Skull crusher with dumbbells and pronated grip

Exercise overview

Primary muscle group: Arms

Exercise type: Dumbbell

Exercise goal: Strength

Key metric: Weight

Average per rep (kg)*: 11

Average per rep (lbs)*: 25

Weight counts twice!

Description: Lie down flat on a bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand above your shoulders. Extend your arms fully, forming a 90-degree angle from your torso and the floor. Ensure your palms are facing forward, and keep your elbows tucked in close to your body. This is your starting position. Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells towards your ears. Keep your upper arms stationary and maintain your elbows' position. Exhale and use your triceps to lift the dumbbells back to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, focusing on maintaining controlled and steady movements throughout the exercise.

Exercise ID: 00353

Community rating:

*Remark: The average values are calculated based on exercise data from the Blaze community. For more statistics and analysis, please download the Blaze app.

Skull crusher with dumbbells and pronated grip

Exercise tips and tricks

Elbow Positioning: Keep your elbows close to your head and perpendicular to the floor throughout the movement. This helps in maximizing tricep engagement and prevents unnecessary strain on the elbows.
Controlled Movements: Focus on a slow and controlled descent to feel the stretch in your triceps, and then press back up in a controlled manner. Avoid using momentum to ensure maximum muscle activation.
Range of Motion: Aim for a full range of motion. Lower the dumbbells until your forearms are just past parallel to the floor. Extend fully back up without locking your elbows, to keep tension on the triceps.
Hand Position: Using a pronated grip (palms facing out) can help keep the wrists in a more natural alignment and may feel more comfortable for some individuals compared to a neutral grip.
Mind-Muscle Connection: Concentrate on the triceps doing all the work. Visualize the muscle contracting as you extend the weights back up.
Stabilization: Ensure your upper arms remain stable; only your forearms should move. Keeping your upper arms still will better isolate the triceps.
Body Stability: Maintain a stable body position. Keep your back flat against the bench and engage your core to prevent arching, which will ensure proper form and reduce the risk of injury.
Warm-Up: Properly warm up your triceps and elbows before starting this exercise. Light tricep extensions or kickbacks with lower weights can help prepare your muscles and joints.
Weight Selection: Start with lighter weights to master the form, then gradually increase the resistance as your strength improves. Using weights that are too heavy can compromise your form and increase the risk of injury.
Breathing: Exhale as you press the weights up and inhale as you lower them down. Proper breathing will help you maintain control and deliver sufficient oxygen to your muscles.

Exercise overview

Exercise tips and tricks

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