📋 How to Do?
- Lie flat on a bench with an EZ-bar held above your chest, arms extended and elbows pointed straight up toward the ceiling.
- Bend your elbows to lower the bar slowly toward your forehead, keeping upper arms stationary and perpendicular to the floor.
- Extend your elbows to press the bar back up to the starting position, squeezing the triceps at the top for full contraction.
- Perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps, maintaining control to avoid any head contact.
Keep elbows tightly tucked and pointed upward during skull crushers, using a spotter for heavier loads, and lower only to forehead level to protect your head. Warm up with light extensions for elbow prep. If shoulder discomfort arises, switch to dumbbells.
💪 Working Muscles
Primary: Triceps Brachii (long head elbow extension); Secondary: Anterior Deltoids (shoulder stabilization); Forearms (grip during extension)
Equipment Needed: EZ-bar, flat bench
Difficulty: Intermediate
✨ Benefits
Skull crushers target all three tricep heads for balanced development, improving pressing lockout strength while adding serious arm mass. They enhance elbow stability in compound lifts.
🔥 Burned Calories
Burns Approx. 40-60 kcal per 10 min at moderate intensity
Metabolic Impact: Low, focused on tricep isolation
Common Mistakes
- Allowing elbows to drift outward, which stresses the shoulders and dilutes tricep focus.
- Selecting too heavy a weight, leading to loss of control and potential forehead impact.
- Performing partial reps without full stretch, missing the eccentric benefits for growth.
