10 Best EZ Barbell JM Bench Press Alternatives for Gym or Home
If you can't perform the EZ Barbell JM Bench Press, use close-grip bench press, dumbbell skull crushers, weighted dips, Tate presses, or diamond push-ups to target the triceps similarly. Focus on elbow extension and scapular stability. Cue: tuck elbows 10–30 degrees and extend powerfully through the forearm on each rep to optimize triceps activation.
Original Exercise: EZ Barbell JM Bench Press
How to Perform EZ Barbell JM Bench Press
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the ez barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
- Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best EZ Barbell JM Bench Press Alternatives
1. Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
99.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
2. Barbell Lying Close-grip Press
99.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing towards your feet.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest, then push it back up to the starting position.
3. Barbell Close-grip Bench Press
98.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with a close grip, slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart.
- Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
- Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
4. Close-Grip EZ-Bar Press
98.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on a flat bench with an EZ bar loaded to an appropriate weight.
- Using a narrow grip lift the bar and hold it straight over your torso with your elbows in. The arms should be perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position.
- Now lower the bar down to your lower chest as you breathe in. Keep the elbows in as you perform this movement.
- Using the triceps to push the bar back up, press it back to the starting position by extending the elbows as you exhale.
- Repeat.
5. Ez-bar Close-grip Bench Press
98.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the ez barbell with a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing forward.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
6. Barbell Reverse Close-grip Bench Press
97.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with a reverse grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the barbell down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell is just above your chest.
7. Dumbbell Twisting Bench Press
96% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip, palms facing away from you.
- Extend your arms straight up over your chest, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
- Lower the dumbbells down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- As you lower the dumbbells, twist your wrists so that your palms face towards you at the bottom of the movement.
8. Dumbbell Neutral Grip Bench Press
95.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and your arms extended straight up over your chest.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the dumbbells back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
9. Dumbbell Close-grip Press
95.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs.
- Using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width.
- Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in, slowly lower the dumbbells to your side until they are about level with your chest.
- As you exhale, use your triceps to lift the dumbbells back to the starting position.
10. Close-Grip Dumbbell Press
94.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place a dumbbell standing up on a flat bench.
- Ensuring that the dumbbell stays securely placed at the top of the bench, lie perpendicular to the bench with only your shoulders lying on the surface. Hips should be below the bench and your legs bent with your feet firmly on the floor.
- Grasp the dumbbell with both hands and hold it straight over your chest at arm's length. Both palms should be pressing against the underside of the sides of the dumbbell. This will be your starting position.
- Initiate the movement by lowering the dumbbell to your chest.
- Return to the starting position by extending the elbows.
Why You Might Need a EZ Barbell JM Bench Press Alternative
You may need substitutes because of wrist or elbow pain, lack of an EZ-bar, or a desire to shift emphasis between triceps heads. The JM press combines bench and extension mechanics, loading the long and lateral heads via elbow extension with shoulder flexion. Swapping exercises changes joint angles and moment arms, which alters peak activation and stress on connective tissue. For wrist discomfort, choose neutral-grip dumbbell skull crushers and use a slow eccentric to reduce end-range stress. If you lack equipment, diamond push-ups with retracted scapula maintain shoulder stability while still targeting the triceps.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Select a substitute based on pain, available equipment, and the triceps region you want to target. If wrists or elbows limit you, favor neutral grips and tuck your elbows to reduce valgus stress. For hypertrophy without heavy loads, increase time under tension—use 3–4 second eccentrics on Tate presses or skull crushers. To transfer strength to pressing, use close-grip bench with scapular retraction and full feet drive. Monitor elbow flare and range of motion: tuck elbows 10–30 degrees to shift load off the shoulders and maximize triceps torque while preserving joint integrity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does EZ Barbell JM Bench Press work?
The JM press primarily targets the triceps—especially the long and lateral heads—through repeated elbow extension under load. It also recruits the anterior deltoids and clavicular pecs to stabilize the shoulder during the descent. Cue: keep elbows slightly tucked to concentrate force through the triceps.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to EZ Barbell JM Bench Press?
The diamond push-up is the top bodyweight substitute; place hands close together in a diamond shape and keep elbows tucked to emphasize triceps extension. Use a controlled 2–3 second eccentric and a full lockout to increase triceps activation. If you have parallel bars, perform upright-weighted dips for greater overload.
Can I build muscle without doing EZ Barbell JM Bench Press?
Yes. Hypertrophy depends on progressive overload, volume, and consistent tension, not a single exercise. Use close-grip bench, skull crushers, dips, and tempo work with full elbow extension to effectively stimulate triceps growth.
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