What Is the Seated Bench Press on a Machine?

The bench press has long served as a staple of weightlifting, and for good reason. This classic exercise not only works the pecs, it promotes muscle mass gain and strengthens the shoulders and extensors. Not everyone has access to a bench, rack, barbell and an arsenal of weights, however, so the seated machine bench press acts as a viable alternative. This exercise mimics the resistance and the motion of a regular lying bench press, but it puts you in a vertically seated position on a lever machine.

  1. How To

    • Sit in the lever machine's chair with your back pressed firmly against the pad and your feet planted flat on the ground. Ensure that the handles are at mid-chest level -- you may need to adjust the seat height -- and grasp them with your palms facing downward. Exhale as you straighten your arms to push the weight away from your body; push until your arms are fully extended, but don't lock your elbows. Hold for a count and inhale as you bend your elbows to return to the starting position. Keep your back straight -- not arched. Pull your shoulder blades down and keep your abs tight throughout the exercise.

    Muscles Worked

    • Like the traditional bench press, the seated machine press squarely targets your chest muscles, particularly the sternal pectoralis major. Additionally, this exercise engages the clavicular pectoralis major, the anterior deltoid and the triceps brachii as synergists, which are muscles that help other muscles complete a motion. The seated machine press also employs the short head of the biceps brachii as dynamic stabilizers, which are muscles that help other muscles maintain a certain position during an exercise.

    Close-Grip Variation

    • Once you're comfortable with the standard version of the seated machine bench press, you can move on to the close-grip version to emphasize a different muscle. Most press machines have both horizontal and vertical grips -- grasp the horizontal grips with your palms down for a regular seated bench press or grasp the vertical grips with your palms facing inward for a close-grip press. This variation puts greater emphasis on the anterior deltoids, the front shoulder muscles that run from the collar bone to the biceps.

    In Comparison

    • As a machine exercise, the seated bench press -- also known as the lever chest press -- comes with its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. For beginners, machines are an ideal introduction to bench pressing. They also encourage proper form, thus reducing the risk of injury. Proper form also helps reduce exercise fatigue. Although machines may be more convenient and efficient, bench pressing with free weights typically leads to greater muscle engagement, especially in the area of stabilizing muscles. The equipment itself is also more versatile, more portable and more affordable than lever machines.