Liftworthy
ExploreTrainFeed
Liftworthy

Every exercise ranked by research, by lifters and by results. Find what’s S-tier for your goal, then train it.

Rankings
  • All rankings
  • Add an exercise
  • Build a workout
About
  • How scores work
  • The app
  • Your tiers
Legal
  • Privacy
  • Terms & community rules
General training information, not medical advice. If something hurts, stop and see a professional.
  • Explore
  • Train
  • Feed
  • You
Explore/Triceps

Skull Crusher

Also called Lying triceps extension

BarbellIsolationEasy to learn
Front
Back
Primary

Works

Triceps

You need

EZ bar, Bench

How to do itPictures · 3 steps
1Start
2Bottom
Main muscles
  1. 1Lower the bar behind your head, not to your forehead
  2. 2Upper arms angled slightly back
  3. 3Extend fully at the top

Most common mistake

Elbows flaring wide as the set gets hard.

Watch a demo

Good for

  • Top 10 for triceps
  • Keeps the work on the target muscle

Compare with

vs Overhead Dumbbell Extensionvs Overhead EZ-Bar Extensionvs Seated Dip Machine
A
For triceps
#9 of 20
See the full list →
Research
79
Scored by hand
Results
Soon
From the app
How lifters rate itBe the first
S
A
B
C
D
F
Why research scores it 79
Target tensionExcellent
Loaded stretchStrong
ProgressionStrong
Low costGood

Lowering behind the head stretches the long head, but heavy reps can be hard on the elbows.

Research behind these criteria

  • Target tension: Zabaleta-Korta et al., 2021 · Kinoshita et al., 2023
  • Loaded stretch: Maeo et al., 2021 · Maeo et al., 2023 · Pedrosa et al., 2022 · Kassiano et al., 2023
  • Progression: Plotkin et al., 2022 · Pelland et al., 2026
  • Low cost: Schoenfeld et al., 2021 · Refalo et al., 2023
How scores work

Machine taken? Swap to

  • SOverhead Cable ExtensionCable
  • SCross-Body Cable ExtensionCable
  • STriceps Extension MachineMachine
  • SOverhead EZ-Bar ExtensionBarbell

Takes

None yet
needed to post
280