If you dream of toned triceps, you need a reliable arm workout in your arsenal, and skull crushers are a guaranteed tricep blowtorch. The name hardly sounds appealing, but the skull crusher is a great triceps isolation exercise – as long as you don’t drop the weight on your head (hence the name).
If you want arms like Thor, maybe consider training Chris Hemsworth, but as an alternative approach, why not try the skull crusher? It even made it into our recent roundup of the 3 best dumbbell workouts for triceps, which is no small feat.
Your triceps assist you in every pushing exercise you do (think push-ups and bench press). So while you naturally build tricep strength during workouts, isolation exercises focus on one muscle group. I love using them at the end of workouts to work muscles to fatigue. (My PT clients don’t, unsurprisingly.)
With that in mind, I decided to challenge myself with 50 skull crushers every day for a week in an attempt to test my tricep strength. Here’s what happened to my triceps.
Barbell Skull Crushers vs Barbell Skull Crushers vs Kettlebell Skull Crushers
When it comes to skull crushers, there’s a lot of debate over which weight is best – dumbbells vs dumbbells vs kettlebells. Personally, I prefer the versatility of dumbbells and kettlebells because beginners can hold a weight with both hands to perform the exercise, and free weights encourage a more natural range of motion (dumbbells hurt my elbows, but that’s is just me).
On the other hand, dumbbells encourage a strict movement pattern, whereas you are more likely to lose control of the dumbbells if you go too heavy. There’s nowhere to hide during a dumbbell skull crusher, and your weaker muscles will have to work or lose weight, which is best for building control and strength. The pendulum keeps swinging, but how do you make skull crushers?
How to make skull crushers
Find out how to make a skull crusher guide; we’ve also included a how-to video above. But here’s a quick summary:
Start by lying on a bench with your feet planted on the ground or on a bench. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and lift the dumbbells above your head, making sure your shoulders, wrists, and elbows are stacked. Turn your palms facing each other in a neutral grip. Keep your core locked in and flatten your back on the bench. Slowly bend your elbows and lower the dumbbells to either side of your ears.
Keep your elbows close to your head and avoid splaying them outward or letting your weights shift widely. The elbows should point forward. Pause, push the weights back to your starting position, and extend your elbows without fully locking.
The only movement that should happen is flexing and extending your elbow and a spicy triceps burn to boot. If you lift too much weight, the dumbbells will move apart, putting more pressure on your joints. You might see avid gym bunnies arching your back: it’s safe if you adopt a small mid-upper arch, but you need to maintain a neutral spine and lower back.
I Did 50 Skull Crushers Every Day For A Week – Here’s What Happened To My Triceps
Well, this fitness challenge was fun – nobody ever said. I will add the skull crusher to my archive of those to block and never see again. Rather than going through 50 reps and not being able to move the next day, I split the reps into five sets of 10 reps and opted for two 16-pound dumbbells. And I still couldn’t move the next day.
I recommend using dumbbells for this exercise (as I mentioned above), and you can choose some of the best adjustable dumbbells here. I attacked on the first day with all the enthusiasm of someone who had no idea what to expect. The skull crusher is an epic triceps exercise. But 50 reps is too much considering it’s an exercise that doesn’t work other muscle groups, and I started losing my form around the third set.
I noticed that my elbows were starting to flare outward and the dumbbells were tending to move apart, which was starting to hurt my elbows. Admitting defeat, I lost a few pounds and carried on, finding it much easier to keep my elbows locked and perform the exercise through its full range of motion. With my form back on track, I could feel all the work through my triceps, and it sparked a savage burn.
I didn’t notice much of a change from the start to the end of the week, but that could be because I train regularly and often incorporate triceps extensions into my upper body workouts. body. However, the first three sets were still doable, and the last two made me cringe and wish it was all over.
On the last day, I attempted (a little timidly) to try the 16-pound dumbbells again. Surprisingly, they felt more comfortable (just), and I could at least finish a set with good form before coming back down. And I also noticed that my push-ups were less strenuous, but that could be because I added this challenge to my existing workout.
A common mistake I notice with the skull crusher is the tendency to cover the back and flare the ribs, which can lead to nasty lower back injuries. I also see some people turn off reps like they’re late for work (maybe they are?) without fully extending the elbow or controlling the movement. So if you’re considering taking on this challenge, form is everything.
If you’re up for more challenges, see what happened when our editor did 100 kettlebell snatches a day, and I did 50 Arnold presses a day for a week.
Next: I just did Raven from Love is Blind’s 5-minute Pilates ab workout – and it’s a good one.
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