seated chest press machine

The Seated Chest Press Machine is a staple in most gyms, offering an effective and assisted Chest Workout. When strategically placed at the end of your chest routine, it provides a valuable opportunity to squeeze out those last few reps resulting in maximum chest gains. Let's explore how to make the most of this equipment.

Here we will delve into the muscles worked, how to perform the Seated Chest Press, benefits, common mistakes to avoid, reps and sets, how to progress this exercise, how and where to fit it into your workout plan and finally other exercises targeting the same muscle groups.

Muscles Worked When Using the Seated Chest Press Machine

The Seated Chest Press Machine primarily targets the following muscle group:

Pectoral Muscles (Pecs): The machine allows you to focus on pushing the weight through the pectoral muscles, contributing to your overall chest development, strength, and definition.

You can use the muscle highlighted image at the top of this page for a visual guide of the muscles worked.

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How to Use the Seated Chest Press Machine

1. Machine Setup: Approach the Seated Chest Press Machine and adjust the seat height to align the handles with your chest when seated.

2. Seat and Weight Selection: Select your desired weight and take a seat on the machine. Ensure that your back is firmly against the backrest, and grip the handles where you feel most comfortable.

3. Press and Extend: Begin the movement by pressing the handles outward until your arms are fully extended. You should feel your chest muscles engaging as you push the handles. Some machines have both a horizontal and vertical hand grip, choose the one you feel most comfortable with, though we recommend the horizontal grip.

4. Hold and Return: Hold at the top of the movement for a brief moment, feeling the contraction in your chest. Then, bring your hands back to the start position through the same clean and controlled movement.

5. Go for reps.

Benefits of the Seated Chest Press Machine

Chest Development: The Seated Chest Press Machine is excellent for isolating the pectoral muscles, promoting chest strength and muscle growth.

Assisted Training: The machine provides assistance to maintain proper form and target the chest muscles, making it suitable for users of various fitness levels and absolutely perfect for squeezing out those last few reps where the muscle really grows.

Seated Chest Press Machine: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Momentum: Avoid using your upper body or torso for momentum during the exercise. The movement should be driven primarily through the shoulders and elbows targeting the chest muscles only.

Mind-Muscle Connection: Keep your focus on the chest muscles throughout the exercise to make sure you are getting targeted results.

Do Not Start With It: Don’t let this be one of the first exercises you do. This machine is most effective when used toward the end of your chest workout, after you have exhausted your chest muscles through other compound and isolation barbell/dumbbell exercises.

Reps and Sets

The number of reps and sets you perform depends on your current strength with this exercise.

Beginners: Start with simply mastering the move. Keep in mind that if you’re just starting out, 3 reps is a valid set.

To determine how many reps/sets of the Seated Chest Press Machine you should start with, you first need to figure out how many reps you can comfortably perform. Then add 2, and perform that number of reps for 3 sets.

For example; let’s say you can perform 4 reps comfortably. Add 2 to make 6 reps. Perform those 6 reps 3 times over, allowing yourself sufficient rest inbetween.

Experienced lifters: You know your body and its abilities better than anyone, use your own judgment.

We recommend that you avoid performing more than 12 reps per set. If you’re comfortably performing 12 reps for up to 6 sets, it’s time to make the exercise more challenging.

How to Make the Seated Chest Press Machine More Challenging

Progression in weightlifting is almost always about adding more weight. But you can also slow this exercise right down, increasing your time under tension. Another thing you can do is slow down one half of the exercise, so go one way at your usual tempo, and come back in a much slower, yet controlled movement. Or vice versa.

How to Incorporate the Seated Chest Press Machine into Your Workouts

The Seated Chest Press Machine fits into your Chest & Biceps Workout or Upper Body Workout Plan. Because it is an assisted machine exercise, it should be performed towards the end of your workout after your barbell and dumbbell exercises, but before any bodyweight or ab exercises.

Always start with the exercise that expends the most energy and uses the most weight, work your way down through barbell exercises, dumbbell exercises, cable/machine exercises and finish up with bodyweight exercises. You can learn more about the importance of exercise order here.

Exercises That Work Similar Muscles to the Seated Chest Press Machine

Keep in mind that compound exercises are crucial for muscle growth since they allow you to move more overall weight than isolation exercises, helping you build the muscle faster. So don’t neglect exercises such as the Bench Press, Decline Bench Press, Incline Bench Press, Wide Grip Bench Press, Close Grip Bench Press or Chest Dips.

You can also pair this exercise with other exercises, such as the Dumbbell Chest Press, Dumbbell Pullovers or the Pec Deck Chest Fly. A combination of compound and isolation exercises is always recommended for well rounded results.

You can find more Chest Exercises at the bottom of this page. Or you can check out our entire exercise database broken down by muscle group here.

Get Complete Workouts

Our exercise database is here to teach you the fundamentals of some key exercises in weightlifting. It is by no means an exhaustive list of exercises and each category is certainly not a workout plan in itself. In order to turn these exercises into a workout plan, you need to know how to combine the right exercises to achieve the best possible results.

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