Incline Skull Crusher: How To Do & Muscles Worked

Skull crushers, also known as lying triceps extensions, effectively target the triceps brachii.

The name ‘Incline skull crusher’ derives from the exercise mechanics of bringing the weight down to your skull from an overhead position while lying on an incline bench.

It is one of the best types of skull crushers that you can do with straight bar, or dumbbells. You can also adjust the bench angle as needed.

It’s great for those who find traditional Skull Crushers tough on their joints but still want the exercise’s benefits.

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Incline Skull Crusher Muscles Worked

• Primary Muscles: Triceps (long head, medial head, lateral head)
• Secondary Muscles: Forearms (brachioradialis, wrist extensors) and Anterior Deltoid.
• Stabilizing Muscles: Shoulders (anterior deltoids), chest (pectorals), core (abs and lower back).

How To Do Incline Skull Crusher

1. Set the bench to an incline angle (typically between 15 and 30 degrees).
2. Load the EZ curl bar with appropriate weights or select suitable dumbbells.
3. Sit on the bench and grab the EZ bar with an overhand grip (palms facing away from you). If using dumbbells, hold them with palms facing each other.
4. Lie back and keep your feet on the ground. Then, lift the weights up to your arms and fully extend them.
5. Slowly lower the bar or dumbbells towards your forehead by bending at the elbows.
6. Ensure that your elbows are not flaring out.
7. Lower the weights until they are near your forehead or slightly above it
8. Lift the bar or dumbbells back to the starting position using your elbows. Ensure that you’re moving the weights using your triceps, not your shoulders.
9. Exhale powerfully as you extend your elbows and raise the weights.

Tips and Techniques

• It would be best if you never lowered the weight towards your forehead or skull. The weight travels behind the head. 
• The entire movement should be performed slowly and with control, especially when the weight moves behind the head.
• Start with a lighter weight and increase it as you master the proper form.
• Keep your shoulders and upper arms stationary. Ensure that all the movement comes from your elbows.
• Keep your arms at your sides, with your elbow close to your head.
• It would be best if you prevented your elbows from flaring out.
• It is essential not to use excessively heavyweight weights, as this can be dangerous for your elbows.
• One should be careful not to incline the body too excessively, as this will defeat the purpose of the exercise and activate the shoulder muscles instead.
• Start with just a few reps of this exercise. As you build strength, work your way up to 3 to 5 sets of incline skull crushers, each with between 6 and 12 repetitions.

Best Incline Skull Crusher Variations

There are many variations of Incline skull crusher that you can do with barbells, dumbbells, and cable.

• If you are new to performing incline skull crusher, you may want to apply a few modifications to make the exercise easier. One way to counter this problem is to use a lighter weight. Another option is to do skull crunches with a dumbbell and a cable.
• If you are looking for a more advanced variation to stimulate different muscle fibers in the chest, then try Inclined and heavier weights.

1. Incline EZ Bar Skull Crusher

The EZ bar features a unique angled grip that allows a more natural hand position. This reduces the strain on the wrists, making it easier to focus on your triceps without discomfort.

The design of the EZ bar provides a stable grip, which can enhance your control during the lift.

It can be used by both those looking to build bigger triceps and those looking to increase their tricep strength.

2. Incline Dumbbell Skull Crusher

Dumbbells are great for fixing muscle imbalances. Ever notice one arm doing more work than the other? With dumbbells, each arm has to pull its own weight – literally.

You’ve also got more freedom of movement. Your wrists and elbows can find their natural path, and you feel more comfortable than being locked into a bar position. This might help you avoid strain and focus on feeling those triceps work.

3. Incline Cable Skull Crusher

With cables, you get continuous tension on your triceps from start to finish, which isn’t possible with dumbbells or barbells. This constant resistance keeps your muscles working harder.

The cable system provides a smoother movement, reducing jerky motions that can sometimes occur with free weights.

Because the cable keeps tension throughout the movement, it helps isolate the triceps even more effectively.

4. Smith Machine Incline Skull Crusher

The Smith Machine’s fixed bar path ensures more controlled movement throughout the exercise. This makes it easier to maintain proper form and prevents the bar from wobbling.

The Smith machine also lets you really dial in your form. Since you don’t have to worry about balancing the bar, you can focus 100% on that tricep squeeze.

To get the bench positioning right, it’s a good idea to test it without any weight loaded on the bar before you start your first set.

Incline vs. Flat Bench Skull Crushers

When the skull crusher exercise is performed at an incline or on a flat bench, certain changes in which muscle groups are activated can occur.

Incline skull crushers

• Place more emphasis on the long head of the triceps, which is the largest and strongest head of the triceps muscle.
• They have a slightly longer range of motion than flat bench skull crushers.
• May be more comfortable for some people, as the incline position can help to keep the shoulders in a better position.

Flat bench skull crushers

• Place more emphasis on the lateral head of the triceps.
• They have a shorter range of motion than incline skull crushers.
• May be more challenging for some people, as the flat bench position can put more stress on the shoulders.

Both variations offer valuable benefits for triceps development, so you might choose based on your specific goals and physical comfort.

FAQs

Are incline Skull Crushers better?

The Incline Skull Crusher is the better option of skull crushers because it allows for a slightly longer range of motion, a wider grip along the bar, and reduced pressure on the elbow joints.

Incline skull crushers angle?

For proper stimulation of the tricep muscles, keep the bench angle at 30 degrees during incline skull crushers. If you want to increase the angle further, please avoid going beyond 45 degrees, as this will shift the focus to the anterior deltoid.

One should be careful not to place the body at an angle that is too extreme, as this will defeat the entire purpose of the exercise and will not activate the shoulder muscles.

Manish Kumar

Manish is a NASM-certified fitness and nutrition coach with over 10 years of experience in weight lifting and fat loss fitness coaching. He specializes in gym-based training and has a lot of knowledge about exercise, lifting technique, biomechanics, and more.

Through “Fit Life Regime,” he generously shares the insights he’s gained over a decade in the field. His goal is to equip others with the knowledge to start their own fitness journey.