For triceps growth
For triceps growth, seated dip machine rates higher on our research criteria: easier to progress, easier on the joints.
Dumbbell skull crusher gives more stretch.
Both are good choices, and they train the triceps differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Dumbbell Skull Crusher. Dumbbells let each arm find a comfortable path with a decent long-head stretch. Awkward to load heavy.
Seated Dip Machine. Heavy triceps pressing on a stable machine, without the shoulder stress of bodyweight dips.
For triceps growth, seated dip machine rates higher on our research criteria: easier to progress, easier on the joints. Dumbbell skull crusher gives more stretch. Both are good choices, and they train the triceps differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.
About the same: both are easy to learn.
Dumbbell skull crusher needs dumbbells and a bench, so a home gym covers it. Seated dip machine needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
Seated dip machine: it rates Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Strong for dumbbell skull crusher.