Smith Wide-Grip Decline Bench Press

Setup

1. 01Set a decline bench under the Smith bar.
2. 02Hook the legs into the bench rollers.
3. 03Grip the bar well outside shoulder width.
4. 04Unrack by rotating the hooks off the rails.

Execution

1. 01Lower the bar to the lower chest.
2. 02Touch lightly without bouncing.
3. 03Press the bar up to full lockout.
4. 04Re-rack by rotating the hooks at set end.

Checkpoints

• -The bar touches at the lower chest line.
• -Shoulder blades stay pinched against the bench.
• -Forearms sit roughly vertical at the bottom.
• -Safety stops are set just below chest depth.

Common mistakes

• -Bouncing the bar off the chest.
• -Gripping so wide the shoulders strain at the bottom.
• -Skipping the safety stop setup on a locked decline.
• -Cutting the range and never touching the chest.