Machine Bench Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a machine.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Machine Bench Press
- Sit down on the Chest Press Machine and select the weight.
- Step on the lever provided by the machine since it will help you to bring the handles forward so that you can grab the handles and fully extend the arms.
- Grab the handles with a palms-down grip and lift your elbows so that your upper arms are parallel to the floor to the sides of your torso. Tip: Your forearms will be pointing forward since you are grabbing the handles. Once you bring the handles forward and extend the arms you will be at the starting position.
- Now bring the handles back towards you as you breathe in.
- Push the handles away from you as you flex your pecs and you breathe out. Hold the contraction for a second before going back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of reps.
- When finished step on the lever again and slowly get the handles back to their original place.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Machine Bench 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.
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1
Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a barbell.
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2
Bench Press - With Bands
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a resistance band.
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3
Decline Barbell Bench Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a barbell.
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4
Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using dumbbells.
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5
Dumbbell Bench Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using dumbbells.
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6
Dumbbell Bench Press with Neutral Grip
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using dumbbells.
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7
Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using dumbbells.
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8
One Arm Dumbbell Bench Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using dumbbells.
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9
Smith Machine Bench Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a machine.
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10
Smith Machine Decline Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do machine bench press work?
Machine Bench Press primarily works the chest. The shoulders and triceps assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for machine bench press?
Machine Bench Press uses machines.
Machine Bench Press: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Machine Bench 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 machine bench press?
Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip, Bench Press - With Bands, Decline Barbell Bench Press train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my machine bench press reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; machine bench 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 Machine Bench Press with AI
Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.