Skull Crusher
Lying on a flat bench, you lower a bar to your forehead or dumbbells beside your head by bending only your elbows, then extend your arms; a classic triceps isolation lift.
Equipment
- Primary muscles
- Triceps
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
- Primary muscles
- Triceps
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
- Primary muscles
- Triceps
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
Loads from YouTube only when you press play. The video is by an independent creator.
Why do it
It's a staple triceps builder that's easy to load and progress, and lying down keeps the rest of your body out of it. The EZ bar is the most common pick because its angled grip is more comfortable for the wrists; the straight barbell suits people whose wrists don't mind it; dumbbells with palms facing each other let each arm work alone, and many people find them comfortable on the elbows. Tipping your upper arms slightly back toward your head keeps tension on the triceps at the top instead of letting the weight rest on your joints.
How to do it (Dumbbell)
Lie on a flat bench holding a dumbbell in each hand with your arms straight above your chest, palms facing each other.
Keep your upper arms still and bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells beside your head.
Stop when the dumbbells are level with your ears and you feel a stretch in the triceps.
Extend your elbows to press the dumbbells back up. Pointing your elbows at the ceiling rather than flaring them keeps the work in the triceps.
Lie on a flat bench with your feet planted and take the EZ bar overhand on the angled sections.
Press it over your chest, then tip your upper arms slightly back toward your head.
Bend your elbows to lower the bar to your forehead or just behind it, keeping your upper arms still and your elbows in.
Extend your elbows to press it back up. The angled grip keeps your wrists in a more comfortable position than a straight bar.
Lie on a flat bench with your feet on the floor and hold the barbell overhand at about shoulder width.
Press the bar over your chest with straight arms, then tip your upper arms slightly back toward your head.
Bend your elbows to lower the bar to your forehead or just behind it, keeping your upper arms still.
Extend your elbows to press it back up. Angling your upper arms back keeps tension on the triceps at the top instead of parking the weight over your joints.
Common mistakes
Letting your elbows flare out
Wide elbows shift the work toward your chest and shoulders. Keep them pointing at the ceiling, about shoulder-width apart.
Moving your upper arms as you lower
If your upper arms swing, the bar travels toward your chest and the triceps work less. Keep them fixed at a slight backward tilt and bend only at the elbows.
Resting with arms straight up
With your arms vertical at the top, the load sits on your joints and the triceps get a break. Keep your upper arms tipped slightly back so tension stays on.
Dropping the bar too fast
The name is a warning. Lower slowly, stop at or just behind your forehead, and use a weight you can control on the way down.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
