10 Best Ez-bar Skullcrusher Alternatives for Triceps Strength

The Ez-bar Skullcrusher keeps your upper arms fixed while you bend only your elbows to lower the bar to your forehead, then press it back up. Barbell Lying Back Of The Head Tricep Extension is the closest swap: it keeps the same lying position and elbow-only bend, but a straight bar lowers behind your head instead of stopping at your forehead. If you only have dumbbells, the Dumbbell Tricep Extension -pronated Grip lowers a pair toward your ears instead.

Original Exercise: Ez-bar Skullcrusher

Ez-bar Skullcrusher
Primary Muscle
Triceps
Equipment
Ez-barbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Forearms
How to Perform Ez-bar Skullcrusher
  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.
Pro Tips
  • Category: Strength
  • Force: Push
  • Movement type: Isolation

Ranked Ez-bar Skullcrusher Alternatives

Best Match
Barbell Lying Back Of The Head Tricep Extension

1. Barbell Lying Back Of The Head Tricep Extension

95.4% 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.
Dumbbell Tricep Extension -Pronated Grip

2. Dumbbell Tricep Extension -Pronated Grip

95.4% Match
Triceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie down on a flat bench holding two dumbbells directly above your shoulders. Your arms should be fully extended and form a 90 degree angle from your torso and the floor.
  2. The palms of your hands should be facing forward, and your elbows should be tucked in. This will be your starting position.
  3. Now, inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells until they are near your ears. Be sure to keep your upper arms stationary and your elbows tucked in.
  4. Then, exhale and use your triceps to return the weight to the starting position.
Ez Barbell Decline Triceps Extension

3. Ez Barbell Decline Triceps Extension

92% 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.
Dumbbell Incline Two Arm Extension

4. Dumbbell Incline Two Arm Extension

92% Match
Triceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs.
  2. Slowly lie back on the bench, keeping the dumbbells close to your chest.
  3. Once you are fully lying down, extend your arms straight up towards the ceiling, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher

5. Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher

91.4% 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 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.
Olympic Barbell Triceps Extension

6. Olympic Barbell Triceps Extension

91.4% 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.
Barbell Lying Triceps Extension

7. Barbell Lying Triceps Extension

90.7% 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

8. Barbell Lying Triceps Extension Skull Crusher

90.7% 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.
Decline Dumbbell Triceps Extension

9. Decline Dumbbell Triceps Extension

90.7% Match
Triceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Lift the dumbbells back to the starting position by contracting the triceps and exhaling.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Tate Press

10. Tate Press

90.7% Match
Triceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand on top of your thighs. The palms of your hand will be facing each other.
  2. By using your thighs to help you get the dumbbells up, clean the dumbbells one arm at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width. Note: when holding the dumbbells in front of you, make sure your arms are wider than shoulder width apart from each other using a pronated (palms forward) grip. Allow your elbows to point out. This is your starting position.
  3. Keeping the upper arms stationary, slowly move the dumbbells in and down in a semi circular motion until they touch the upper chest while inhaling. Keep full control of the dumbbells at all times and do not move the upper arms nor rest the dumbbells on the chest.
  4. As you breathe out, move the dumbbells up using your triceps and the same semi-circular motion but in reverse. Attempt to keep the dumbbells together as they move up. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down again slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
  5. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions of your training program.

Why You Might Need a Ez-bar Skullcrusher Alternative

Most gyms keep one EZ bar, so if someone else has it, the Ez-bar Skullcrusher is off the table. A straight barbell still locks both arms to one bar the way the EZ bar does: the Barbell Lying Triceps Extension lowers it to your forehead the same way the Ez-bar Skullcrusher does, the Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher follows the same path with your palms turned toward your face, while Barbell Lying Back Of The Head Tricep Extension and Olympic Barbell Triceps Extension send it behind your head instead, and the second of those is done standing rather than lying down. Dumbbells split the weight between both arms, so the Dumbbell Tricep Extension -pronated Grip and Decline Dumbbell Triceps Extension let each arm lower toward your ears on its own path, no bar needed at all.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

If your gym has a straight barbell but no EZ bar, take the Barbell Lying Triceps Extension: it keeps you lying with your upper arms still and lowers the bar to your forehead like the Ez-bar Skullcrusher. Want the same bar time but no bench free? Olympic Barbell Triceps Extension does it standing, lowering behind your head instead of to your forehead. Own only dumbbells? The Dumbbell Tricep Extension -pronated Grip keeps you lying and brings each dumbbell toward your ears, while the Tate Press brings them in and down to your upper chest. If the EZ bar is free but the flat bench is taken, the EZ Barbell Decline Triceps Extension keeps the same bar and lowers it to the same point above your forehead from a decline bench with your feet secured.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which alternative uses a straight barbell instead of the curved one?

Five do: Barbell Lying Back Of The Head Tricep Extension, Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher, Olympic Barbell Triceps Extension, Barbell Lying Triceps Extension and Barbell Lying Triceps Extension Skull Crusher. Three of them lower the bar to your forehead like the EZ bar version; the other two send it behind your head instead, one lying down and one standing.

Which alternative keeps the same EZ bar?

The EZ Barbell Decline Triceps Extension. It uses the same EZ bar and lowers it toward your forehead the way the Ez-bar Skullcrusher does, just from a decline bench with your feet secured instead of lying flat. Reach for it when the flat bench is busy but the EZ bar is free.

Which alternatives lower behind the head instead of to the forehead?

Barbell Lying Back Of The Head Tricep Extension and Olympic Barbell Triceps Extension both send the bar behind your head rather than stopping above your forehead. The first keeps you lying on a bench; the second is done standing with your upper arms held close to your head as your elbows bend.

Can I do the Ez-bar Skullcrusher at home?

Not the EZ bar version itself, but a pair of dumbbells covers the same lying, elbow-only extension. The Dumbbell Tricep Extension -pronated Grip lowers a dumbbell in each hand toward your ears while you lie on a bench, matching the Ez-bar Skullcrusher's elbow-only bend. The Tate Press and Dumbbell Incline Two Arm Extension also train the triceps on a bench, and the Decline Dumbbell Triceps Extension adds a decline angle if you have one.

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