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Exercises

JM press alternatives for heavy triceps work

Published October 23, 2026

The best JM press alternative is the close-grip bench press: the same bar, bench and tucked elbows, with a groove that is easier to learn and to load heavy. If you want more of the JM press's extension, the EZ-bar skull crusher covers it. With dumbbells, a neutral-grip floor press plus dumbbell skull crushers splits the JM press into its two halves, and with no equipment, close-grip push-ups and floor dips fill in.

What a JM press alternative has to replace

The JM press is part close-grip bench press, part skull crusher: the bar travels down toward your chin while your elbows drift forward. That lets your triceps handle much more weight than an extension would, and makes the bottom, with the bar near your throat and elbows deeply bent, the hardest part.

A good swap is either a heavy close-grip press, an extension with a deep elbow bend, or one of each.

How to do the JM press

Barbell and landmine

With a bar and a bench, split the JM press into its parts: a heavy close-grip press, or an extension toward your head.

Closest swap

Close-Grip Bench Press

Triceps, Chest

Same bar, same bench, elbows tucked: it keeps the JM press's heavy pressing half with a simpler bar path. Pick it if the JM press never felt right or your elbows dislike the bottom.

How to do it

  1. Lie back on the bench, eyes under the bar, feet planted, and squeeze your shoulder blades together and down into the bench.
  2. Take the bar with your hands a little inside shoulder width, so your forearms are close to vertical when the bar is on your chest.
  3. Lift the bar out of the rack and hold it over your shoulders with your arms locked.
  4. Lower it to the lower part of your chest, letting your elbows travel down close to your sides at roughly a 30 to 45 degree angle from your torso.
  5. Press the bar back up and slightly toward your face until your arms lock out over your shoulders.

Cues

  • Hands just inside shoulder width
  • Elbows tucked, not pinned
  • Bar to the base of the chest

Common mistakes

  • Gripping so narrow your hands nearly touch: that bends the wrists and loads them, not the triceps. Just inside shoulder width is close enough.
  • Flaring the elbows out wide: that turns it back into a regular bench press. Keep them pointing down toward your hips.
  • Bouncing the bar off your chest: touch lightly and press, so the triceps start the rep instead of momentum.
Build a session with Close-Grip Bench Press

Best swap with no spotter

Floor Press

Chest, Triceps

Lying on the floor, your upper arms touch down before the bar reaches your chest, so every rep stops short of your throat and chest. Set the rack's pins just below that point to train alone, and keep your grip just outside shoulder width with your elbows tucked.

How to do it

  1. Lie on the floor under a bar set in a rack at low height, knees bent or legs straight.
  2. Take a grip a little outside your shoulders and unrack it over your chest.
  3. Lower it until the backs of your upper arms rest on the floor, pausing for a moment.
  4. Press it back up until your arms lock out.

Cues

  • Pause on the floor
  • Triceps drive the lockout
  • Shoulder blades pinned back

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing the elbows off the floor: a short pause keeps the press honest.
  • Setting up with no safety: use a rack or pins so you can roll out of a stuck rep.
Build a session with Floor Press

Swap for the extension half

EZ-Bar Skullcrusher

Triceps

Lowering the bar toward your forehead with your upper arms still trains the extension half of the JM press. An EZ bar's angled grip is kinder to your wrists if a straight bar bothers them.

How to do it

  1. Sit on the end of a flat bench with an EZ bar or straight bar resting on your thighs, then lie back and press it straight up over your chest.
  2. Grip the bar overhand with your hands about shoulder-width, and plant your feet flat on the floor.
  3. Let your arms drift back slightly so the bar sits over your eyes rather than your chest; this is your start position.
  4. Bend only at the elbows and lower the bar in about two seconds until it is just above your forehead or just behind the top of your head.
  5. Straighten your elbows to drive the bar back to the start, keeping your upper arms at the same angle the whole time.

Cues

  • Upper arms stay still
  • Elbows point at the ceiling
  • Two seconds down, then press

Common mistakes

  • Turning it into a press: if your elbows swing forward as the bar comes up, the chest takes over; drop the weight until your upper arms stay put.
  • Elbows flaring out to the sides: keep them about shoulder width and pointing up so the triceps, not the shoulders, move the bar.
  • Stopping halfway: lower the bar until your forearms pass horizontal; the bottom of the rep is where the long head is stretched most.
  • Starting with the bar over your chest: tilt your arms back a little so the triceps stay loaded at the top instead of resting.
Build a session with EZ-Bar Skullcrusher

Smoother extension with a landmine

Landmine Lying Triceps Extension

Triceps

The bar's end moves on a fixed arc from the anchor, which steadies the bottom of the rep. Pick it if free-bar extensions bother your elbows.

