ez barbell jm bench press: technique and muscles worked

Animated demonstration of ez barbell jm bench press

How to do this exercise

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

Equipment: EZ bar
Body part: Arms
Target muscle: Triceps Sternal pectoralis (mid chest)
Secondary muscle: Forearms Anterior deltoid

Hypertrophy grade

Good8 / 10

Nemeo’s take

The JM Press is a fascinating hybrid movement, halfway between a close-grip bench press and a front-bar triceps extension (skull crusher). It’s the “big brother” of triceps power. By using an EZ bar, you significantly reduce stress on your wrists while still allowing a unique trajectory: the bar descends toward the upper chest or neck, with the elbows pointing forward. This allows you to use much heavier loads than a classic extension, while isolating the triceps more specifically than a bench press. This is the exercise of choice among powerlifters for building explosive lockout strength.

This catalog score reflects Nemeo’s assessment of the exercise’s muscle-building potential. It is not a standardized scientific rating or a personalized recommendation.

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ez barbell jm bench press

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