Lower to the forehead, not a throw

Skull Crusher

Lie on a bench. Bar over your chest. Bend the elbows. Lower toward your head. Extend. The name is a joke. The bar does not kiss your face.

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Hunter: I use an EZ-bar so the wrists stay sane. If the elbows flare and wander, I drop weight. This is not a pullover.

Cues

EZ-bar or dumbbells over the chest. Shoulder blades on the bench.
Elbows point mostly up. They do not flare to 90 as a cheat.
Lower toward the forehead or just behind. Control. No drop.
Extend until the arms are long. Pause. Do not slam lockout.
Upper arms stay quiet. If they travel toward your hips, you turned it into a pullover.

Setup

A load you can own for 8-12. Three sets after a press. Rest about a minute. Floor version is allowed if benches are gone. Log floor skull crusher if you do that. A rope pushdown is the standing cousin.

After the press

Bench or overhead trained the press. This fills the triceps if you still have time. Three sets. You do not need dips plus kickbacks plus this because the floor had three toys.

Vs a pushdown

Pushdown is a cable. Skull crusher is a lying extension. Both count. Pick a main for a month. Log the name you did.

Elbows talking

Shorten the range. Switch to a pushdown. Or skip. Sharp pain is a stop, not a personality. Coaching, not a clinic.

Common misses

Flaring so the shoulders take it. Dropping the bar. Letting the upper arms travel. Also: a load you copied from bench. They are not the same.

FAQ

Bar or bells?

EZ-bar is the default. Dumbbells if the bar feels nasty. Log the tool.

To the forehead or behind?

Forehead is the default here. Behind the head is a longer range. Pick one.

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