Decline Smith Press

A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a machine.

Decline Smith Press — Starting position Starting position
Decline Smith Press — End position End position
Difficulty Beginner
Type Strength
Equipment Machines
Primary Muscle Chest
AI Rep Counting Log manually

How to Do Decline Smith Press

  1. Place a decline bench underneath the Smith machine. Now place the barbell at a height that you can reach when lying down and your arms are almost fully extended. Using a pronated grip that is wider than shoulder width, unlock the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms extended. This will be your starting position.
  2. As you inhale, lower the bar under control by allowing the elbows to flex, lightly contacting the torso.
  3. After a brief pause, bring the bar back to the starting position by extending the elbows, exhaling as you do so.
  4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
  5. When the set is complete, lock the bar back in the rack.

Muscles Worked

Front
Back

Primary

Where Decline Smith Press does most of its work.

Secondary

Assisting and stabilising muscles.

Alternatives to Decline Smith Press

10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.

  1. 1 Decline Barbell Bench Press

    Decline Barbell Bench Press

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a barbell.

    beginner Barbell
  2. 2 Decline Dumbbell Bench Press

    Decline Dumbbell Bench Press

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using dumbbells.

    beginner Dumbbells
  3. 3 Leverage Decline Chest Press

    Leverage Decline Chest Press

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a machine.

    beginner Machines
  4. 4 Smith Machine Bench Press

    Smith Machine Bench Press

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a machine.

    beginner Machines
  5. 5 Smith Machine Decline Press

    Smith Machine Decline Press

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a machine.

    beginner Machines
  6. 6 Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

    Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a machine.

    beginner Machines
  7. 7 Wide-Grip Decline Barbell Bench Press

    Wide-Grip Decline Barbell Bench Press

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  8. 8 Alternating Floor Press

    Alternating Floor Press

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a kettlebell.

    beginner Kettlebell
  9. 9 Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip

    Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a barbell.

    beginner Barbell
  10. 10 Bench Press - With Bands

    Bench Press - With Bands

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a resistance band.

    beginner Resistance Bands

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do decline smith press work?

Decline Smith Press primarily works the chest. The shoulders and triceps assist as secondary muscles.

What equipment do I need for decline smith press?

Decline Smith Press uses machines.

Decline Smith Press: is it suitable for beginners?

Yes. Decline Smith Press is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.

What can I do instead of decline smith press?

Decline Barbell Bench Press, Decline Dumbbell Bench Press, Leverage Decline Chest Press train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.

Can Fitnit count my decline smith press reps automatically?

Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; decline smith press can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.

Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.

Track Your Decline Smith Press with AI

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