10 Best Smith Wide Grip Bench Press Alternatives for Home or Gym
If you can't do the Smith wide grip bench press, use barbell or dumbbell bench presses, weighted dips, incline presses, or cable wide presses to stress the pectorals naturally. Focus on scapular retraction, a 45° elbow tuck, and a controlled two‑second eccentric to maximize pectoral stretch and muscle activation through full range of motion.
Original Exercise: Smith Wide Grip Bench Press
How to Perform Smith Wide Grip Bench Press
- Adjust the bench to a comfortable position on the smith machine.
- Lie down on the bench with your feet flat on the ground.
- Grasp the barbell with a wide grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows out to the sides.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
- Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Ranked Smith Wide Grip Bench Press Alternatives
1. Smith Bench Press
97.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Adjust the height of the smith machine bar to chest level.
- Lie flat on the bench with your feet firmly planted on the ground.
- Grip the bar with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Unrack the bar and lower it towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in.
- Pause for a moment when the bar touches your chest.
2. Smith Machine Bench Press
97.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place a flat bench underneath the smith machine. Now 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 flat bench. Using a pronated grip 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.
- As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest.
- 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.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- When you are done, lock the bar back in the rack.
3. Smith Wide Grip Decline Bench Press
90% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Adjust the decline bench to the desired angle.
- Lie down on the bench with your feet secured under the foot pads.
- Grasp the barbell with a wide grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows pointed outwards.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
4. Smith Decline Bench Press
87.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Adjust the decline bench to the desired angle.
- Lie down on the bench with your feet secured under the foot pads.
- Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the barbell back up to the starting position.
5. Smith Incline Bench Press
87.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Adjust the bench to a 30-45 degree incline.
- Sit on the bench with your back flat against the pad and feet firmly on the ground.
- Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your upper chest, keeping your elbows slightly tucked in.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
6. Smith Machine Incline Bench Press
87.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- 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.
- As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your upper chest.
- 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.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
7. Barbell Bench Press
86.8% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Lower the barbell slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
8. Barbell Wide Bench Press
86.8% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with a wide grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Lower the barbell slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows slightly flared out.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest, then push it back up to the starting position.
9. Wide-Grip Barbell Bench Press
86% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie back on a flat bench with feet firm on the floor. Using a wide, pronated (palms forward) grip that is around 3 inches away from shoulder width (for each hand), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. The bar will be perpendicular to the torso and the floor. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest.
- 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 and squeeze your chest 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.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
10. Smith Machine Reverse Decline Close Grip Bench Press
85.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Adjust the smith machine to a decline position.
- Lie down on the bench with your feet secured under the foot pads.
- Grasp the barbell with a close grip, slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart.
- Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the barbell back up to the starting position.
Why You Might Need a Smith Wide Grip Bench Press Alternative
You might swap the Smith wide grip bench press because the fixed bar path can aggravate shoulder impingement, your gym lacks a Smith machine, or you want greater stabilizer recruitment. Free weights allow small transverse-plane adjustments that improve pectoral fiber alignment and increase serratus anterior and rotator-cuff activation. Cables provide constant tension and better peak contraction, while dips load the lower pecs and force core and triceps stabilization. If you feel anterior shoulder pain, reduce humeral abduction, keep elbows near 45°, and use a substitute that lets you control bar path and scapular motion to protect the joint while keeping hypertrophic stimulus.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Match the substitute to your equipment, shoulder health, and the pec region you want to target. For upper-pec emphasis pick incline dumbbell presses at 25–35° with full scapular retraction; for lower-pec emphasis choose weighted dips with a slight forward lean and scapular depression. If stability is your goal, use unilateral dumbbell presses to force rotator-cuff and core engagement, brace your core, press with both hands evenly, and lower under a two-second eccentric. If you need constant tension and control over the line of pull, use cable wide presses and move the handles in a wide arc to load pectoral fibers through the entire ROM.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Smith Wide Grip Bench Press work?
The Smith wide grip bench press primarily targets the pectoralis major, especially the sternal head, while secondary stress falls on the anterior deltoids and triceps brachii for lockout. The fixed bar path limits scapular protraction/retraction, reducing serratus anterior and stabilizer activation compared with free-weight variants.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Smith Wide Grip Bench Press?
Weighted or bodyweight dips are the top bodyweight substitute; lean forward 20–30° to shift load onto the pecs, retract the scapula, and descend until your chest is stretched. Wide push-up variations (elevated feet or tempo pauses) also work, keep elbows at about 45° and pause at the bottom to increase time under tension.
Can I build muscle without doing Smith Wide Grip Bench Press?
Yes. You can achieve equal hypertrophy using progressive overload across barbell or dumbbell presses, dips, and cable movements that target the pecs. Emphasize full range of motion, controlled eccentrics, and systematic volume progression to stimulate growth without the Smith machine.
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