Intermediate

Incline EZ-Bar Skull Crusher

Tilting the bench up lets you lower the bar past your head instead of stopping at the forehead, which pulls the long head into a deeper stretch than a flat skull crusher. The incline also changes the resistance curve so the hardest point sits in that lengthened position. It's an excellent long-head builder once flat skull crushers feel easy.

Equipment
Barbell, Bench
Body part
Triceps
Type
Strength
Browse by movement
Elbow Extension
Muscles worked
Target
Triceps Brachii Long Head
Secondary
Triceps Brachii Lateral Head, Triceps Brachii Medial Head
Tertiary
Extensors

How to do it

  1. 1

    Set an adjustable bench to a low incline of about 30 degrees and sit back against it.

  2. 2

    Press an EZ bar to lockout over your face with an overhand grip on the inner angles.

  3. 3

    Angle your arms slightly back and point your elbows toward the ceiling.

  4. 4

    Bend your elbows to lower the bar down and behind your head.

  5. 5

    Descend until you feel a strong stretch in the triceps at the bottom.

  6. 6

    Extend the elbows to press the bar back to lockout, then repeat.

Tips

  • Keep your upper arms fixed and elbows pointing up; don't let them flare wide.
  • Let the bar travel behind the head to use the deeper range the incline allows.
  • Use a controlled tempo and consider a spotter for the behind-the-head bottom.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Setting the back pad past 45 degrees, which turns the movement into an overhead extension and puts as much stretch on the shoulder as the triceps. Keep it near 30 degrees.
  • Perching on the front of the seat so your back leaves the pad and the lower back arches as the bar travels behind you. Sit all the way back with the shoulders against the pad.
  • Stopping the bar at eyebrow level as though this were the flat version. The extra range behind the head is the reason to sit on an incline, so let the bar keep going until the triceps are stretched.
  • Carrying your flat skull-crusher load straight over. The bottom position is longer and much harder here, so start lighter and build back up.
  • Craning your head forward to follow the bar as it passes behind you. Keep the head back against the pad and let your arms tell you where the bar is.

Frequently asked

How heavy should I go on the incline EZ-bar skull crusher, and for how many reps?
Three sets of 10 to 12, lowering for two to three seconds and pausing a moment in the stretched position at the bottom, which is where this variation earns its place. Start with roughly 20 percent less than your flat skull-crusher load. Progress by holding that bottom position a beat longer before you add weight, and keep a rep or two in reserve, because the bottom is strong on stimulus and weak on leverage.
What can I do instead of the incline EZ-bar skull crusher?
A seated overhead dumbbell extension puts the arm in a similar lengthened position with a load you can set down safely if a rep stalls. An overhead rope extension from a low pulley does the same with constant tension. If you own an EZ bar but no adjustable bench, sit on the floor with your back against a couch, which sets a similar torso angle, and keep the range short until you know how it feels.
Is the incline skull crusher better than the flat version?
It is better at one specific thing: loading the long head where it is longest, because the incline lets the bar travel behind your head instead of stopping at your forehead. If flat skull crushers are already in your program and you want a fresh stimulus for arm size, that is a good reason to switch. It is not the better choice for heavy work or for beginners still learning the elbow path, and a bar behind your head with no spotter is a poor place to go looking for failure.

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