Skullcrusher

Muscles Worked

How to Perform

1. 1

   Setup: Lie flat on a bench holding a barbell or EZ-bar with a close grip (hands 8-12 inches apart), arms extended straight above your chest. Plant your feet flat on the floor and keep your entire back against the bench. Use an EZ-bar if straight bar puts strain on your wrists.

2. 2

   Arm Position: Keep your upper arms locked at a slight angle back toward your head (about 15-20 degrees from vertical)—not perfectly perpendicular to the floor. This angled position maintains constant tension on your triceps throughout the movement and protects your elbows. Your upper arms never move.

3. 3

   Lower the Weight: Slowly bend your elbows to lower the bar toward your forehead or just behind the top of your head, depending on what feels best. Control the descent over 3 seconds. Keep your elbows pointed toward the ceiling—don't let them flare outward. The deep stretch at the bottom is where growth happens.

4. 4

   Extension Phase: Press the bar back up by extending your elbows, focusing on contracting your triceps hard. Your upper arms remain at that fixed angle—they don't move forward or back. Drive through your triceps until your arms are fully extended at the top. Exhale as you press up.

5. 5

   Lockout and Repeat: Fully extend your elbows at the top and squeeze your triceps for a brief moment. The bar should finish directly above your upper chest, not your face. Maintain that slight backward angle of your upper arms to keep constant tension. Never bounce the bar off your head—control is critical for safety.

Common Mistakes

• Flaring Elbows Out

  When your elbows drift apart like a chest fly, you lose tricep tension and put dangerous stress on your elbow joints. Keep your elbows pointed straight up toward the ceiling throughout the entire movement, maintaining a narrow path.

• Moving Upper Arms

  Letting your upper arms rock forward and back turns this into a shoulder press variation. Lock your upper arms at a fixed angle tilted slightly toward your head. Only your forearms should move—upper arms stay completely still.

• Using Too Much Weight

  This exercise is notorious for elbow injuries when ego lifting. The name "skullcrusher" is a warning—use a weight you can control perfectly. Focus on the stretch and contraction, not how much you lift. Quality reps build triceps, not heavy cheating.

• Partial Range of Motion

  Not lowering the bar all the way down wastes the deep stretch that makes skullcrushers so effective. Get a full stretch at the bottom where the long head is maximally lengthened. That loaded stretch position is what triggers massive growth.

Pro Tips

• Lower Behind Head for More Stretch

  Instead of lowering to your forehead, bring the bar all the way down behind your head toward the bench. This increases the stretch on the long head dramatically. Start light with this variation—it's significantly harder but incredibly effective for growth.

• EZ-Bar Saves Your Wrists

  If straight bar skullcrushers hurt your wrists or forearms, switch to an EZ-curl bar. The angled grip is far more comfortable and allows you to focus 100% on your triceps without wrist pain. Most lifters can go heavier with better form using an EZ-bar.

• Dumbbell Variation for Safety

  Using dumbbells instead of a barbell allows independent arm movement and reduces elbow strain. If one arm fails, you can drop the dumbbells safely to the side. Dumbbells also force each tricep to work equally, preventing strength imbalances.

• Pause at the Bottom

  Hold the fully stretched position for 2 seconds before pressing back up. This dead-stop technique eliminates momentum and forces your triceps to generate all the power from the hardest position. It's brutal but builds insane tricep strength and size.

Variations

Alternatives

Related Arm Exercises