Lying barbell skullcrushers

What lying skullcrushers train

Lying barbell skullcrushers target all three tricep heads with particular emphasis on the long head.

Primary mover

The triceps brachii does all the meaningful work. The long head receives substantial emphasis through the position. The lateral and medial heads also engage. The barbell allows heavier loading than dumbbell variants which drives strength and mass gains.

Long head emphasis

The position with arms angled back slightly past vertical creates good long head stretch. The long head crosses the shoulder joint so positions that stretch it tend to recruit it well. Skullcrushers train this head effectively when performed properly.

Limited other muscle work

The exercise is largely isolated to the triceps. Some shoulder stability work occurs but the focus stays on the triceps. The isolation makes skullcrushers valuable for direct tricep training.

Setup and execution

Lying skullcrusher technique requires specific attention to bar path and elbow position.

Starting position

Lie on a flat bench with an EZ bar or straight barbell. Hold the bar with hands slightly narrower than shoulder width. Press the bar up to starting position with arms extended. Arms slightly angled back from vertical (toward the head). The position should feel stable.

The lowering phase

Bend elbows lowering the bar toward the forehead or just past it. Keep upper arms stationary throughout. Only forearms move. The bar travels in an arc behind the head. Lower until the bar is near the forehead or slightly past it.

The press up

Extend elbows pressing the bar back to starting position. Maintain upper arm position throughout. Squeeze triceps at full extension. The press uses pure elbow extension. The path retraces the descent.

EZ bar versus straight bar

EZ bars reduce wrist stress through the angled grip. Most trainees find them more comfortable. Straight bars allow more variety but can stress the wrists. The choice often comes down to elbow and wrist comfort.

How to use lying skullcrushers

Lying skullcrushers fit specific programming purposes within tricep training.

For tricep mass

The compound loading and tricep specificity drive mass effectively. 3 to 4 working sets of 8 to 12 reps for hypertrophy. The exercise produces serious tricep growth when programmed with adequate volume and progressive overload.

For strength focus

4 to 8 reps with heavy weight builds tricep strength. The exercise allows substantial loading compared to isolation movements. Strength focused work supports bench press lockout and other pressing performance.

Elbow care matters

Heavy skullcrushers stress the elbows. Many trainees develop elbow pain from excessive volume or weight. Start moderate and build up gradually. The exercise should not produce ongoing elbow pain. Stop if pain develops.

Programming frequency

Once weekly works well for most trainees. Twice weekly is possible with reduced volume per session. The elbow stress limits frequency for most. Programme accordingly to avoid overuse injury.

Keep training

For dumbbell version, our Lying Dumbbell Skullcrushers covers the dumbbell variant. Cable Skullcrushers covers the cable version. And Best Tricep Exercises for Mass covers programming for size.