Reverse-Grip Skull Crusher

Body region

• Arms

Equipment

• Barbell or EZ Bar
• Flat Bench

Technique

1. Lie on a flat bench and hold the bar underhand, palms facing your head, hands about shoulder-width apart.
2. Press it up so your arms are straight above your shoulders.
3. Bend only at the elbows and lower the bar toward your forehead.
4. Straighten your arms to press the bar back up.

Cues

• Keep the elbows pointing up and close together.
• Use a lighter weight than with the overhand grip.

Common mistakes

• Letting the wrists bend back under the bar.
• Letting the elbows flare out.

Variations

• Close-Grip Barbell Skull Crusher
• Decline Barbell Triceps Extension
• Decline Close-Grip Skull Crusher
• Decline EZ-Bar Triceps Extension
• Incline EZ-Bar Triceps Extension
• EZ-Bar Skull Crusher
• Incline Barbell Triceps Extension
• Smith Machine Incline Triceps Extension

Alternatives

• Dumbbell Skull Crusher
• Triceps Pushdown
• JM Press