10 Best Barbell JM Bench Press Alternatives for Home or Gym

If you can't do the Barbell JM Bench Press, choose movements that preserve elbow-extension mechanics and triceps overload. Effective substitutes include close-grip bench, skull crushers, weighted dips, cable pressdowns, and JM press variants. Cue: keep elbows tucked, drive through the elbow joint, and control the eccentric to emphasize triceps long- and lateral-head activation.

Original Exercise: Barbell JM Bench Press

Barbell JM Bench Press
Primary Muscle
Triceps
Equipment
Barbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Compound
Secondary Muscles: Chest, Shoulders
How to Perform Barbell JM Bench Press
  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.

Ranked Barbell JM Bench Press Alternatives

Best Match
Pin Presses

1. Pin Presses

96% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Board Press

2. Board Press

95.4% Match
Triceps Barbell Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Floor Press

3. Floor Press

95.4% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Floor Press With Chains

4. Floor Press With Chains

95.2% Match
Triceps Barbell Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the j-hooks so they are at the appropriate height to rack the bar. For this exercise, drape the chains directly over the end of the bar, trying to keep the ends away from the plates.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Press the bar back up as fast as you can, keeping the bar, your wrists, and elbows in line as you do so.
Ez Barbell Jm Bench Press

5. Ez Barbell Jm Bench Press

92% Match
Triceps Ez-barbell Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Barbell Lying Close-grip Press

6. Barbell Lying Close-grip Press

91.4% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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 a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing towards your feet.
  3. Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
  4. Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
  5. Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest, then push it back up to the starting position.
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press

7. Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press

91.4% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Reverse Triceps Bench Press

8. Reverse Triceps Bench Press

91.4% Match
Triceps Barbell Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie back on a flat bench. Using a close, supinated grip (around shoulder width), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked extended in front of you and perpendicular to the floor. 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.
Barbell Reverse Close-grip Bench Press

9. Barbell Reverse Close-grip Bench Press

91.2% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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 a reverse grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
  3. Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
  4. Slowly lower the barbell down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
  5. Pause for a moment when the barbell is just above your chest.
JM Press

10. JM Press

91.2% Match
Triceps Barbell Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Start the exercise the same way you would a close grip bench press. You will lie on a flat bench while holding a barbell at arms length (fully extended) with the elbows in. However, instead of having the arms perpendicular to the torso, make sure the bar is set in a direct line above the upper chest. This will be your starting position.
  2. Now beginning from a fully extended position lower the bar down as if performing a lying triceps extension. Inhale as you perform this movement. When you reach the half way point, let the bar roll back about one inch by moving the upper arms towards your legs until they are perpendicular to the torso. Tip: Keep the bend at the elbows constant as you bring the upper arms forward.
  3. As you exhale, press the bar back up by using the triceps to perform a close grip bench press.
  4. Now go back to the starting position and start over.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

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 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Barbell JM Bench Press?

A weighted or feet-elevated close-grip push-up best replicates the JM press's elbow-extension emphasis when you have no barbell. Cue: place hands under the sternum, keep elbows tucked, and lower with a controlled eccentric to maximize triceps tension.

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.

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