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Chest · Machine
Machine Chest Press
How to do the Machine Chest Press with good form: step-by-step technique, the muscles it works (chest), coaching cues and the mistakes to avoid.
Muscles worked
- Primary
- Chest
- Secondary
- Delts, Triceps
How to do it
- Adjust the seat height so the machine's handles align directly with your mid-chest.
- Sit completely upright with your back perfectly flat against the pad and your feet planted firmly on the floor.
- Grip the handles evenly with a pronated grip and actively retract your shoulder blades.
- Take a deep breath and press the handles forward until your arms are fully extended without forcefully locking the elbows.
- Squeeze your chest at the top of the movement for a brief second.
- Control the weight back to the starting position, allowing your chest muscles to stretch fully without the weight stack crashing.
Coaching cues
- Push through the palms
- Keep shoulders pinned back against the pad
- Do not let the weight stack crash
Common mistakes
- Setting the seat too high or too low
- Rounding the shoulders forward at the end of the press
- Ignoring the eccentric (lowering) phase
Equipment and setup
Chest press machine
Seat height adjusted so the handles align with the mid-chest.
Also known as: Seated Chest Press
Track your Machine Chest Press in ROAN
ROAN fills in last session’s weight and reps, estimates your 1RM and keeps your best sets.
