Blog

The Rock Shows That You’re Not Too Strong for the Smith Machine

Here's why Dwayne Johnson goes lighter on his incline press.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson just shared a look at his most recent chest and back workout at his Iron Paradise home gym in an Instagram post, demonstrating his form on the incline bench press using a Smith machine. Smith Machine Workout

The Rock Shows That You’re Not Too Strong for the Smith Machine

"Good ‘mental inventory’ day after a crazy busy week. Man I needed it," he wrote. "Smith machine incline I do towards the end of my chest workout when my chest is fatigued. Not too heavy. 275LBS." "Be mindful as to how far you bring the weight down to mitigate that stress on your shoulders," he added. "I had complete shoulder reconstruction surgery - you don’t want that fun pain in your life, so take my advice... Focused, slow & controlled. 3 second negatives. Intense and controlled."

Johnson is right here: it's wise not to overload your shoulders while working out on a Smith machine, as your shoulders don't have as much freedom to work in their natural arc. Keep the weight on the lighter side, and focus on getting a good pump. Additionally, by slowing down his reps, he is increasing the muscles' time under tension and maximizing the eccentric contraction, ensuring that every single rep is as effective as possible.

A post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)

'Black Mirror' Takes a Dark Stab at True Crime

Inside That Thrilling New 'Black Mirror' Episode

'The Idol' Disturbing Hairbrush Scene, Explained

Aaron Taylor-Johnson Is a Badass Kraven the Hunter

Arnold and Chris Pratt Enjoy Cigar in Rare Photo

'The Idol' Official Release Schedule

How Chris Paul Channels the Mamba Mentality

Tom Brady Shared a Moving Father's Day Tribute

Melissa McCarthy Recalls Her 'Craziest' SNL Moment

'Last of Us' Star Blasts "bigots" Over Homophobia

Read Donnie Wahlberg's Emotional Post About Fans

A Part of Hearst Digital Media

We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back.

The Rock Shows That You’re Not Too Strong for the Smith Machine

Rack Pull Smith Machine ©2023 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.