Events

Four Alternatives to the Skullcrusher

We took an incredibly good triceps move — the skullcrusher — and made it even better. Here are the four variations you need to build sleeve-busting arms.

4. 45-Degree Skull

We saved the 45-degree skull for last because it best incorporates many of the elements the other moves provide. For one, the angle of your arms allows for a semblance of that constant tension that the cable skull provides at the top of each rep. By not allowing your arms to be perpendicular to the body, your triceps are at work throughout each rep and at every stage through the range of motion. You also target and stimulate the long head of the triceps with better success since your arms are more overhead than at your sides. The path of the bar is also altered as you bring the barbell toward the end of the bench or the top of your head as opposed to the middle of your forehead like the standard skullcrusher.

If you don’t have a spotter, you may want to shift your body down the bench slightly so that there’s space on the bench for you to rest the bar between sets and also allows you to lightly tap the bar against the bench as a small means of support or bounce to aid you in each rep as you approach failure.