Dumbbell Skullcrusher

How to Perform the Dumbbell Skullcrusher

Lie flat on a bench holding a dumbbell in each hand with arms extended straight above your chest, palms facing each other.
Position your feet flat on the floor and press your upper back and head firmly into the bench.
Keeping your upper arms stationary and perpendicular to the floor, bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells.
Lower the dumbbells in a controlled arc toward the sides of your forehead or just past the top of your head.
Continue lowering until your forearms are slightly past parallel to the floor, feeling a stretch in the triceps.
Reverse the movement by extending your elbows, pressing the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Keep your elbows tucked and pointed toward the ceiling throughout the entire movement.

Flaring the elbows outward during the movement

Keep your elbows tucked in and pointing toward the ceiling to maintain maximum tricep tension.

Moving the upper arms rather than keeping them fixed

Lock your upper arms in position perpendicular to the floor. Only your forearms should move.

Lowering the weight too quickly without control

Use a slow, controlled 2-3 second lowering phase to protect the elbow joints and maximise muscle engagement.

✓Effectively targets all three heads of the triceps for complete arm development.
✓Allows each arm to work independently, correcting strength imbalances.
✓Provides a deep stretch on the triceps long head, promoting hypertrophy.

●Angle the dumbbells slightly behind your head rather than directly to your forehead for a greater stretch on the long head.
●Use a neutral grip (palms facing each other) to reduce elbow stress compared to a pronated grip.
●Start with lighter dumbbells to master the form before progressing in weight.

Strength

4-5 sets of 3-5 reps at 80-90% 1RM

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 8-12 reps at 65-75% 1RM

Endurance

2-3 sets of 15-20 reps at 50-60% 1RM

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