Smith Decline Reverse-grip Press

How to do the Smith Decline Reverse-grip Press

1. 1Set the Smith machine bar to a height you can unrack safely while lying on a decline bench. Position the decline bench under the bar so that when you lie down, the bar is directly over your lower chest.
2. 2Secure your feet on the foot pads or roller, then lie back on the bench with your head lower than your hips.
3. 3Reach up and take a supinated (underhand, palms facing your face) grip on the bar, slightly wider than shoulder-width. Wrap your thumbs fully around the bar so it rests over the base of your palms.
4. 4Retract your shoulder blades and press them firmly into the bench pad to create a stable base.
5. 5Rotate and unrack the bar by turning the safety hooks, then hold it locked out directly over your lower chest with arms fully extended.
6. 6Lower the bar under control toward the lower portion of your chest, keeping your elbows tracking close to your torso — roughly 45–60° from your sides. Aim for a 2-second descent.
7. 7Let the bar lightly touch your lower chest without bouncing, keeping your wrists stacked directly over your elbows.
8. 8Press the bar back up in a straight vertical path until your arms are fully extended, exhaling as you push.
9. 9Complete your reps, then rotate the bar to re-engage the safety hooks and rack it with control.

Form tips

• Keep your wrists neutral and stacked over your forearms throughout the movement — the supinated grip can cause wrists to drift if you are not deliberate about it.
• Actively pull your shoulder blades together and hold that position for the entire set; releasing them mid-set shifts stress onto the front deltoids and reduces chest activation.
• Use a controlled tempo on the descent — rushing the eccentric phase reduces time under tension and increases injury risk in the decline position.
• Because the Smith machine fixes the bar path, you can focus on pressing in a true vertical line; avoid consciously pushing the bar toward your face, which is unnecessary with this setup.
• Use wrist wraps if the supinated grip causes discomfort at heavier loads, but build wrist strength progressively rather than relying on them from the start.

Common mistakes

• Gripping the bar with palms facing away (pronated grip) instead of palms facing toward you — this defeats the purpose of the reverse-grip variation and removes the lower-chest emphasis.
• Letting the elbows flare out to 90° from the torso, which places excessive stress on the shoulder joint and reduces triceps involvement.
• Bouncing the bar off the chest to complete reps, which removes muscular tension and creates unnecessary spinal load in the declined position.
• Failing to lock the safety hooks after the set — in the decline position you cannot simply stand up if the bar is unsecured, making this a critical safety step.
• Using a grip that is too wide, which shortens the range of motion and limits the stretch on the lower chest at the bottom of the rep.

Frequently asked questions