Good Form on Skullcrushers

[Kate]

Precise form on Skullcrushers (AKA Nose Crushers or Lying EZBar Tricep Extensions) has several advantages over sloppy form. For one thing, if chosen as part of an HST program, it was likely added as a stretch point exercise. It works much better for this purpose if you keep the weight on the triceps

Secondly, proper form and shoulder placement should help prevent new injuries as well as aid healing of old ones. (See Jules' post in the close grip thread.)

To that end, as few suggestions on how to do the best skullcrusher you can do :

1. Use a curl bar or EZ bar. A grip that rotates your thumbs up about 45 degrees will allow optimal flexion and extension of the elbow with minimal stress to the stabilizers. If all else fails, you can eliminate most of the sheering forces by switching to DBs.


2. Rotate around your elbows. Imagine there is an invisible axle running through your elbows. Try to rotate around this axle without letting the elbows flare or the shoulders move. The more your elbows move through space, the more contribution you are getting from muscles other than triceps.

3. Maintain the same strong posture and core strength you would have if there were a heavy squat bar across your shoulders. Press your feet firmly against the floor. Squeeze your glutes (balances and stabilizes pelvis). Tuck in your bellybutton (activates your deep abdominals). With the bar extended over head, try to lift that chest up and roll the shoulders down and back (as if you've just completed a beautiful seated row). Keep the shoulders firmly planted on the bench, grip that bar as if your triceps depended on it, and lower the weight slowly.

4. Try to feel the load on the triceps throughout the motion. If I balance a heavy bar overhead with my arms locked, I can hold it there for a long time without getting much work out of my muscles. In the same way, if I allow my elbows to track toward my toes, I won't have much load on the triceps by the time I get to the "top" of my extension. When you set up your "invisible axle", try to set it up so that you can still feel the load on the muscle at full extension. With my long arms (I'm from a long line of boxers

) I miss my skull completely!

Whew! I'm spent and that's all I can think of at the moment.
Happy hypertrophy!
Kate

 

[stan]

I always thought This was skullcrushers..

So you're saying This is the skullcrusher exercise?

Or This one?

S.

 

[robefc]

It's the second one, although the third one is the same exercise but with dumbbells...I doubt it could be called a skull crusher as if you dropped the dumbell it wouldn't have the effect the exercise is named after!

 

[stan]

I'd think that the first one would be a better negatives exercise, and thus better as a stretch point exercise.. any1 else have an opinion?

S.

 

[noobie]

I use the lying ext(skull crusher) as my compound movement and bring in overhead extension for stretch during 10s and 5s.

 

[Kate]

Quote[/b] (noobie @ Feb. 23 2005,9:20)]I use the lying ext(skull crusher) as my compound movement and bring in overhead extension for stretch during 10s and 5s.

Makes sense to me, noobie! I do basically the same thing, partly for the extra stretch and partly because my elbows won't tolerate the heaviest loads on this exercise, no matter how careful I am with form...

 

[imported_domineaux]

Click to see Cable Extension Exercise
Major Modification to get the full tricep head length involved in this exercise.

Get down on your knees while holding the loaded cable. Then allow your arms to stretch back as far as you can (until you feel the triceps are fully stretched as far as possible). You should be feeling the stretch at the top of the triceps at the starting position. You can aid the stretch by lifting the elbows, while holding the cable at the back base of your neck. Your chest should be pretty well parallel with the floor. When stretched full back you should try to keep the elbows positioned throughout the movement to feel it in your triceps.

After you perform this one a while it begins to feel very natural, especially after you perform it for a while.

This might take some patience if you're not very flexible. You need to feel the stretch of the triceps, which you should certainly feel when you perform the exercise.  Pull the cable straight thru, just barely above your head. Go from full stretched back to full forward.

Remember the promise of great triceps from this exercises comes from stretching the triceps for maximum extension.  

If you're not working your abs well enough you'll feel this in your abs as well. If you're doing a good job on your abs you'll not feel much in the abs.

Skullcrushers with a barbell and close grip bench presses are great, but I don't consider either to be a better exercise.

You'll love the pump you'll get...

 

[Jester]

I like this exercise as well, except I prefer to be pulling the cable up from behind my head (like an overhead extension but with a cable instead of dumbell).

 

[jvroig]

Sounds good

 

[lcars]

sometimes i take the zed-bar way down over my head and sometimes i bring it to my forehead(carefully)it gives you a slightly different feel.

 

[Fausto]

Stan

Quote[/b] ]I'd think that the first one would be a better negatives exercise, and thus better as a stretch point exercise.. any1 else have an opinion?

The first one is great by all means even as domineaux mentions, but the amount of weight just like Kate says is limited, therefore the skull crusher can be used as the weight bearer, for load and the overhead cable extension either an alternate or suppersetted.

I use this variation myself and feel right, my elbows take more strain from curls as I have tennis elbow, but very heavy skullcrushers, for my around 50 Kgs with E-z Bar do make the elbows sore, no doubt, by then I am almost done and close to SD anyway!

 

[faz]

i thought with skullkrushers you had to touch your forehead..if you go behind your head is that not a frenchpress

 

[Desire]

Skullcrushers are a fantastic exercise; they allow a heavy load to be placed on the tricep through a big range of motion. However IMO you should only lower the bar just behind your head and never anywhere near your forehead or face; doing this will limit the load and stress the elbows / wrists more than is necessary.
Ensure you keep you elbows pointing forward and don’t allow them to flare out. When the weight heavy gently test your depth with a spotter if possible. If you’re lying flat on a bench the bar will drop only slightly lower the bench.

Good luck and enjoy the long head DOMS…

 

[faz]

nice to see you on here keith

 

[Desire]

I've been reading the posts on here for a while, loads of 'new' information to understand, but seeing as I'm using full body workouts and not competing I figured I'd learn from the pro's