Incline Skullcrusher Overview
The incline skullcrusher works your triceps. Your triceps are the muscles on the back of your arms. It also works your shoulders a little. You need two dumbbells and an incline bench. You lie back and lower the weights toward your head. The incline skullcrusher builds strong, full triceps. The incline angle keeps tension on the muscle. It also gives your triceps a good stretch. Strong triceps help you press and push harder. This move is good for lifters who want bigger arms. Do it in the middle of an arm or push workout.
What Is The Point of the Incline Skullcrusher?
The incline skullcrusher targets your triceps while reducing stress on your elbows. The angle gives you a better stretch and safer position than flat bench.
How To Do The Incline Skullcrusher
- Set an incline bench to about 45 degrees and grab a dumbbell in each hand. Sit back against the bench with your feet planted and the dumbbells resting near your shoulders.
- Lie back and press the dumbbells up so your arms are straight above your chest, with your palms facing each other in a neutral grip. This is your starting position.
- Brace your core and set your shoulders down against the bench. The incline angle puts a bigger stretch on the long head of your triceps than a flat version, which is the main reason to do it this way.
- Keep your upper arms fixed and pointing roughly toward the ceiling, tilted slightly back. Your upper arms stay still throughout, since only your elbows should bend.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells toward your forehead or just past it by bending at the elbows. Control the descent over 2 to 3 seconds and keep your elbows from flaring wide.
- Lower until the dumbbells reach about ear level and you feel a strong stretch in your triceps, especially along the long head. Keep your upper arms still while your forearms drop.
- Pause briefly at the bottom in that stretched position without letting the weights crash near your head. Stay in control the entire time.
- Press the dumbbells back up by extending your elbows, driving through your triceps until your arms are straight again. Squeeze the triceps hard at the top.
- Keep the movement smooth and your elbows tracking consistently, and repeat for 8 to 12 reps for 3 to 4 sets. Use a weight you can control, since this is precise elbow work near your head.
Incline Skullcrusher Form Tips
- Keep your upper arms still and pointed up.
- Move only at your elbows.
- Lower the weights toward your head slowly.
- Stop at ear level for a good stretch.
- Press up by straightening your elbows.
- Keep your palms facing each other.
- Move slow, mostly on the way down.
- Breathe in down, breathe out up.
- Keep your wrists straight and firm.
Common Mistakes to Avoid for the Incline Skullcrusher
- Letting your elbows flare out wide. When your elbows drift apart, the tension leaves your triceps and the movement gets sloppy and less effective. Keep your elbows tucked and pointing forward so the triceps stay loaded.
- Moving your upper arms during the rep. Letting your upper arms swing back and forth turns the skullcrusher into a pullover-press hybrid and removes the triceps isolation. Keep your upper arms fixed and let only your forearms move.
- Going too heavy. Excess weight forces your elbows to flare and your upper arms to drift just to grind the reps out. Choose a load you can control through a full range with your elbows steady.
- Rushing the lowering phase. Dropping the dumbbells fast wastes the eccentric and, worse, sends weight speeding toward your head. Lower over a slow 2 to 3 second count and stay in complete control.
- Cutting the range short. Stopping the dumbbells high above your head skips the deep stretch on the long head of the triceps, which is the whole benefit of the incline. Lower to about ear level to reach that stretch.
- Letting the dumbbells drift out toward your chest. Turning the movement into a press by pushing the weights forward shifts work to your chest and shoulders. Keep the motion an elbow bend, lowering toward your forehead or just past it.
- Bouncing out of the bottom. Snapping the weights out of the stretched position risks your elbows and shoulders. Reach the bottom under control and reverse smoothly with a triceps contraction.
- Flaring your shoulders off the bench. Losing your shoulder set makes your base unstable and can strain the joint. Keep your shoulder blades down and pinned to the bench throughout.
- Skipping the top squeeze. Blowing through lockout misses the peak contraction of the triceps. Extend fully and squeeze at the top of each rep, stopping just short of harsh elbow lockout if it bothers you.
- Holding your breath the whole set. Locking your breath spikes pressure and tires you on a movement that demands control near your head. Exhale as you press and breathe steadily.
- Letting your wrists bend back hard. Floppy wrists under the dumbbells leak force and strain the joint. Keep your wrists firm and stacked with the neutral grip.
- Ignoring elbow discomfort. Skullcrushers can irritate the elbows if you overload or lose control. If you feel a sharp ache, lighten the weight, adjust your elbow angle, or reduce the range rather than pushing through.
Incline Skullcrusher Workout Tips
- Use the incline to load the long head of the triceps in a stretch. Tilting back puts your upper arms behind your torso, which lengthens the long head and makes this a great mass builder for it.
- Keep your elbows tucked and pointing forward. Steady, tucked elbows keep the tension on the triceps and protect the joint from the sloppy flare that plagues this lift.
- Keep your upper arms fixed throughout. Only your forearms should move, since letting the upper arms swing removes the isolation that makes skullcrushers work.
- Lower slowly to control the weight near your head. A 2 to 3 second eccentric builds the triceps and keeps the dumbbells from speeding toward your face.
- Lower to about ear level for a full stretch. Reaching that deep position is exactly where the incline pays off for the long head.
- Squeeze the triceps hard at the top. That peak contraction gets more from each rep, though you can stop just shy of a harsh lockout if your elbows are cranky.
- Use dumbbells with a neutral grip for happier elbows and wrists. Palms facing each other is often more comfortable than a barbell and lets each arm work on its own.
- Program this on an arm or push day after your heavy pressing. It makes an excellent isolation movement once your triceps are warm.
- Aim for 8 to 12 reps for 3 to 4 sets. This range gives the triceps enough time under tension to grow without forcing you to ego-load near your head.
- Choose a weight you can genuinely control. This is precise elbow work performed above your head, so control matters far more than load.
- Keep your shoulder blades set on the bench. A stable base protects your shoulders and lets you focus the effort on your triceps.
- Progress with small weight jumps and clean form. Steady overload builds the triceps while keeping your elbows safe.
- Pair this with a pressing movement for complete triceps development. Presses build the triceps under heavy load while the stretched skullcrusher targets the long head.
- Try a slow eccentric or a pause at the stretch for extra stimulus. Adding time under tension challenges the triceps without more weight.
- Warm up your elbows and triceps first. A few lighter sets prime the joint and groove the path before you load up.
- Stop if your elbows hurt. Skullcrushers can nag sensitive elbows, so adjust the load, angle, or range rather than pushing through pain.
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