One advantage of doing machine presses is that the motion is restricted, eliminating the need to balance the weight. If you did not have a spotter during a particular workout, you can safely perform heavy bench presses using the safeties on the smith machines.
Machine Press Technique & Execution
Lie on a flat bench, with your feet spread a bit wider than shoulder width for balance
Your grip should be medium width such that when you lower the bar, your forearms should be perpendicular to the floor
Use a closed grip, not an open grip. While many like to use an open grip for whatever reasons, there's no benefit of using it over a closed grip.
Lift up the bar from the rack and hold it at arm's length above you
Lower the bar in a controlled motion until it touches your lower pecs
Press the bar up until at arm's length again
Incline Machine Press Exercise
Sometimes, when you don't have a training partner, or can't find a spotter, performing incline barbell presses using a smith machine with the safeties on, will allow you to push some heavy weights without having to worry about dropping the weights. The smith machine restricts the motion of the exercise to a specific range, thus taking the balancing effort out of the movement, allowing you to use slightly heavier weights.
Smith Machine Incline Bench Press Technique & Execution
Position your incline bench between the smith machine, and lie flat on the incline bench, with your feet firmly planted on the floor
Keep your buttocks, back, shoulders, and head positioned on the incline bench
Pinch your shoulder blades as you would when doing a flat bench press
Grip the bar with your hands wide enough apart such that at the bottom of the rep, your forearms are perpendicular to the floor. Use a closed grip
Lift the bar off the rack
Inhale as you lower the weight, and exhale as you push the weights up. Do not bounce the weight off your chest to gain momentum
Set the safeties to a height that allows a maximum range of motion for your incline press, and at the same time, set it high enough that in the event that you end up not being able to push the weight back up, the safeties are there to prevent the bar from dropping any further preventing possible injuries
