Smith Standing Shoulder Press

The Smith Standing Shoulder Press targets the shoulders and triceps. This exercise is performed using a Smith machine for stability.

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grip the bar at shoulder height.
  2. Engage your core and press the bar overhead until your arms are fully extended.
  3. Lower the bar back to shoulder height, maintaining control throughout the movement.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

How to perform the Smith Standing Shoulder Press

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Smith Standing Shoulder Press using your smith machine.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your triceps.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your triceps rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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