If you dream of toned triceps, you need a reliable arm workout in your arsenal, and skull crushers are a guaranteed triceps torch. The name doesn’t sound enticing, but the skull crusher is a great triceps isolation exercise, as long as you don’t drop the weight overhead (hence the name).
If you want arms like Thor’s, you might consider Chris Hemsworth’s workout, but as an alternative approach, why not try the skull crusher? It even reached our recent summary of the The 3 Best Dumbbell Workouts for Tricepswhich is not a small thing.
Your triceps help out in every pushing exercise you do (think pushups and bench presses), so while you naturally build triceps strength during workouts, isolation exercises focus on one muscle group. I love using them at the end of workouts to work my muscles to fatigue. (My PT clients don’t, as expected.)
With that in mind, I decided to challenge myself to 50 skull crushers every day for a week in an attempt to test my triceps strength. This is what happened to my triceps.
Barbell Skull Crushers vs Dumbbell Skull Crushers vs Kettlebell Skull Crushers
When it comes to skull crushers, there’s a lot of debate about which weight is better: barbells, dumbbells, and 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 who I am). me).
On the other hand, weights encourage a tight movement pattern, while you’re more likely to lose control of the weights if you’re too heavy. There’s nowhere to hide during a dumbbell skull crusher, and your weaker muscles will either have to work or drop the weight, which is better for building control and strength. The pendulum keeps swinging, but how are skull crushers made?
how to make skull crushers
Take a look at our how to make a skull crusher guide; We’ve also included a helpful video above. But here’s a quick summary:
Begin by lying back on a bench with your feet planted on the floor or bench. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and raise the dumbbells overhead, making sure your shoulders, wrists, and elbows are stacked. Turn your palms so they are facing each other with a neutral grip. Keep your core locked in tight and flatten your back onto the bench. Slowly bend your elbows and lower the dumbbells to each side of your ears.
Keep your elbows close to your head and avoid widening them out or allowing your weights to travel widely. Elbows should point forward. Pause, push the dumbbells back to your starting position, and extend your elbows without fully locking them out.
The only movement that needs to occur is the flexion and extension of your elbow and a spicy triceps burn to boot. If you lift too much weight, the dumbbells will travel further, putting more stress on your joints. You may see gym enthusiasts arch their backs – this is safe if you adopt a small upper mid-arch, but you need to maintain a neutral spine and back.
I Did 50 Skull Crushers Every Day For A Week – This Is What Happened To My Triceps
Well this fitness challenge was fun no one ever said. I will add the skull crusher to my file of those to block and never visit again. Instead of doing 50 reps and not being able to move the next day, I split the reps into five sets of 10 reps and went with 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 pick up some of the best adjustable dumbbells here. I attacked the first day with all the desire of someone who has 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 to lose my form around the third set.
I noticed that my elbows were starting to flare out, and the dumbbells tended to move around a lot, which started to hurt my elbows. Admitting defeat, I dropped a few pounds and kept going, 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 got up a wild burn down.
I didn’t notice much of a change from the beginning of the week to the end, but this could be because I train regularly and often incorporate triceps extensions into my upper body workouts. The first three sets were consistently doable though, and the last two made me grit my teeth and wish it was all over.
On the last day, I tried (somewhat tentatively) to try the 16-pound dumbbell again. Surprisingly, they felt more comfortable (solo) and I was at least able to complete one game in good form before going back down. And I also noticed that my pushup felt less strenuous, but this could be because I added this challenge to my existing workout.
A common mistake I notice with the skull crusher is the tendency to over-arch the back and widen the ribs, which can lead to nasty lower back injuries. I also see some people doing reps like they’re late for work (maybe they are?) without fully extending their elbow or controlling the movement. So if you plan to try this challenge, form comes first and foremost.
If you’re up for more challenges, see what happened when our fitness writer did it. 100 kettlebell snatches a dayY I did 50 Arnold presses a day for a week..
Next: I just did Raven’s 5 Minute Pilates Abs Workout from Love is Blind – And it’s good.
