Barbell Tricep Exercises Without a Bench (2025 Guide)

Your triceps feel weak after bench day, but the gym’s benches are always occupied. Maybe you’re working out at home with just a barbell and floor space. You’re not stuck with puny arms—barbell tricep exercises no bench deliver brutal hypertrophy while protecting your elbows. Forget waiting for equipment; these six movements build championship-level horseshoes using only your floor and barbell. We’ll cut through the fluff to show exactly how to execute each lift with perfect form, avoid elbow shredding mistakes, and program them for maximum growth—all without a bench in sight.

Close-Grip Floor Press: Your Heavy Mass Builder

Skip the crowded bench stations and build raw triceps power where you stand. The close-grip floor press overloads your lockout strength while eliminating shoulder strain—critical when you lack bench support. Here’s how to nail it:

1. Lie flat inside your power rack with feet planted or legs extended (whichever keeps your lower back flat against the floor)
2. Grip the bar 1-2 inches inside shoulder width—your knuckles should align with your collarbones
3. Unrack the bar directly over your lower ribs, not your chest
4. Lower under control until your triceps touch the floor (elbows stop naturally—never force them below floor level)
5. Drive up explosively, squeezing your triceps for 1 full second at lockout

Critical form cues: Tuck elbows at 45 degrees like you’re hugging the bar. If your shoulders scream, narrow your grip by 1 inch. Start with 6-8 reps using 70% of your bench max—never bounce off the floor, as this shifts tension to your chest. Add 5 pounds weekly when all reps feel crisp. This movement uniquely targets the medial and lateral triceps heads while sparing your joints, making it the cornerstone of barbell tricep exercises no bench routines.

Why This Beats Standard Bench Presses for Triceps

The floor press restricts your range of motion to the top 30%—exactly where triceps dominate. Without a bench, you avoid the dangerous shoulder extension at the bottom of traditional presses. Lifters with elbow pain often report immediate relief switching to this variation while maintaining heavy loads.

JM Press Floor Version: Long-Head Annihilator

Named after powerlifting legend JM Blakely, this hybrid movement stretches your long head like no other barbell tricep exercise no bench allows. The floor version prevents dangerous bar paths while maximizing tension:

• Lie flat with the barbell positioned directly above your throat
• Use a 12-16 inch grip (wider than close-grip press)
• Lower by bending elbows while drifting them forward until the bar touches your upper chest
• Press straight up without flaring elbows outward

Pro Tip: Keep wrists rigid by “breaking the bar” in half with your hands. Start with just the bar for 8 reps to groove the movement. Your long head (which crosses both elbow and shoulder joints) gets stretched under load—impossible on a bench. Warning: If you feel elbow pinching, reduce depth by 2 inches and increase sets instead of weight. Stick to 4-6 reps per set—it’s brutally demanding.

Single-Arm Landmine Press: Shoulder-Friendly Power

No landmine attachment? Jam the barbell sleeve into a corner with a folded towel for padding. This barbell tricep exercise no bench uses natural arcs to protect joints while hammering elbow extension:

1. Stand facing the landmine with feet shoulder-width apart
2. Grab the sleeve with a neutral grip (palm facing you) at shoulder height
3. Press the bar forward and upward in a slight arc
4. Lock out with full elbow extension and shoulder protraction (chest pushing forward)
5. Control the descent along the same path for 3 seconds

Key adjustment: If your wrist hurts, wrap a resistance band around the sleeve for a thicker grip. Perform 10-12 reps per arm. The single-arm version forces core stabilization while letting you press heavier than two-arm variations. Critical mistake to avoid: Don’t let your torso sway backward—keep ribs down and abs tight. This movement uniquely builds triceps strength that transfers directly to punching power and throwing velocity.

DIY Barbell Skull Crushers: Pure Isolation

Forget skull crushers requiring a bench—the floor version delivers savage isolation with zero shoulder strain. Here’s the exact setup:

• Lie flat with barbell held above shoulders (like top position of floor press)
• Slide elbows back until upper arms form 45-60 degrees with your torso
• Lower bar toward forehead until triceps stretch deeply (stop if elbows hurt)
• Extend elbows forcefully without moving upper arms

Spot the difference: On the floor, your range of motion is naturally limited—preventing dangerous overextension behind the head. Use a 2-1-2 tempo (2 seconds down, 1 second pause, 2 seconds up). Start with 8-10 reps using 50% of your bench press max. Pro tip: Place yoga blocks under your upper back to increase stretch if shoulder mobility allows. This movement torches all three triceps heads without bench dependency.

Barbell Board Press Hack: Lockout Overload

Recreate board press power without a partner using household items. Stack 2-4 yoga blocks on your sternum and secure them with a resistance band looped around your torso:

1. Perform close-grip presses as usual, but stop when bar touches blocks
2. Pause 1 second, then drive explosively to lockout
3. Keep elbows tightly tucked—flaring shifts work to chest

Progress like a pro: Reduce board height by ½ inch every 2 weeks as strength improves. Start with 4-6 reps using 85-90% of your 1RM floor press. This movement specifically crushes the final 2 inches of elbow extension—your weakest point on bench press. Warning: Never use boards if you have acute elbow pain; switch to JM presses instead.

Sample No-Bench Triceps Routine

Execute this 20-minute protocol twice weekly after chest or shoulder days:

1. Close-Grip Floor Press: 4 sets of 6-8 reps (90s rest)
2. JM Press: 3 sets of 5-6 reps (120s rest)
3. Single-Arm Landmine Press: 3 sets of 10-12 per arm (60s rest)
4. Floor Skull Crushers: 2 sets of 10-12 with 3-second eccentric (45s rest)

Critical programming note: If elbows ache during JM presses, replace with board presses at 70% intensity. Always warm up with: empty bar × 10, 65lb × 6, 95lb × 4 before heavy sets. Track your top set weekly—if you hit the top of your rep range, add 5 pounds next session.

Why These Beat Bench Exercises for Elbow Health

Barbell tricep exercises no bench solve three hidden problems:

1. Shoulder impingement elimination: Floor contact prevents dangerous shoulder extension
2. Tendon stress reduction: Restricted range protects distal triceps tendons
3. Lockout strength focus: Builds the exact strength needed for bench press lockouts

Lifters with chronic elbow pain often see dramatic improvement within 3 weeks of switching to these variations. The floor acts as your safety mechanism—no spotter needed, no equipment required.

3 Must-Know Recovery Hacks

1. Post-workout blood flow: Do 100 band pushdowns immediately after lifting (50 reps × 2 sets)
2. Elbow pain protocol: Reduce weight 15%, add 2 sets of 20-band pushdowns between lifts
3. Barbell sleeve care: Wipe chalk off sleeves weekly to prevent rust and ensure smooth rotation

Stop waiting for benches or making excuses. Your floor is now your triceps-building platform. Start with close-grip floor presses at 60% intensity for two weeks to acclimate tendons, then attack the full routine. Within 8 weeks, you’ll develop triceps that dominate the lockout phase of every press—bench or no bench. The barbell and floor are all you need; now go forge those horseshoes.