How to do it

  1. Lie on a bench or the floor with your head toward the anchor.
  2. Hold the sleeve over your chest with both hands, arms straight.
  3. Bend your elbows and lower the sleeve behind your head.
  4. Stop when your triceps are fully stretched.
  5. Straighten your arms back over your chest.

Cues

  • Elbows point up
  • Only the elbows move
  • Deep stretch

Common mistakes

  • Letting your elbows flare wide: keep them shoulder width.
  • Pulling the bar over your face with your shoulders: the upper arm stays still.
Build a session with Landmine Lying Triceps Extension

Dumbbells

Dumbbells cover the JM press as two exercises: a tucked-elbow press and a lying extension.

Best dumbbell press swap

Dumbbell Floor Press

Chest, Triceps

Pressing from the floor with your palms facing each other keeps your elbows tucked and stops the rep short of your chest. It covers the JM press's pressing half with dumbbells.

How to do it

  1. Sit down with knees bent and a dumbbell standing on each thigh, then roll onto your back and bring the dumbbells to your chest as you lie down.
  2. Plant your feet, pull your shoulder blades together into the floor, and hold the dumbbells over your chest with palms facing your feet or each other.
  3. Lower the dumbbells with your elbows about 45 degrees from your sides until the backs of your arms rest on the ground.
  4. Pause for a moment with your arms on the floor, staying tight.
  5. Press the dumbbells straight up over your chest to full lockout, without knocking them together.

Cues

  • Elbows land softly
  • Pause, then press
  • Shoulder blades pinned to the floor

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing the elbows off the floor: touch down, stop for a beat, then press.
  • Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides: keep them angled in at about 45 degrees.
  • Struggling to get heavy dumbbells into place: rest them on your thighs and roll back with them, and reverse the same way at the end of the set.
Build a session with Dumbbell Floor Press

Dumbbell extension swap

Dumbbell Skullcrusher

Triceps

The lying extension with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other. Pair it with the dumbbell floor press to cover both halves of the JM press.

How to do it

  1. Lie back on a flat bench and press two dumbbells up over your chest, palms turned in.
  2. Tilt your upper arms slightly back toward your head and lock them there.
  3. Bend only at the elbows, lowering the dumbbells beside your ears.
  4. Straighten your elbows to bring the weights back up.
  5. Stop just short of lockout to keep the triceps working.

Cues

  • Upper arms still
  • Lower beside your ears
  • Straighten, do not press

Common mistakes

  • Letting the elbows drift and pressing the weight up: that is a close-grip press. Keep the upper arms fixed.
  • Elbows flaring wide: keep them about shoulder width.
Build a session with Dumbbell Skullcrusher

Dips, machines and cables

In a gym where the bench is taken or your elbows complain, press with your bodyweight or a machine, and finish with a cable.

Bodyweight press with heavy triceps work

Chest Dip

Chest, Triceps

Dips load your triceps, chest and front shoulders heavily with your bodyweight, and you can add weight with a belt. A good swap when the bench is taken.

How to do it

  1. Stand between the bars, grip them with your palms facing each other and jump or step up until your arms are straight.
  2. Bend your knees, cross your ankles behind you and tip your chest forward about 30 degrees.
  3. Pull your shoulders down away from your ears before the first rep.
  4. Bend your elbows and sink until your upper arms are about parallel to the floor and your chest feels stretched.
  5. Drive the bars down and away from you until your elbows are straight, then start the next rep without swinging.

Cues

  • Chest over the bars
  • Upper arms to parallel
  • Shoulders down, neck long

Common mistakes

  • Sinking well past parallel to chase a bigger stretch: parallel is the depth; stop there and make it the same every rep.
  • Shrugging your shoulders up toward your ears at the bottom: press them down and drop the set when you can't hold that.
  • Kicking your legs to get out of the bottom: keep your ankles crossed and still, and count only the reps you press without momentum.
  • Cutting reps to half depth as the set gets hard: once you can't reach parallel, the set is over.
Build a session with Chest Dip

Machine swap

Machine Triceps Dip

Triceps

Pressing the handles down from your sides gives heavy triceps work with a fixed path and no bar near your face. Pick it if your elbows ache on the JM press.

