10 Best Smith Incline Bench Press Alternatives for Limited Equipment

The Smith Incline Bench Press is done lying on your back with a Smith machine. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Smith Machine Incline Bench Press, the Smith Bench Press and the Smith Decline Bench Press.

Smith Incline Bench PressWatch the Smith Incline Bench Press

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Smith Incline Bench Press

The steps for the Smith Incline Bench Press itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Pectorals, with shoulders, triceps · Smith-machine · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Adjust the bench to a 30-45 degree incline.
  2. Sit on the bench with your back flat against the pad and feet firmly on the ground.
  3. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your upper chest, keeping your elbows slightly tucked in.
  5. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Smith Incline Bench Press Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Smith Incline Bench Press on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

    1. Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

    99% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have a machine to work with, and it still works the pectorals.

    • Machine
    How to perform it
    1. Place an incline bench underneath the smith machine. Place the barbell at a height that you can reach when lying down and your arms are almost fully extended. Once the weight you need is selected, lie down on the incline bench and make sure your upper chest is aligned with the barbell. Using a pronated grip (palms facing forward) that is wider than shoulder width, unlock the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
    2. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your upper chest.
    3. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
    4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
    5. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: incline press, the same as the Smith Incline Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Smith Incline Bench Press
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Smith Incline Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Smith Incline Bench Press
  2. Smith Bench PressPlay demonstration

    2. Smith Bench Press

    90% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    It uses the same equipment and still works the pectorals.

    • Smith-machine
    How to perform it
    1. Adjust the height of the smith machine bar to chest level.
    2. Lie flat on the bench with your feet firmly planted on the ground.
    3. Grip the bar with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    4. Unrack the bar and lower it towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in.
    5. Pause for a moment when the bar touches your chest.
    6. Push the bar back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Smith Incline Bench Press
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Smith Incline Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Smith Incline Bench Press
  7. Cable Incline Bench PressPlay demonstration

    7. Cable Incline Bench Press

    87% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have a cable machine to work with, and it still works the pectorals.

    • Cable
    How to perform it
    1. Adjust the bench to a 45-degree incline.
    2. Attach the cable handles to the high pulleys.
    3. Sit on the bench facing the cable machine with your feet flat on the ground.
    4. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and bring them to shoulder height.
    5. Push the handles forward and upward until your arms are fully extended.
    6. Pause for a moment, then slowly lower the handles back to the starting position.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: incline press, the same as the Smith Incline Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Smith Incline Bench Press
    • Equipment: a cable, not a machine
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Smith Incline Bench Press
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Smith Incline Bench Press

Why You Might Need a Smith Incline Bench Press Alternative

You may need substitutes because the Smith machine fixes the bar path, alters stabilizer recruitment, or aggravates shoulder pain. Free-weight incline presses restore natural bar path and increase pec and serratus activation by demanding scapular stability. Cables and landmine variations maintain constant tension and let you change line of pull to stress the upper pectorals without heavy shoulder extension. Bodyweight elevates core and scapular control for functionally relevant strength. Use cues like tucking elbows to 30–45° and keeping the scapula retracted to shift load onto the clavicular head rather than the anterior deltoid.

How to Choose the Right Smith Incline Bench Press Substitute

Match the substitute to your goal, equipment, and injury status. Choose dumbbells if you want improved unilateral control and increased eccentric range; cue a slow 2–3 second descent and full scapular retraction to maximize pec stretch. Pick cables when you need constant tension and a horizontal line of pull; set handles high and press slightly upward to bias the upper chest. Use landmine presses for a safer arc and reduced shoulder extension, driving the elbow forward to load clavicular fibers. For bodyweight, elevate feet to increase upper-chest recruitment and maintain a rigid plank position.

Smith Incline Bench Press FAQ

What muscles does Smith Incline Bench Press work?

The Smith incline press primarily targets the clavicular head of the pectoralis major, with secondary loading of the anterior deltoid and triceps. Using a 30–45° bench angle and pressing through the mid-palm shifts activation to the upper chest while limiting shoulder extension.

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