Illustrations: Everkinetic (Greg Priday), CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped, resized & combined
Chest
Adjust the seat height until the handles line up with the middle of your chest, not your shoulders.
Sit back with your back and shoulders against the pad and both feet flat on the floor.
Grip the handles, pull your shoulders down, then press until the elbows are nearly straight without hard-locking.
Hold for a second at the front and squeeze the chest.
Return the handles slowly over 2-3 seconds until your hands are level with your chest, never letting the stack slam.
Keep your back against the pad for the whole set.
Setting the seat too low so you press upward and the shoulders take the load.
Letting the shoulders shrug forward at lockout, which drains tension from the chest.
Letting the stack drop fast so the plates crash and the lowering phase is wasted.
Arching off the backrest just to move a heavier pin setting.
This machine is safe to push to failure because no spotter is needed; save it for your last set.
If the machine has neutral handles, use them on days when your shoulders feel cranky.
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