Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Adjust the seat height so the handles align with the mid-chest (roughly nipple line), and set the starting arm position so you feel a comfortable stretch without the shoulders rolling forward.

2. 2

   Sit with your back flat against the pad, feet planted on the floor, and grip the handles firmly with a full grip.

3. 3

   Brace your core, retract your shoulder blades against the pad, and press the handles forward by extending the elbows and horizontally adducting the arms.

4. 4

   Extend until the arms are nearly straight without fully locking the elbows, maintaining pectoral tension at the end range.

5. 5

   Return the handles slowly to the starting position, allowing a full stretch across the chest without letting the weight stack slam.

6. 6

   Keep your head against the pad and avoid lifting the hips or arching the back during heavier sets.

Common Mistakes

• Setting the seat too low, which turns the press into an incline pattern and shifts load to the front deltoids.

• Allowing the shoulder blades to protract off the pad during the press, reducing chest activation and increasing anterior shoulder strain.

• Gripping too tightly and driving with the forearms and triceps rather than initiating the press with chest contraction.

• Using an excessively short range of motion, stopping well before full stretch at the bottom to move heavier weight.

About This Exercise

The machine chest press provides a guided horizontal pressing movement that isolates the pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, and triceps without the stabilization demands of free weights. The fixed movement path makes it ideal for beginners learning pressing mechanics, for advanced lifters training to failure safely, or for high-volume hypertrophy work. Most machines use a converging or parallel press arm that keeps the resistance profile relatively constant throughout the range of motion.