Does It Matter Which Way You Face on an Angled Smith Machine?

It’s easy to think of a Smith machine as a barbell that only moves straight up and down. But on an angled Smith machine, the bar travels along a slanted path. That means the direction you face can change how the bar moves in relation to your body.

So, does it matter which way you face? Yes—but it depends on the exercise. You want the bar’s path to work with the movement you’re doing and the muscles you’re trying to emphasize.  Below is a breakdown of several common Smith machine exercises to help you achieve the best bar path possible for better muscle-building results.

Two Common Types of Smith Machines

Most Smith machines use one of two bar paths. On a vertical model, the bar travels straight up and down along vertical rails. The movement is fixed, but the path doesn’t shift forward or backward as you lift.

An angled Smith machine guides the bar along rails that slant slightly, so the bar travels up and down and also shifts a little toward one end of the machine. That’s the type I have at my gym.

Both machines guide the bar along a set path, but the angled version adds a small forward-and-back movement. It’s a subtle difference, yet it can affect how you position yourself for an exercise.

With an angled machine, turning around changes how the bar’s path lines up with the movement. Here’s how I account for that when setting up for three common upper body exercises...

1. Bench Press: Let the Bar Travel Toward Your Face

When I do a Smith machine bench press on an angled Smith machine, I set the bench so the bar travels up and back toward my shoulders as I press. Think of “toward your face” as a direction cue—the bar should finish over your shoulder line, not over your face.

That path resembles the familiar arc used in a barbell bench press . The bar typically touches around the lower chest, then moves up and back toward the shoulders as you press. Powerlifters use this kind of deliberate bar path because it brings the bar

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