Smith Machine Incline Bench Press (Reverse Grip)
What Is the Smith Machine Incline Bench Press (Reverse Grip)?
Smith Machine Incline Bench Press (Reverse Grip) is a compound exercise that primarily targets the chest and also engages the front shoulders and triceps. It is an intermediate-level movement that combines an underhand grip, palms facing your head, with an incline bench and the fixed bar path of a Smith machine.
Turning the palms up keeps the elbows tucked close to the sides and is used mainly to bias the upper chest. In a study of 12 healthy men holding isometric flat barbell bench press positions, turning the palms up increased activity in the upper (clavicular) chest fibers and the biceps. This variation pairs that grip with an incline bench, which already shifts more of the work toward the upper chest and front shoulders, so it is a common pick for lifters who want extra upper chest work or find the tucked elbow path more comfortable than a standard incline press.
The Smith machine handles the hardest part of underhand pressing with a free bar: keeping a less secure grip balanced and safe. The bar runs in a fixed track, hooks let you rack it at any height, and safety stops can catch it if your grip or strength gives out, so it is practical to train without a spotter. The trade-off is that the track sets the bar path, so where you place the bench decides where the bar meets your chest. It works best as an accessory after your main pressing, in moderate rep ranges with loads you can control at the bottom.
Compared with the Smith Machine Incline Bench Press, the only change is the grip, while the Barbell Incline Bench Press (Reverse Grip) adds the balance and unracking demands of a free bar and the Smith Machine Bench Press (Reverse Grip) moves the same grip to a flat bench. Build a solid standard-grip incline press first, and start the reverse grip light, because it asks more of the wrists, elbows and biceps than the overhand version.
Muscles Worked
- Pectoralis Major
- Primary
- Deltoid
- High
- Flexor Carpi Radialis
- Minimal
Instructions
- Set an adjustable bench to 30 to 45 degrees and place it inside the Smith machine so the bar lowers to your upper chest, just below the collarbones. Set the safety stops just below that point.
- Sit back with your head, upper back and hips on the pad and your feet flat on the floor, then pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench.
- Grip the bar underhand, palms facing your head, with your hands about shoulder width apart and your thumbs wrapped around the bar.
- Seat the bar low in your palms so your wrists stack over your elbows rather than bending far back.
- Press the bar up slightly and rotate it to release it from the hooks, then hold it with your arms straight over your shoulders.
- Lower the bar under control, keeping your elbows tucked close to your sides, until it lightly touches your upper chest.
- Press the bar straight back up along the track until your arms are extended, without bouncing it off your chest.
- After your last rep, rotate the bar back onto the hooks and check that it has caught before letting go.
Common Mistakes
Thumbless grip
Leaving the thumbs off the bar lets it roll toward your fingers and slip, so wrap them fully around it on every rep.
Flaring the elbows
Letting the elbows drift out away from the ribs fights the underhand grip, strains the wrists and shoulders and loses the tucked path that makes this variation useful.
Bench in the wrong spot
Because the bar cannot leave its track, a bench set too far forward or back makes it land on your neck or mid chest instead of your upper chest.
Bench set too steep
Raising the backrest well past 45 degrees turns the lift into more of a shoulder press and loads the front of the shoulder harder.
Wrists bent far back
Holding the bar in the fingers lets it fold the wrists back under load, so seat it low in the palms with the wrists stacked over the elbows.
Half-turned hooks
Not rotating the bar fully onto the hooks when you re-rack can leave it unhooked, so check it has caught before you let go.
Injuries
Smith Machine Incline Bench Press (Reverse Grip) is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The fixed track and safety stops make a dropped bar far less likely than with a free barbell, but the underhand grip still places unusual load on the wrists, elbows and biceps, and a grip that is not fully wrapped can slip.
The wrists take the most strain, especially when the bar drifts into the fingers and bends them far back. The inside of the elbow and the biceps tendon at the front of the shoulder can also get irritated, because a supinated grip asks more of the biceps than a standard press, and a steep bench adds more load to the front of the shoulder. Wrap your thumbs around the bar, keep it low in your palms with the wrists stacked over the elbows, keep the bench at 30 to 45 degrees rather than closer to upright, set the safety stops just below your bottom position, and add load gradually.
If the wrists or elbows complain, go back to the Smith Machine Incline Bench Press with an overhand grip, or try the neutral grip of the Dumbbell Incline Hammer Bench Press. Once the Smith version feels solid, the Barbell Incline Bench Press (Reverse Grip) is the progression, ideally with a spotter.
Stop the set if you feel sharp pain in the wrist, inside of the elbow or front of the shoulder, or if the bar starts sliding in your hands. End each set while your elbows still track close to your sides rather than grinding reps as they drift out.
- Primary Focus
- Chest
- Equipment
- Smith machine and bench
- Modality
- Strength
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Is this better for the upper chest than a regular incline Smith press?
Both versions train the upper chest, and the incline does most of that work. The underhand grip mainly changes the elbow path, keeping the elbows tucked and bringing in a little more biceps, so use the version you feel more in your upper chest and that your shoulders and wrists tolerate better.
- Q: What bench angle should I use?
Somewhere between 30 and 45 degrees suits most lifters. Going steeper shifts more of the work to the front shoulders, while a lower angle moves the press closer to the Smith Machine Bench Press (Reverse Grip).
- Q: How much weight should I start with?
Start with the empty bar or a light load for the first few sessions, even if your regular incline press is strong. Add weight only once the grip feels secure and the wrists stay stacked over the elbows at the bottom.
- Q: Do I need a spotter?
Usually not, as long as the safety stops are set just below the point where the bar touches your chest. A spotter is still useful for your first heavier sets while the grip and the re-racking twist feel unfamiliar.
- Q: Is the reverse grip better for shoulder pain?
Not reliably. Some lifters find the tucked elbows more comfortable than a standard grip, while others feel it in the wrists, elbows or front of the shoulder instead, so test it with a light load and stop if it hurts.