Barbell JM Bench Press

Description

How to Do Barbell JM Bench Press

1. 1
   Setup

   Lie supine on a flat bench, positioning your eyes directly under the racked barbell. Grip the barbell with an overhand, pronated grip, slightly narrower than shoulder-width, with your thumbs wrapped securely around the bar.

2. 2
   Setup

   Unrack the barbell and hold it directly above your upper chest, with your elbows tucked slightly inward, maintaining tension through your triceps.

3. 3

   Inhale and slowly lower the barbell by bending your elbows and shoulders simultaneously, allowing the bar to descend in a diagonal path towards the junction of your upper chest and neck. Keep your elbows tracking forward, not flaring out.

4. 4

   Continue lowering until your forearms are close to parallel with the floor and the barbell is approximately 1-2 inches above your upper chest/lower neck area.

5. 5

   Exhale and powerfully extend your elbows, pressing the barbell back up along the same diagonal path to the starting position, focusing on contracting your triceps.

Tips

• Maintain a controlled eccentric (lowering) phase to maximize triceps time under tension and prevent injury.
• Keep your elbows relatively tucked throughout the movement to emphasize triceps activation and reduce shoulder strain.
• Visualize driving the bar up by pushing through your triceps, not just your chest or shoulders.
• Use a spotter, especially with heavier loads, as the bar path can be challenging to control if fatigue sets in.

Common Mistakes

• ×Flaring elbows excessively shifts tension away from the triceps to the shoulders and can cause injury; keep your elbows tucked closer to your body.
• ×Lowering the bar too far down the chest turns it into a close-grip bench press, reducing triceps isolation; aim to stop the bar just above your upper chest/lower neck.
• ×Using a grip that's too wide or too narrow reduces triceps focus or strains wrists; use a slightly narrower than shoulder-width grip.