10 Best Barbell JM Bench Press Alternatives for Home or Gym

The Barbell JM Bench Press is done lying on your back with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: Pin Presses, the Floor Press and the Floor Press With Chains. Three harder versions, the Board Press, the Reverse Triceps Bench Press and the Jm Press, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

Barbell JM Bench PressWatch the Barbell JM Bench Press

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Barbell JM Bench Press

The steps for the Barbell JM Bench Press itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Triceps, with chest, shoulders · Barbell · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
  2. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
  4. Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Barbell JM Bench Press Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Barbell JM Bench Press on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Pin Presses

    1. Pin Presses

    96% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with an overhand grip.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Pin presses remove the eccentric phase of the bench press, developing starting strength. They also allow you to train a desired range of motion.
    2. The bench should be set up in a power rack. Set the pins to the desired point in your range of motion, whether it just be lockout or an inch off of your chest. The bar should be moved to the pins and prepared for lifting.
    3. Begin by lying on the bench, with the bar directly above the contact point during your regular bench. Tuck your feet underneath you and arch your back. Using the bar to help support your weight, lift your shoulder off the bench and retract them, squeezing the shoulder blades together. Use your feet to drive your traps into the bench. Maintain this tight body position throughout the movement.
    4. You can take a standard bench grip, or shoulder width to focus on the triceps. The bar, wrist, and elbow should stay in line at all times. Focus on squeezing the bar and trying to pull it apart.
    5. Drive the bar up with as much force as possible. The elbows should be tucked in until lockout.
    6. Return the bar to the pins, pausing before beginning the next repetition.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
  2. Board Press

    Progression

    2. Board Press

    95% match

    Triceps · Advanced · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the triceps.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Begin by lying on the bench, getting your head beyond the bar if possible. One to five boards, made out of 2x6's, can be screwed together and held in place by a training partner, bands, or just tucked under your shirt.
    2. Tuck your feet underneath you and arch your back. Using the bar to help support your weight, lift your shoulder off the bench and retract them, squeezing the shoulder blades together. Use your feet to drive your traps into the bench. Maintain this tight body position throughout the movement.
    3. You can take a standard bench grip, or shoulder width to focus on the triceps. Pull the bar out of the rack without protracting your shoulders. The bar, wrist, and elbow should stay in line at all times. Focus on squeezing the bar and trying to pull it apart.
    4. Lower the bar to the boards, and then drive the bar up with as much force as possible. The elbows should be tucked in until lockout.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
  3. Floor Press

    3. Floor Press

    95% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want an easier version that still works the triceps.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Adjust the j-hooks so they are at the appropriate height to rack the bar. Begin lying on the floor with your head near the end of a power rack. Keeping your shoulder blades pulled together; pull the bar off of the hooks.
    2. Lower the bar towards the bottom of your chest or upper stomach, squeezing the bar and attempting to pull it apart as you do so. Ensure that you tuck your elbows throughout the movement. Lower the bar until your upper arm contacts the ground and pause, preventing any slamming or bouncing of the weight.
    3. Press the bar back up as fast as you can, keeping the bar, your wrists, and elbows in line as you do so.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
  5. EZ Barbell JM Bench PressPlay demonstration

    5. EZ Barbell JM Bench Press

    92% match

    Triceps · Advanced · Compound

    A good swap when you have an EZ bar to work with, and it still works the triceps.

    • Ez-barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
    2. Grasp the ez barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
    4. Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
  7. Close-grip Barbell Bench Press

    7. Close-grip Barbell Bench Press

    91% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with a close grip.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Lie back on a flat bench. Using a close grip (around shoulder width), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
    2. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest. Tip: Make sure that - as opposed to a regular bench press - you keep the elbows close to the torso at all times in order to maximize triceps involvement.
    3. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your triceps muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
    4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
    5. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Barbell JM Bench Press

  10. Progression

    10. Jm Press

    91% match

    Triceps · Advanced · Compound

Why You Might Need a Barbell JM Bench Press Alternative

You might substitute the JM press for joint pain, missing equipment, or programming needs. The JM press stresses both elbow extension and a short-range horizontal press, which can aggravate wrists, elbows, or pec insertion points in some lifters. Alternatives let you shift load distribution, use dips or close-grip bench to increase shoulder involvement, or skull crushers and cable pressdowns to isolate the triceps. When modifying, maintain the key biomechanical principle: controlled elbow extension under load. Technique cue: reduce wrist extension and keep the forearm aligned with the elbow to lower compressive stress while preserving triceps activation.

How to Choose the Right Barbell JM Bench Press Substitute

Select a substitute based on equipment, pain patterns, and the triceps head you want to emphasize. If you lack a barbell, choose weighted dips or cable pressdowns; if elbow irritation occurs, favor cable or machine variations that allow neutral wrist alignment. Consider movement pattern: choose close-grip bench for combined chest/triceps overload, skull crushers for distal triceps isolation, and JM press variants to mimic the original arc. Technique cue: test each option with lighter loads and a 2-0-2 tempo, focusing on full, controlled elbow extension to verify triceps activation and joint comfort before progressing load.

Barbell JM Bench Press FAQ

What muscles does Barbell JM Bench Press work?

The Barbell JM Bench Press primarily targets the triceps (long, lateral, and medial heads) while recruiting the pecs and anterior deltoids as secondary movers. Biomechanically it blends a bench press path with a skull-crusher arc, loading elbow extensors through a shortened range near lockout.

Can I build muscle without doing Barbell JM Bench Press?

Yes. You can stimulate the triceps effectively with weighted dips, skull crushers, close-grip bench presses, and cable pressdowns using progressive overload. Prioritize controlled full elbow extension, appropriate volume (6–12 reps for hypertrophy), and incremental load increases to drive muscle growth.

Find Alternatives for Any Exercise

Search the exercise database and filter the ranked substitutes by the equipment you own.