Any decent gym will have at least one chest press machine set up. Why this exercise and what should you pay attention to when performing it?

MUSCLES INVOLVED

Unlike free weights (such as the barbell bench press), the machine chest press offers a guided and controlled movement. This exercise eliminates the recruitment of stabilizing muscles that are needed to keep your body stable when performing the chest press. This means that you are working your chest muscles, but not the small muscles that work with the chest to perform pushing movements. However, the biceps, triceps, and large muscles in the shoulders and back do participate to some extent in the exercise.

If you want to add volume to your chest workout without tiring additional muscles and managing overall fatigue, the machine chest press is a good choice. Additionally, the machine allows you to train closer to muscle failure, as we’ll see later.

EXECUTION

Here’s what to look for when performing the machine chest press.

1. Choose the seat height where your shoulders and elbows feel best and your pecs get the most stretch at the bottom. For most people, this is when the handles are just below shoulder height;
2. Grab those handles slightly wider than shoulder width apart;
3. Keep your back and shoulder blades against the back support. If you find yourself arching your back when you push, you are pushing too much weight. Reduce the weight so that you can push with difficulty but without arching your back;
4. Exhale as you push the handles away from your chest until your arms are almost fully extended, but don’t lock your elbows. Think of this movement not so much as pushing forward, but rather your biceps, as if you were trying to bring them together;
5. Pause for a second, inhale as you lower the handles back to your chest, until they are back to the starting position, just below shoulder height. Don’t do this excessively slowly, but do it in a controlled manner.

PROGRAMMING

The average natural bodybuilder needs between 10 and 20 sets per muscle group per week for optimal muscle growth, depending on the training status. For the chest, divide that training volume over presses and flyes and later possibly also some pullovers and dips. Do the machine chest press once or twice a week and keep track of how much weight you press. This should slowly but surely increase: progressive overload.

With the machine chest press, try to get a little closer to failure than you do with free weight presses. This is safe because the handles won’t crash down on you if you don’t make it.