How to do it

  1. Sit on the machine and set the handles beside your lower ribs.
  2. Take the handles with your elbows pointing back and lean your torso slightly forward.
  3. Press down until your arms are straight.
  4. Let the handles rise until your elbows are at about 90 degrees, then press again.

Cues

  • Elbows point behind you
  • Hips stay on the seat
  • Full lockout

Common mistakes

  • Elbows flaring out: keep them tucked so the triceps does the work.
  • Coming off the seat to move the stack: lower the pin.
Build a session with Machine Triceps Dip

Cable swap, light on the elbows

Cable Triceps Pressdown

Triceps

Arms at your sides, the pushdown is hardest at lockout and easy on the elbow at the bend. Use it after a heavy press, not instead of all of them.

How to do it

  1. Clip a rope, straight bar or V-bar to a pulley set above head height and pick a weight you could move for about 15 reps.
  2. Grab the attachment, take a small step back and lean your chest slightly forward with your knees soft, so the cable runs just in front of your face.
  3. Pull your upper arms against your sides with your elbows bent and your hands around chest height. This is where every rep starts.
  4. Press the attachment down by straightening your elbows until your arms are fully locked out by your thighs. With a rope, spread the ends apart as your hands pass your hips.
  5. Let your hands rise back to chest height over about two seconds, keeping your elbows in the same spot, then press again.

Cues

  • Elbows glued to your ribs
  • Lock out hard at the bottom
  • Only your forearms move

Common mistakes

  • Leaning over the stack and pushing with your body weight: if your shoulders roll forward to finish a rep, drop the weight until your torso stays still for the whole set.
  • Letting the elbows drift forward on the way up: your shoulders take over and the rep turns into a press. Stop your hands at chest height and keep your upper arms vertical.
  • Cutting the bottom short: the last few inches before lockout are where the triceps work hardest, so finish every rep with straight arms.
  • Letting the stack yank your hands back up: control the return, since a dropped weight gives you half a rep.
Build a session with Cable Triceps Pressdown

Bodyweight

No weights: your bodyweight on your hands is enough for your triceps.

Bodyweight press swap

Close-Grip Push-Up

Triceps, Chest

Hands under your shoulders and elbows sliding back make a push-up a triceps press. Put your feet on a step to make it harder.

How to do it

  1. Get into a high plank with your hands directly below your shoulders.
  2. Lower yourself with your elbows sliding back past your ribs.
  3. Stop just above the floor, then push up to locked elbows.
  4. Drop to your knees for the last reps if your hips start to sag.

Cues

  • Hands under shoulders
  • Elbows travel back
  • Full lockout

Common mistakes

  • Flaring the elbows into a T: that moves the work to your chest.
  • Half reps near the top: lower until your chest is close to the floor.
Build a session with Close-Grip Push-Up

Best swap with no equipment

Floor Triceps Dip

Triceps

Sitting on the floor with your hands behind you, you straighten your elbows to lift your hips.

How to do it

  1. Sit with your knees bent and your hands flat behind you, fingers facing forward.
  2. Lift your hips slightly off the floor by straightening your arms.
  3. Bend your elbows to bring your hips down toward the floor, stopping just short of it.
  4. Push back up to straight arms.

Cues

  • Fingers face your feet
  • Hover the hips
  • Elbows straight back

Common mistakes

  • Sitting all the way down between reps: keep the tension on.
  • Letting the feet do the lifting: press from the hands.
Build a session with Floor Triceps Dip

To pair with them

The gym session adds one overhead exercise for the stretch the JM press doesn't give.

Triceps stretch, to pair in the gym

Overhead Cable Triceps Extension

Triceps

The gym session adds an overhead extension, which trains the long head of your triceps in a stretch no press reaches.

How to do it

  1. Attach a rope to a high pulley, grab both ends with your palms facing each other, and turn so your back faces the stack.
  2. Step forward into a split stance so the cable is pulled tight, and lean your torso slightly forward with the rope ends behind your neck and elbows pointing ahead.
  3. Keep your upper arms close to your head and straighten your elbows, pushing the rope forward and up until your arms are straight out in front of your forehead.
  4. Spread the rope ends slightly at the end and hold for a moment.
  5. Let your hands travel back behind your head slowly until your forearms touch your biceps or you feel a strong stretch, then extend again.

