Skull Crusher

skull-crusher

isolationhypertrophyisolationaccessorybilateral

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avoid · Rotator cuff tear — The arms start straight up over the chest and the bar travels toward the head, so the shoulder is held in loaded flexion for the whole set while the triceps do the work the cuff was supposed to stabilise. Keep the upper arms vertical rather than drifting back, take the load off the stack and stop the set while the position is still honest. Substitute Tricep Kickback, where the shoulder stays down at the side and does no work at all, or Bench Press if the goal is simply to load the arm. Pain deep in the shoulder rather than behind the elbow is a reason to have the cuff assessed before loading it again.
caution · Uncontrolled hypertension — Lying flat while bracing hard against a slow descent, with a loaded bar above the head, raises the pressure in the head and chest and gives you no easy way out of the rep — you cannot dump a barbell off your face the way you can off your chest. Keep the weight modest, breathe out on the press rather than bearing down, and sit up slowly at the end of the set. Substitute Tricep Pushdown standing, which keeps the torso upright and the load away from the head, or Dumbbell Floor Press, where the dumbbells can simply be dropped to the sides. Anything with chest pain, breathlessness, dizziness or an unusual headache is a stop-and-get-help moment, not a set to finish.
caution · Shoulder impingement — This one is usually fine for a pinching shoulder — until the upper arms drift forward past vertical, which puts the shoulder into flexion under load and takes it toward the position that hurts. Keep the elbows pointing at the ceiling and stop the bar above the chest line rather than over the forehead. Substitute Tricep Pushdown, where the arms stay at the sides and the shoulder does almost nothing, or Dumbbell Floor Press with the elbows tucked. If the shoulder catches regardless, that is a clinician's look before it is a technique adjustment.
caution · Acute lower back injury — Other entries in this library send a sore back here because lying down takes the spine out of the work — but that only holds if the bar stays over the chest line. If your shoulders do not let you take your arms straight up past vertical, the bar drifts back toward the forehead and your ribs pry open off the bench to follow it, so a loaded bar ends up levering you into extension for the whole set. Keep the lower back in contact with the bench and stop the descent at forehead height. If the arch is unavoidable, substitute Tricep Pushdowns, where the arms stay at the sides and the spine is not involved. Sharp pain, numbness or tingling down a leg means stop and see someone qualified.
modify · Pregnancy — Lying flat with a barbell held over the head does two things at once after the first trimester: the position can leave you light-headed mid-set, and you cannot get out from under a bar across your face as fast as you could dump one off your chest. Prop the bench to a steep incline so the torso is upright, or move to standing Tricep Pushdowns, which keep the load away from the head entirely. End the set and sit up slowly if you feel dizzy — and take any pregnancy training question to whoever runs your prenatal care, not to this entry.

When I cue a perfect skull crusher, I want you to feel a steady burn across the back of your arms while your elbows act as precise hinges. Good reps maintain constant tension without shoulder drift or wrist wobble. You will notice the triceps working independently as the bar traces a clean arc toward your forehead, and the return feels like a smooth extension rather than a heavy push. Keep your upper arms locked in place, and let the isolation do its quiet work.

Jeśli dopiero zaczynasz

As a beginner, your priority is protecting your elbows while teaching the triceps to handle the load. Keep your upper arms perfectly perpendicular to the floor; if they drift toward your head, you shift stress onto your shoulders and reduce triceps engagement. Stop immediately if you feel sharp joint pain, not to be confused with the deep muscular fatigue that signals a good set. Beginners often compensate by arching the lower back or using momentum to swing the weight up. If you cannot control the descent for at least two seconds, lighten the load. Trust that lighter weight with flawless mechanics builds far more muscle than heavy, sloppy reps, and your elbows will thank you as you progress.

Więcej

Slow the lowering phase to three or four seconds and add a distinct one-second pause with the bar hovering just above your hairline. This removes any elastic rebound from the triceps tendon and forces the muscle to initiate the press entirely on its own. The concentric should remain controlled but deliberate, never rushed. Sets of eight to twelve suit this movement well for building tissue, while heavier sets of six to eight prioritise strength without compromising elbow health. Add two to five pounds only when every rep across all three sets meets your tempo target cleanly. Once you can handle the upper end of that range with a strict pause, progress to the dumbbell version, which allows each arm to work independently and exposes imbalances. Alternatively, try lowering the bar behind your head rather than to your forehead; this slight shift in leverage maintains greater tension on the long head throughout the entire range.

Typowe błędy

Most lifters sabotage this movement by allowing their elbows to flare outward or drift backward, which instantly recruits the chest and places dangerous shear force on the joint. Another frequent error is rushing the descent and letting the bar bounce off the forehead, completely eliminating time under tension. Many also hyperextend the elbows violently at the top, turning a smooth isolation into a jarring lockout that irritates the joint capsule. Finally, gripping the bar too tightly creates unnecessary forearm fatigue and wrist strain, pulling focus away from the target muscle.

Plan treningowy

Sets: 3
Reps: 8-12
Rest: 90s
Tempo: 2-0-2-0
RPE: 7
Per set: ~90s
Częstotliwość: 2-3x/week

Postęp

Add two to five pounds when you can complete all sets with strict form and a controlled tempo.

Cues

upper arms vertical, don't drift toward your headelbows tight, stop them from flaring outwardlower slowly, don't bounce off your foreheadlock out smoothly, no hyperextending the elbowsloosen your grip to save your wrists

Mięśnie

Primary

Triceps

Secondary

Shoulders
Forearms

Sprzęt

Bench
Squat rack
Barbell

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