Skull Crusher

Lie face up on a flat gym bench, ensuring that your entire body is resting on the bench except for your lower legs. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms above your chest, with your elbows shoulder-width apart but not locked. Hold one end of a dumbbell in both hands.

Begin by flexing your elbows and lowering the weight toward the top of your head. Maintain the position of your upper arms, keeping them relatively perpendicular to your body. This helps maintain tension on the triceps rather than shifting it to the shoulders.
Continue lowering the weight behind your head, aiming for the bottom of the dumbbell head to be in line with the top of the bench or slightly higher if it feels more comfortable.
Reverse the movement, raising the weight back above your chest to the original starting position. Avoid locking your elbows to sustain tension in your triceps muscles.
Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

You have the option to perform skull crushers while holding one dumbbell with both hands, or if you prefer to use more weight, you can hold two dumbbells, one in each hand.

Benefits

The lying triceps extension, also known as the skull crusher, is an effective push exercise that primarily targets the triceps brachii. By working the triceps from the elbow up to the latissimus dorsi muscle of the back, it helps isolate and strengthen this muscle group.

The triceps brachii consists of three heads, and performing various lying triceps extension variations can help target each head individually. This exercise can be beneficial for addressing triceps imbalances, aiding in injury rehabilitation, or incorporating it into a bodybuilding routine.

Strengthening the triceps is valuable for both push and pull movements, making everyday activities such as pushing a loaded grocery cart or pulling up bed sheets easier to perform.

While there are other forms of triceps extensions, such as the overhead extension, the lying triceps extension serves as a viable alternative. One advantage of the lying triceps extension is that it does not exert excessive pressure on the wrists, making it a preferred choice for some individuals.

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