10 Best Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher Alternatives for Home Gyms

What can you do instead of Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher? Choose close-grip bench press, dumbbell overhead triceps extension, cable rope pushdown, triceps bench dips, or diamond push-ups to hit the same elbow-extension pattern. Keep your upper arm stationary, tuck the elbows, and control the eccentric phase to maintain triceps isolation and tension.

Original Exercise: Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher

Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher
Primary Muscle
Triceps
Equipment
Barbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Forearms
How to Perform Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher
  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
  2. Hold the barbell with a reverse grip, palms facing towards your face, and your hands shoulder-width apart.
  3. Extend your arms straight up over your chest, keeping your elbows in and your wrists straight.
  4. Slowly lower the barbell towards your forehead by bending your elbows, keeping your upper arms stationary.
  5. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Ranked Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher Alternatives

Best Match
Ez Barbell Decline Triceps Extension

1. Ez Barbell Decline Triceps Extension

97.4% Match
Triceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie on a decline bench with your head lower than your feet and your feet secured.
  2. Hold the ez barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
  3. Extend your arms fully, keeping your elbows close to your head.
  4. Lower the barbell slowly towards your forehead, bending your elbows.
  5. Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back to the starting position.
Barbell Lying Triceps Extension

2. Barbell Lying Triceps Extension

96.1% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
  2. Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, and extend your arms straight up over your chest.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the barbell towards your forehead by bending your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Lying Triceps Extension Skull Crusher

3. Barbell Lying Triceps Extension Skull Crusher

96.1% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
  2. Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, and extend your arms straight up over your chest.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the barbell towards your forehead by bending your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment when the barbell is just above your forehead, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Lying Back Of The Head Tricep Extension

4. Barbell Lying Back Of The Head Tricep Extension

96% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
  2. Hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, and extend your arms straight up over your chest.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the barbell behind your head by bending your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Lying Close-Grip Barbell Triceps Press To Chin

5. Lying Close-Grip Barbell Triceps Press To Chin

95.3% Match
Triceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. While holding a barbell or EZ Curl bar with a pronated grip (palms facing forward), lie on your back on a flat bench with your head off the end of the bench. Tip: If you are holding a barbell grab it using a shoulder-width grip and if you are using an E-Z Bar grab it on the inner handles.
  2. Extend your arms in front of you as you hold the barbell over your chest. The arms should be perpendicular to your torso (90-degree angle). This will be your starting position.
  3. As you inhale, lower the bar in a semi-circular motion by bending at the elbows and while keeping the upper arm stationary and elbows in. Keep lowering the bar until it lightly touches your chin.
  4. As you exhale bring the bar back up to the starting position by pushing the bar up in a semi-circular motion. Contract the triceps hard at the top of the movement for a second. Tip: Again, only the forearms should move. The upper arms should remain stationary at all times.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Olympic Barbell Triceps Extension

6. Olympic Barbell Triceps Extension

94.9% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and holding the barbell with an overhand grip.
  2. Raise the barbell above your head, fully extending your arms.
  3. Keeping your upper arms close to your head, slowly lower the barbell behind your head by bending your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Decline EZ Bar Triceps Extension

7. Decline EZ Bar Triceps Extension

93.3% Match
Triceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and slowly lay down on the bench.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Lift the bar back to the starting position by contracting the triceps and exhaling.
  5. Repeat until the recommended amount of repetitions is performed.
EZ-Bar Skullcrusher

8. EZ-Bar Skullcrusher

91.4% Match
Triceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Lift the bar back to the starting position by extending the elbow and exhaling.
  4. Repeat.
Lying Triceps Press

9. Lying Triceps Press

91.3% Match
Triceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie on a flat bench with either an e-z bar (my preference) or a straight bar placed on the floor behind your head and your feet on the floor.
  2. Grab the bar behind you, using a medium overhand (pronated) grip, and raise the bar in front of you at arms length. Tip: The arms should be perpendicular to the torso and the floor. The elbows should be tucked in. This is the starting position.
  3. As you breathe in, slowly lower the weight until the bar lightly touches your forehead while keeping the upper arms and elbows stationary.
  4. At that point, use the triceps to bring the weight back up to the starting position as you breathe out.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Barbell Decline Close Grip To Skull Press

10. Barbell Decline Close Grip To Skull Press

90.3% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie on a decline bench with your head lower than your feet and hold a barbell with a close grip.
  2. Lower the barbell towards your forehead by bending your elbows, keeping your upper arms stationary.
  3. Pause for a moment, then extend your arms to press the barbell back up to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Why You Might Need a Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher Alternative

You might replace the reverse-grip skullcrusher due to wrist discomfort from the supinated grip, past elbow or triceps tendon irritation, or simply lack of a suitable barbell. The reverse grip shifts wrist and forearm mechanics and can increase stress on the medial triceps and wrist flexors; a neutral-grip or cable option reduces that shear. Substitutes let you preserve the key biomechanics, elbow hinge with a fixed upper arm, while changing wrist position, load distribution, or range of motion. For pain management pick neutral-grip options; for hypertrophy prioritize controlled eccentric tempo and full contraction cues (pause at the top and squeeze the triceps).

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Select a substitute by matching the original movement’s key variables: elbow-extension emphasis, upper-arm stability, and workable range of motion. Prioritize exercises that let you keep the elbows pinned and the wrist neutral if you have wrist pain. For strength choose heavy, compound variants like close-grip bench press with a 2-3 second eccentric; for isolation pick cable rope pushdowns and stop short of full lockout to keep constant tension. Also consider equipment access, your ability to progressively overload, and which triceps head you want to bias, overhead positions preferentially load the long head, while pressdowns target the lateral and medial heads. Cue: keep the elbow tucked and upper arm still.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher work?

It primarily targets the triceps brachii, long, lateral, and medial heads, through elbow extension, with secondary involvement of the anconeus and wrist stabilizers due to the supinated grip. You should feel the triceps contract as you extend the elbow while keeping the upper arm vertical and the elbows fixed.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher?

A diamond push-up is the top bodyweight substitute because it forces elbow-driven extension and high triceps recruitment. Place your hands in a diamond under the sternum, keep elbows close to the ribs, lower under control, and drive the movement with strict elbow extension to emphasize the triceps.

Can I build muscle without doing Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher?

Yes, you can build triceps size using a variety of substitutes like close-grip bench presses, overhead dumbbell extensions, rope pushdowns, and dips while applying progressive overload. Focus on controlled eccentrics (2-3 seconds), maintain elbow stability, and increase load or volume consistently to stimulate hypertrophy.

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