Intermediate

Kettlebell Skull Crusher

Because a kettlebell's mass sits below and behind the handle, it pulls the arms into a deeper stretch than a dumbbell and keeps the triceps loaded hard at the bottom. All three heads share the work as you lower toward the head and lock back out. The offset load also challenges wrist and grip control, so it rewards clean, deliberate reps.

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

How to do it

  1. 1

    Lie flat on a bench holding a kettlebell in each hand by the handles, bells hanging back over the wrists.

  2. 2

    Press the kettlebells to lockout over your shoulders, palms facing each other.

  3. 3

    Keeping the upper arms angled slightly back, bend the elbows.

  4. 4

    Lower the kettlebells toward the sides or top of your head until the triceps stretch.

  5. 5

    Extend the elbows to press back to lockout and squeeze.

  6. 6

    Inhale as you lower and exhale as you press up.

Tips

  • Keep the wrists firm and neutral so the hanging bells do not pull your hands back.
  • Control the eccentric; the offset load makes the bottom stretch heavier than it looks.
  • Start with light bells to get used to how the weight sits behind your grip.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Aiming both bells at your forehead the way you would a bar. The bell bodies hang back past your wrists and arrive first, so track them down to the sides of your head instead.
  • Pressing to a lockout with your hands over your face. Because the weight hangs behind the handle, finish with the hands stacked over your shoulders and the bells behind them.
  • Gripping the handle off-center so one bell hangs to the side and torques that wrist for the whole set. Set the handle square across the palm before you press up.
  • Trying to press the bells into position while already lying flat. Sit at the end of the bench with them on your thighs, rock back, and let your legs drive them up.

Frequently asked

How many sets of the kettlebell skull crusher should I do, and how heavy?
Two or three sets of 10 to 12 with the lightest pair you own for the first few sessions, because the offset load makes the bottom heavier than the same number on a dumbbell. Lower for about three seconds and stop when the stretch arrives, not when the bells hit something. Kettlebells jump in large steps, so build to 15 reps before you move up a size and expect the next pair to feel much harder at the bottom.
Can I do the kettlebell skull crusher with dumbbells instead?
Dumbbells train the same movement with a shorter, less demanding bottom position; hold them neutral and lower them beside your head. To mimic the offset load with a dumbbell, hold it by one end so the far head hangs below your hand. An EZ bar covers the pattern if you have one, though it keeps both hands on a single fixed line rather than letting each wrist find its own.
What is the kettlebell skull crusher good for?
The bells hang behind your wrists, so load stays on the triceps deep into the bottom of the rep, where a dumbbell begins to go slack. That makes it a strong stretch-position builder for all three heads and a real wrist and grip challenge, which suits lifters who train with kettlebells and want arm work that needs no barbell. It is a poor choice if your wrists dislike the bells pulling back, and a poor place to chase heavy loads, since control at the bottom fails long before the triceps do.

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