JM Press

Anton YefanovUpdated October 10, 2026

The JM press, named after powerlifter JM Blakley, lies between a close-grip bench press and a skull crusher. You take a grip around fifteen to eighteen inches apart, keep the elbows forward and roughly forty-five degrees from the torso, and lower the bar toward the throat until the forearms meet the biceps before pressing back. The triceps are the prime mover with the chest and front delts assisting, and it is a technical lift that punishes an overloaded bar.

How to do the JM Press

Lie back on a flat bench with your eyes under the bar and your shoulder blades pinched down.
Grip the bar about fifteen to eighteen inches apart with your wrists stacked over your elbows.
Unrack the bar and hold it over the upper chest with the arms extended.
Bend the elbows and roll the bar back toward your throat, keeping the elbows forward of the torso.
Stop when the forearms meet the biceps, then drive the bar back up by extending the elbows hard.
Finish the set and return the bar to the rack with the elbows locked.

Muscles worked

The JM press works the triceps as the prime mover, with the chest and front delts assisting. It blends a close-grip bench press with a skull crusher: the elbows bend and travel forward as the bar rolls toward your throat, so most of the movement happens at the elbow rather than the shoulder.

The triceps work hardest at the bottom, where the forearms meet the biceps and the muscle is under a heavy stretch with the bar in a deep elbow bend. Driving out of that position is almost pure elbow extension, which lets you load the triceps heavier than a skull crusher allows. The chest and front delts steady the bar path and take over more if the elbows flare. Keeping the elbows forward of the torso at roughly 45 degrees, with a grip about fifteen to eighteen inches wide, keeps the load on the triceps.

Primary:: Triceps
Secondary:: Chest and Shoulders

Why train it

Loads the triceps heavily through the lockout range of the bench press.
Allows more weight than a skull crusher at a similar elbow-extension emphasis.
Trains the triceps when the chest and shoulders are already fatigued.

Common mistakes

Loading it like a bench press, which loads the elbow before the triceps are trained.
Letting the elbows drop behind the torso, which turns the lift into a press and shifts load to the shoulders.
Gripping too narrow, which destabilizes the bar and puts the wrists in a compromised position.
Programming it as often as a main press, when it is commonly run once a week as an accessory.

Frequently asked questions

Is the JM press the same as a skull crusher?

No, it is a cross between a skull crusher and a close-grip bench press. In a skull crusher only the elbows bend. In a JM press the elbows also move forward and the bar comes down towards your chin or upper chest. That lets you use much more weight and loads the triceps heavily near the elbow.

Is the JM press bad for your elbows?

It can be hard on the elbows, because it puts heavy load through the joint. Warm up thoroughly, start much lighter than you think, and use a lowering speed of two to three seconds. If your elbows ache, try an EZ bar or a Smith machine, or go back to a close-grip bench press for a while.

Does the JM press help your bench press?

Yes, especially near the top. The JM press trains the triceps in the same press-like position they are in during the lockout of a bench press. It was developed by powerlifter JM Blakley for that purpose, and many lifters use it to break through a bench plateau.

Does the JM press work the long head of the triceps?

All three heads work, but the long head is not at its most stretched, since your arms do not go overhead. For the long head, pair the JM press with an overhead extension, like the cable rope overhead triceps extension.

What equipment do I need for the JM Press?

The JM Press needs a barbell. Nothing beyond that is required to run the movement the way it is described above.

Is the JM Press suitable for beginners?

Not as a starting point. The JM Press is rated advanced: it asks for control under load that only comes from months of easier work, and the cost of a bad rep is higher here than on easier variations. Build up to the JM Press through the alternatives below.

Can I do the JM Press at home?

Yes, if you own a barbell. That is the whole requirement, and it is the reason this one travels well between a home setup and a gym floor.

How many sets and reps of the JM Press should I do?

Three to four sets of 10 to 15 reps. Isolation work responds to reps and a controlled tempo rather than load, so stop each set a rep or two short of failure and keep the weight honest.

What are good alternatives to the JM Press?

Bench Dips, Cable Bar Pushdown, and Dumbbell Decline Skullcrusher train the same primary muscles as the JM Press. Pick whichever one suits the equipment in front of you.