Strength Training · Bodybuilding
Machine Wide Chest Press
The machine wide chest press is a seated press with widely spaced handles and a guided path. It trains your chest, with help from your upper arms and the fronts of your shoulders.
- Beginner
- Compound
- Low injury risk
- Rest 1 min 30 sec
How to do it
- Adjust the seat so the handles line up with your mid-chest.
- Sit with your hips and upper back against the pad.
- Plant your feet flat on the floor.
- Grasp the wide handles with your thumbs wrapped around them.
- Position your elbows slightly below shoulder height.
- Press the handles forward along the machine’s path until your arms are nearly straight.
- Return the handles to the starting position.
Form cues
- Keep your wrists straight.
- Keep your ribs down.
- Exhale as you press.
Common mistakes
- Shrugging toward your earsKeep your shoulders down throughout the press.
- Bouncing out of the bottomTake about two seconds to lower the handles before reversing direction smoothly.
- Reaching beyond the pressFinish the press without rolling your shoulders forward off the pad.
Safety
The wide grip can stress the front of your shoulders if the starting position is too deep. Heavy loads or fatigue can make that position harder to control.
- Set the starting range so the handles do not force your elbows far behind your torso.
- Check that the seat and any range-adjustment pins are fully engaged.
- Test the movement with a light warm-up set before adding weight.
- End the set when you can no longer complete a smooth repetition.
If the wide grip causes shoulder pain or you have a recent shoulder injury, choose a comfortable narrower-grip version or seek guidance from a physiotherapist.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Wide Chest Press Machine
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 8–12 reps
- Rest
- 1 min 30 sec
Choose a weight that leaves about two more repetitions possible at the end of each set.