Skull crusher: muscles worked and how to do it

How to do a skull crusher

1. 1

   Lie on a flat bench with your feet on the floor, holding the EZ-bar overhand on the angled grips, hands closer than shoulder-width.

2. 2

   Press it up so your arms are straight over your shoulders, then tilt them back slightly toward your head.

3. 3

   Bend only at the elbows to lower the bar toward your forehead or just behind your head.

4. 4

   Stop when your forearms are just past parallel with the floor.

5. 5

   Straighten your elbows to bring the bar back up, keeping your upper arms still.

These steps describe common technique. If something hurts, stop and ask a qualified coach or clinician.

Common skull crusher mistakes

• Elbows flaring out

  Keep them pointing toward your feet, about shoulder-width apart.

• Moving your upper arms

  Only your forearms move. If your shoulders join in, it becomes a press.

• Lowering too fast

  Control the bar all the way down; it is close to your head.

• Going heavy without a spotter

  Use a weight you can lower and raise under full control.

How to track your skull crusher

Log the weight and reps of every set. Over a few weeks, the heaviest weight you lift and your estimated one-rep max show whether you are getting stronger, even when your sets use different rep counts.