by leaning way back shifts work off the delts. Keep your ribs down and core braced.
• Pressing into the top stops: Ramming the carriage into the machine's upper limit jars the joints. End the press just short of lockout contact.