Smith Machine Close Grip Bench Press

The smith machine close grip bench press is a compound pressing movement that puts the triceps in the lead role while the chest and front delts assist. Hands sit slightly inside shoulder width on a bar that travels in a fixed vertical track, so the effort goes into the arms instead of into balancing the load. Why press on a guided bar rather than a free barbell? Because narrow-grip pressing is the version that gets shaky first: as the triceps fatigue, the bar drifts and the elbows flare out to save the rep. The rail removes that variable, which makes this a sane way to train close to failure without a spotter. Grip width matters more than load here. A spacing just inside the shoulders keeps the wrists stacked and the elbows tucked near the ribs, while a narrower hold grinds the wrists and hands the work back to the chest. Pause briefly at the bottom of every rep, then press with intent.