10 Best Barbell Lying Triceps Extension Skull Crusher Alternatives for Elbow Pain or No Barbell
If you can't perform the barbell lying triceps extension (skull crusher), use alternatives that preserve the elbow-extension pattern. Effective swaps include EZ-bar skull crushers, dumbbell lying extensions, overhead dumbbell extensions, cable rope pressdowns, and close-grip bench presses. Cue: keep upper arms fixed and hinge only at the elbow to maintain triceps activation.
Original Exercise: Barbell Lying Triceps Extension Skull Crusher
How to Perform Barbell Lying Triceps Extension Skull Crusher
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
- Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, and extend your arms straight up over your chest.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the barbell towards your forehead by bending your elbows.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell is just above your forehead, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Barbell Lying Triceps Extension Skull Crusher Alternatives
1. Barbell Lying Triceps Extension
99.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
- Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, and extend your arms straight up over your chest.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the barbell towards your forehead by bending your elbows.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
2. Ez Barbell Decline Triceps Extension
98.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on a decline bench with your head lower than your feet and your feet secured.
- Hold the ez barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
- Extend your arms fully, keeping your elbows close to your head.
- Lower the barbell slowly towards your forehead, bending your elbows.
- Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back to the starting position.
3. Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher
96.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
- Hold the barbell with a reverse grip, palms facing towards your face, and your hands shoulder-width apart.
- Extend your arms straight up over your chest, keeping your elbows in and your wrists straight.
- Slowly lower the barbell towards your forehead by bending your elbows, keeping your upper arms stationary.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
4. Decline EZ Bar Triceps Extension
95.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and slowly lay down on the bench.
- Using a close grip (a grip that is slightly less than shoulder width), lift the EZ bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked and elbows in. The arms should be perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position. Tip: In order to protect your rotator cuff, it is best if you have a spotter help you lift the barbell off the rack.
- As you breathe in and you keep the upper arms stationary, bring the bar down slowly by moving your forearms in a semicircular motion towards you until you feel the bar slightly touch your forehead. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement.
- Lift the bar back to the starting position by contracting the triceps and exhaling.
- Repeat until the recommended amount of repetitions is performed.
5. Barbell Decline Close Grip To Skull Press
94.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on a decline bench with your head lower than your feet and hold a barbell with a close grip.
- Lower the barbell towards your forehead by bending your elbows, keeping your upper arms stationary.
- Pause for a moment, then extend your arms to press the barbell back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
6. Barbell Lying Back Of The Head Tricep Extension
94.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
- Hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, and extend your arms straight up over your chest.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the barbell behind your head by bending your elbows.
- Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
7. EZ-Bar Skullcrusher
90.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Using a close grip, lift the EZ bar and hold it with your elbows in as you lie on the bench. Your arms should be perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position.
- Keeping the upper arms stationary, lower the bar by allowing the elbows to flex. Inhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Pause once the bar is directly above the forehead.
- Lift the bar back to the starting position by extending the elbow and exhaling.
- Repeat.
8. Barbell Seated Close Grip Behind Neck Triceps Extension
87.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a bench with your back straight and feet flat on the ground.
- Hold the barbell with a close grip behind your neck, palms facing forward.
- Keep your elbows close to your head and slowly lower the barbell towards the back of your head.
- Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
9. Decline Dumbbell Triceps Extension
86.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and lie down with a dumbbell on each hand on top of your thighs. The palms of your hand will be facing each other.
- Once you are laying down, move the dumbbells in front of you at shoulder width. The palms of the hands should be facing each other and the arms should be perpendicular to the floor and fully extended. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in and you keep the upper arms stationary (and elbows in), bring the dumbbells down slowly by moving your forearms in a semicircular motion towards you until your thumbs are next to your ears. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement.
- Lift the dumbbells back to the starting position by contracting the triceps and exhaling.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
10. Dumbbell Tate Press
85.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
- Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height, then rotate your wrists so that your palms are facing away from you.
- Press the dumbbells up until your arms are fully extended, then lower them back down to shoulder height.
- Rotate your wrists back to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Why You Might Need a Barbell Lying Triceps Extension Skull Crusher Alternative
You may need a substitute because of elbow or wrist pain, lack of a barbell, or to correct muscle imbalances. Skull crushers load the triceps through elbow extension with a long moment arm, which can irritate the joint if technique falters. Alternatives let you change the lever (dumbbells, cables) or shoulder position (overhead) to shift emphasis between the long, lateral, and medial heads and reduce peak stress. Technique cue: lower the weight slowly on the eccentric and stop when you can maintain a vertical upper arm to limit shoulder involvement and protect the elbow.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Select a substitute based on joint tolerance, equipment, and which triceps head you want to emphasize. For long-head stretch use overhead extensions; for lateral-head peak contraction use rope pressdowns or close-grip presses. Choose a unilateral dumbbell variant to correct side-to-side strength gaps. Technique cue: keep the elbow stacked and limit shoulder extension—move only at the elbow joint to preserve the isolation pattern and maintain progressive overload via load, reps, or tempo adjustments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Barbell Lying Triceps Extension Skull Crusher work?
The exercise primarily targets the triceps—long, lateral, and medial heads—through elbow extension. Secondary stabilizers include the forearms and shoulder stabilizers; cue: control the eccentric and fully extend the elbow to maximize triceps activation.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Barbell Lying Triceps Extension Skull Crusher?
A close-grip (diamond) push-up or bench-supported triceps dip serves as the best bodyweight alternative because both emphasize elbow extension under load. Cue: keep hands close to the sternum and elbows tucked to keep the movement focused on the triceps and reduce shoulder involvement.
Can I build muscle without doing Barbell Lying Triceps Extension Skull Crusher?
Yes. You can build triceps mass with close-grip bench presses, overhead extensions, cable pressdowns, and dips—provided you apply progressive overload. Cue: progress load, increase time under tension, and ensure full lockout to fully stimulate the triceps across the eccentric and concentric phases.
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