Barbell Skull Crushers

Barbell Skull Crusher Basics

Primary muscles worked: Triceps

Synergist Muscles: N/a

Mechanics: Isolation

Equipment: Flat bench and barbell

How To Perform Barbell Skull Crushers

• Lay with your back flat on a straight bench so that your head, back and butt are on the bench.
• Place your feet flat on the floor. Place blocks under your feet if your legs don't reach the floor.
• Grab the barbell with an overhand grip and raise your arms so that they are straight with the center of the bar lined up above your chest.
• Bend at your elbow joint allowing your forearms to rotate counter-clockwise. Keep your upper arms, elbows, and shoulders stationary.
• When the baris one to two inches away from forehead, lift the bar back up extending at the elbow, opening up your elbow joint.
• After your arms are straight with the bar again centered above your chest, you may begin another repetition.

Barbell Skull Crusher Tips

• A spotter is highly recommended for the skull crusher exercise due to the location of the bar near your head.
• Make sure to keep your elbows in a parallel position during the lift and do not allow them move outward. This will stress your elbow joint and can cause injury.

Barbell Skull Crushers and Sports Application

Developing arm extension strength is important in sports that require a throwing or shooting motion. While the barbell skull crusher is not a dynamic exercise, it does require your triceps to work more eccentrically than many other triceps exercises. This makes the barbell skull crusher great for improving tricep size. The barbell skull crusher can also be used in training to help break plateaus in chest strength that are related to relative triceps weakness.