Chest Press (Machine)
The Chest Press Machine is a seated resistance exercise that safely builds upper body pushing strength by targeting the pectoral muscles, triceps, and shoulders. It utilizes a fixed movement path to provide stability, making it ideal for beginners or those focusing on hypertrophy without the need for a spotter.
Since machines provide fixed stability, AI coaching shifts the focus heavily toward volume management and intensity. By tracking your specific weight and rep performance against your RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion), the app optimizes progressive overload without the variable of balance. It also utilizes your HRV and sleep data to detect systemic fatigue; if your recovery scores are low, the AI may suggest sticking to this stable machine variation rather than free weights to reduce the risk of injury while still stimulating the muscle.
Form Cues
- Adjust the seat so the handles align directly with your mid-chest
- Plant your feet firmly on the floor to generate stability
- Retract your shoulder blades against the back pad before pressing
- Exhale as you press the handles forward to full arm extension
- Control the weight slowly for 2-3 seconds on the return phase
- Don't let your elbows flare out excessively high
- Don't arch your lower back off the pad to force the weight
- Don't lock out or hyperextend your elbows at the top of the rep
- Don't shrug your shoulders up toward your ears while pressing
- Don't let the weight stack slam down between repetitions
Common Mistakes
- Setting the seat too high or too low
- Rushing the eccentric (lowering) phase
- Rounding shoulders forward at the top
- Pressing with the neck rather than the chest
- Using a partial range of motion
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily isolates the pectoralis major (middle chest) to develop upper body mass and pushing power. It also heavily recruits the anterior deltoids and the lateral and medial heads of the triceps to assist in extending the arms and completing the press.
Primary
Secondary
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