EZ Barbell Jm Bench Press

Setup

1. 01Lie on a flat bench with feet planted and shoulder blades pinned.
2. 02Grip the EZ bar on the inner angled handles about shoulder width apart.
3. 03Unrack the bar and hold it locked out over the upper chest.
4. 04Keep the wrists stacked over the elbows at the start.

Execution

1. 01Lower the bar toward the chin and throat line by bending the elbows.
2. 02Keep the elbows tucked and let the forearms fold onto the upper arms.
3. 03Pause briefly with the bar a few inches above the chin.
4. 04Press back and up to lockout, combining extension and press.

Checkpoints

• -Bar path stays over the chin and neck line, not the sternum.
• -Elbows stay at roughly shoulder width, pointed toward the feet.
• -The pause above the chin is controlled, not a bounce.
• -Lockout finishes over the upper chest, slightly back from the start.

Common mistakes

• -Drifting into a regular close grip bench press with the bar at the chest.
• -Flaring the elbows wide and losing the triceps emphasis.
• -Skipping the pause and bouncing out of the bottom.
• -Loading it like a bench press; the JM press uses far less weight.