Skull Crusher

The skull crusher is performed lying on a flat bench with a barbell or EZ-bar held directly over the chest with straight arms. From there, the elbows flex and the bar lowers toward the forehead — or slightly behind it for a greater stretch. The elbows stay pointed at the ceiling throughout; only the forearms move.

The EZ-bar is generally preferred over a straight bar because the angled grip reduces wrist and elbow stress during the pronated hold. Dumbbells are a valid alternative that allows each wrist to find its natural position.

The long head of the triceps crosses the shoulder joint, meaning it is most stretched when the arm is overhead or when the elbow is behind the head. Lowering the bar past the forehead toward the top of the skull or behind the head increases this stretch and produces a greater stimulus for the long head specifically.

• Elbows stay narrow and pointed up — they should not flare outward
• Only the forearms move — the upper arms are stationary
• Lower slowly; control on the way down builds as much muscle as the press
• If using a bar, lower toward the crown of the head for a deeper stretch

• Elbows drifting outward — this turns the movement into a pullover and reduces tricep isolation
• Upper arms moving — if the elbow joint moves forward or back, you are recruiting the shoulder
• Bouncing at the bottom — touch gently and press; no momentum

• close grip bench press→
• tricep pushdown→
• dips→