Turning it into a press
Keep the upper arms fixed; if they swing forward and back, reduce the weight.
Isolation · EZ bar, Bench
Skull Crusher
A lying triceps extension where you lower an EZ bar toward your forehead or just behind your head, then extend back up. It is a heavy-hitting triceps builder for intermediate lifters. Best for those whose elbows tolerate loaded extension work.
- Primary
- Triceps
- Starting rep range
- 8–12 reps
- Target effort
- 1 reps in reserve
- Progression
- 2.5 kg jumps
Muscles worked
All three triceps heads straighten the elbow. Letting the upper arms angle slightly back toward the head increases the stretch on the long head.
How to set up
- Lie on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor.
- Hold the EZ bar with a close, slightly angled grip.
- Press the bar up over your chest, then let your arms tilt slightly back toward your head.
- Keep your shoulder blades set on the bench.
How to do each rep
- Bend the elbows to lower the bar toward your forehead or just behind your head.
- Keep the upper arms mostly still as you lower over two to three seconds.
- Extend the elbows to bring the bar back up, stopping short of letting arms go vertical.
- Keep the elbows from flaring wide.
Common skull crusher mistakes
Elbows flaring outward
Hold the elbows in roughly shoulder width so the triceps stay loaded.
Dropping the bar fast
Lower under control; the bottom position is where elbows get irritated.
Sets, reps, and progression
Surpass starts the skull crusher at 8–12 reps with about 1 reps in reserve. As an isolation exercise it fits well after your main compound lifts.
Add reps before load, and use small plate jumps because the triceps move little weight here. If your elbows complain, switch to dumbbells or a cable overhead extension.
Know what to lift next time
Surpass shows what you lifted last time beside a target for this set, and adjusts it from your reps and RIR. Free on iPhone, no account needed.
Skull Crusher alternatives
These train the same main muscles. Swap when the equipment is busy, something hurts, or progress has stalled for several weeks.
Questions
Are skull crushers bad for your elbows?
They can irritate elbows when done too heavy or too fast. Use moderate loads, control the lowering, and use an EZ bar; if pain persists, swap to a cable variation.
Should skull crushers go to the forehead or behind the head?
Lowering slightly behind the head keeps tension on the triceps longer and stretches the long head more. To the forehead works too; pick the path that feels best.