Cues

  • Elbows point forward, not out
  • Only the forearms move
  • Deep stretch, every rep

Common mistakes

  • Letting the elbows flare wide: keep them about shoulder-width so the triceps, not your shoulders, extend the arm.
  • Moving the upper arm to help the weight: if your elbows drop and rise with each rep, the lats and shoulders are pressing, so lighten the stack.
  • Cutting the stretch short: the bottom of the rep is the point of the exercise, so lower until your hands are well behind your head.
Build a session with Overhead Cable Triceps Extension

Example sessions without the JM press

Session 1

Barbell, bench and EZ bar

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentBarbells, Flat Bench, EZ Bar

You train with a barbell, an EZ bar and a bench, and the JM press hurts your elbows or never clicked.

The close-grip bench press keeps the heavy pressing half, so it goes first with low reps and long rest. The EZ-bar skull crusher covers the extension half, and close-grip push-ups finish with your bodyweight. 10 working sets.

Triceps
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Close-Grip Bench Press2 warm-up sets first 4 × 5–8 2 3 min
EZ-Bar Skullcrusher 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Close-Grip Push-Up 3 × 10–20 1 75 s
How to run it
Once or twice a week, with at least two days between, or on your push day where the JM press was. Use safety pins for the press.
How to progress
On the press, when every set reaches 8 reps at 2 RIR, add the smallest jump. On the skull crusher, add reps, then weight. On push-ups, add reps, then raise your feet.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Gym, elbows ache on heavy extensions

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentDip Machine, Adjustable Cable

You train in a gym and heavy lying extensions, the JM press included, have started to bother your elbows.

The machine triceps dip gives heavy pressing with a fixed path, so it goes first. The pushdown adds lockout work that is easy on the elbow, and the overhead cable extension keeps the stretch with a smooth pull. 10 working sets.

Triceps
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Machine Triceps Dip1 warm-up set first 4 × 8–12 2 2 min
Cable Triceps Pressdown 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Overhead Cable Triceps Extension 3 × 12–15 1 1 min
How to run it
Once or twice a week. Use a load that lets you move slowly without pain through the whole rep.
How to progress
When every set reaches the top of its range at the RIR shown, add one plate on the stack next session.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Home, dumbbells and a bench

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Flat Bench

You train at home with adjustable dumbbells and a flat bench, and no barbell.

The dumbbell floor press covers the JM press's pressing half and goes first. Dumbbell skull crushers cover the extension half, and floor dips finish with your bodyweight. Dumbbells are lighter than a bar, so reps are higher and rest is shorter. 10 working sets.

Triceps
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Floor Press1 warm-up set firstPalms facing each other. 4 × 8–12 2 2 min
Dumbbell Skullcrusher 3 × 10–15 1 75 s
Floor Triceps Dip 3 × 15–25 1 45 s
How to run it
Twice a week on non-consecutive days.
How to progress
Add reps until every set reaches the top of its range, then move up one dumbbell. At your heaviest pair, pause two seconds with your arms on the floor before each press.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What is a good alternative to the JM press for triceps?

The close-grip bench press is the closest, and the EZ-bar skull crusher covers the extension part. Doing one of each gets you everything the JM press does.

Is the JM press a good exercise?

Yes, for heavy triceps work that carries over to the bench press. It takes practice, and if your elbows don't like it, a close-grip press plus an extension covers the same work.

What are some alternatives to the seated tricep press?

The overhead cable extension, the skull crusher and the pushdown all train the triceps without sitting under a weight. With no equipment, use close-grip push-ups or floor dips.

How do you do an overhead tricep extension without a machine?

Sit on a bench or chair, hold one dumbbell overhead with both hands, lower it behind your head by bending your elbows, and straighten them back up.

What are the top 3 tricep exercises?

A heavy press like the close-grip bench press, an overhead or lying extension, and a pushdown or kickback cover the triceps well.

What are some variations of tricep kickbacks?

You can do them with a dumbbell kneeling on a bench, standing bent over, or with a low cable for steady tension. Each keeps your upper arm still and makes the lockout the hard part.