Two Lesser Known Arm Variations Guaranteed to Get You Gains

Every gym bro on planet earth hits arms, many of them too frequently. You immediately think of EZ-Bar Curls, Rope Tricep Extensions, and supersets on supersets when someone says “arm day”. Here are two variations for arms that you don’t see people doing all the time, but I have found they offer a huge bang for their buck.

JM Press:

The JM press is the skullcrusher's older, and probably less attractive sister. With that being said, older women often do have benefits of their own as they’ve got it figured out a bit more. I have personally found that the JM press isolates and works my triceps in a way that no other exercise does. To perform this exercise you need a bench and a bar (I prefer a standard barbell) and a little bit of patience at first. During the exercise, you will lower the bar down towards the upper part of your chest just below the chin while maintaining a close-grip. You will then move the bar up towards your nose while keeping it as close to your body as possible. Once you get around the nose, you will extend your triceps in a similar motion to a skull crusher. I have found that the JM press gives me a stronger mind muscle connection to my triceps and also allows me more time under tension due to the complex nature of the movement.

Raise the Plate Dumbbell Curl:

With this exercise, I have to give credit where credit is due. The only problem is I have no idea what the guy’s name was who taught me this exercise. In my early days of lifting, a man came up to me while I was hitting biceps and said “I got something that’ll kill your arms” and he proceeded to pick up a 30 lb dumbbell and “raise the plate”. He then handed me the dumbbell and I struggled to manage even a few reps. This exercise requires you to hold a dumbbell vertically with flat palms and slowly lift and lower the weight as your biceps begin to cry out. I usually use this variation as the second exercise when I am doing a compound bicep workout, as it requires low weight to achieve exhaustion.

These two exercises are some of my favorite arm variations, and are a great way to spice up your boring arm routine. Be sure to try em out one day!!