Barbell Skullcrusher
What you'll gain
Isolates elbow extension with a barbell that is easy to load.
Keeps the upper arms still so the triceps, not the chest, do the work.
Pairs with pressing days as a direct arm accessory.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Lie on a flat bench with both feet on the floor and a barbell held over the shoulders.
- 2
Grip the bar overhand at about shoulder width, palms facing away.
- 3
Lock the upper arms vertical so the elbows point toward the ceiling.
- 4
Bend only the elbows and lower the bar in an arc to about an inch from the forehead.
- 5
Extend the elbows and return the bar over the shoulders without locking out hard.
- 6
Keep the head, back, and hips on the bench for every rep.
Common Mistakes
Flaring the elbows out so the shoulders and chest take over.
Lowering the upper arms toward the chest, which turns the lift into a press.
Bouncing the bar off the forehead instead of stopping short.
Locking the elbows hard at the top and dumping tension off the triceps.
About This Exercise
The barbell skullcrusher is a lying triceps extension. You lie on a flat bench, hold a barbell over the shoulders with a close overhand grip, and bend only the elbows so the bar travels in an arc toward the forehead, then extend back to a straight-arm start. It is an isolation lift, target triceps, intermediate, with no secondary muscles if the upper arms stay vertical. EMG work on common triceps drills included lying barbell triceps extensions; kickbacks and triangle push-ups ranked higher, but the lying extension remains a reliable mass-builder. For a catalog this is the bench triceps clip, not a close-grip press. It fits barbell filters, arm-day isolation blocks, and coaching content that has to show a fixed-elbow arc, not a chest press.
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A lying elbow-extension lift on a flat bench, lowering a barbell toward the forehead then pressing it back to lockout.
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Specifications
Built for
- Triceps isolation blocks in barbell programs.
- Arm-day templates after close-grip presses.
- Coaching clips that show a forehead-path extension, not a press.
- Collections that need a lying triceps lift with a straight bar.
Muscles Worked
Details
License Includes
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