The JM press: the underrated exercise to unlock 3D triceps and pressing power

Want to boost your bench press or build sleeve-stretching arms? Then it’s time to give your triceps the attention they deserve. While skullcrushers, pushdowns, and overhead extensions are gym staples, if you’re looking for a new exercise that’ll deliver serious strength gains and an insane pump, you should try the JM press.

The exercise was created by Strength Coach, JM Blakely, a world record bench presser who achieved a whopping 710lbs PB bench. Speaking in a YouTube video on why he invented the JM press, Blakley says: “I couldn’t recover from two or three tricep exercises and so what eventually happened was I blended a regular tricep extension with a close grip bench press.”

It's performed on a weight bench and you can use either a pair of dumbbells, an EZ bar, or a regular barbell (if you want to quickly bash out a few sets after finishing your bench press). There’s a lot of elbow flexion with this move, which means you get a lot of tension on the triceps for more gains.

That being said, it’s not the easiest exercise to master, not because it’s particularly difficult – there are cues you’re going to need to follow – but more so because it feels very different from your standard tricep extension.

Blakely advises not to move the weight up too quickly and that it’s key to keep your elbows pointing outwards, otherwise your shoulders will start becoming too involved, taking the tension away from your triceps.

“I got a lot of good results from it,” he adds in the video. With all the bench press records he’s garnered – clearly! Here’s how you do the JM press.

How to do the JM press

The Official JM Press Tutorial - YouTube

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Who better to take you through the JM press than JM Blakely himself? In the video above he walks through how to perform the JM press with an empty barbell. You can also do it with dumbbells, however, this may be more challenging due to the extra stability required.

Key points to remember before attempting the JM press: don't go too heavy with your weights (it can irritate the elbows) and master movement quality. Here's how you do it:

• Set yourself up on a weight bench with a barbell
• Grab the barbell with a narrower grip to what you'd do a regular bench press (not too close though), unrack the bar and hold it perpendicular to your torso
• Keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle, lower the barbell close towards your face or chin, curling your wrists as you get to the bottom of the movement
• Push or 'punch' (as Blakely says) the arms back up overhead, that's one rep

Tip: Try not to let your elbows sag down as you lower the barbell, as Blakely says it's important to keep them high throughout this movement so as the tension remains on the triceps