Smith Machine Illegal Wide Bench Press

Put a bench under the bar so that when you are laying on the bench, your chest under the path of the bar. Grab the bar the widest you can without wrist pain and unhook the bar from the safety hooks. Lower the weight until the bar touches your chest. Try to “spread the bar” by putting force up and out into the bar. This variation will work the pec tendon and the rotator cuff in a lengthened state in order to build tissue resiliency in a weak position. This is done to purposely work the dangerous ranges but under a controlled manner to build the weak points of a bench press. The armpit region and wrists may feel uncomfortable here, but shouldn’t be painful. Rerack the weight when you are done with the designated reps. Illegal wide just means that this would be illegal in a powerlifting meet as the hands are outside the rings marked on the barbell. When you are done with the designated repetitions, roll the bar forward until the safety hooks catch on the machine.