Anita Herbert shares her upper-body smith machine workout

Anita Herbert recently shared her approach to an upper-body workout using a smith machine. The key idea is that a guided bar path can make resistance training more approachable for beginners and people with mobility constraints.

Why it matters for push-ups

Push-ups depend on stable shoulders, a strong chest and triceps, and a reliable core. A smith machine upper-body routine offers a controlled way to build this strength and teach proper alignment. By dialing in movement patterns on the machine, you can transfer smoother form to free-weight exercises and eventually to a bodyweight push-up progression. It also gives a way to rebuild confidence after an injury or a long layoff where balance or range of motion feels limited.

PUSHapp take

From the PUSHapp point of view, using the smith machine can be a practical bridge between machine work and free movement. The practical goal is not to max out load but to lock in bar path, scapular position, and tempo. Start with light loads and a stable bench so you can focus on how your shoulder blades move and how your elbows track relative to your torso. As you gain control, you can switch to exercises that use your bodyweight or a free-weight press and keep the same alignment cues.

Try this

• incline smith machine press with controlled tempo (3 seconds down, 1 up) and retracted scapula.
• try a neutral grip or a slightly angled grip to protect shoulders while keeping elbows close to your torso.
• practice incline push-ups against a bench with the bar fixed as a reference point, maintaining a straight line.
• progress to floor push-ups by lowering the bench height step by step, preserving form.

Source: Muscle & Fitness.

1 min read.

Source: Muscle & Fitness. PUSHapp commentary is original and based on the public RSS summary.