ProgreviaEZ bar skull crusher: proper form, muscles worked and common mistakes
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How to do it
Lying down, elbows pointing at the ceiling and fixed: lower the EZ bar toward your forehead bending only at the elbow and extend without flaring. The EZ bar spares the wrists.
Muscles worked
Main muscle: triceps. When it plans weekly volume, every set of this exercise counts in full for triceps: the generator does not split it with other muscles.
EZ bar skull crusher: why it loads heavier than dumbbell extensions
The EZ bar skull crusher is done lying down, back on the bench, with your arms vertical. That stable base and two hands on the same bar let you load far more than in the seated overhead dumbbell triceps extension, where the weight hangs behind your neck and balance matters more. The EZ bar also angles your wrists slightly, which is often kinder on the wrists and elbows than a straight bar. The long head works lengthened, though less than with the arm beside the ear, and you can raise the load in small increments.
Choose it when you already have experience with extensions and want a heavy isolation exercise that does not rely on a cable. Put it after a close-grip press or dips, not before, because your elbows like to start warm. Lying down with a bar above your face, it is wise to have a spotter or to pick a weight whose lowering you always control. If your elbows complain, use a cable or reduce both load and range instead of forcing it.
A detail specific to this exercise: instead of stopping the bar at your forehead, you can let it drift slightly behind your head, so the triceps keeps tension at the bottom and your elbows do not flare. Lower it slowly, in about three seconds, and work 8 to 12 reps. Unrack it with straight arms, without bending your elbows.
Technical sheet
- Movement pattern
- Isolation
- Minimum level
- Beginner
- Technical demand
- Needs coaching
- Fatigue it generates
- Moderate (0.7 out of 2.2)
- Risk if technique breaks down
- Medium
- Peak tension in the stretched position
These are the values the generator uses to decide where the exercise goes within the session.
Recommended sets and reps
As an isolation exercise, it works best in 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps with 0–2 RIR. Use it at the end of the session to add volume without systemic fatigue.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Flaring the elbows out, shifting tension away from the triceps to the chest and shoulders.
- Gripping the bar with each hand at a different distance from the center: one side works harder without you noticing.
- Cutting short the part of the range where the muscle is stretched: that is exactly where this exercise gives the most stimulus.
What the research says
As an isolation move, it is mostly a way to add volume to one muscle. Gentil and colleagues (2013) found that, in beginners, adding it to a multi-joint exercise gave no extra arm growth; it pays off later on, or for muscles the compounds barely reach.
It loads the muscle in the stretched position, which is where several trials find more growth: more hypertrophy from seated than lying leg curls (Maeo and colleagues, 2021) and better quad results from training the long part of the range (Pedrosa and colleagues, 2022). So do not cut the bottom of the rep short.
You do not need to reach failure on every set: according to the meta-analysis by Refalo and colleagues (2023), stopping one or two reps short gives very similar growth. The generator prescribes it with RIR for that reason.
- Gentil P, Soares SR, Pereira MC, et al. Effect of adding single-joint exercises to a multi-joint exercise resistance-training program on strength and hypertrophy in untrained subjects. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 2013;38(3):341-344.
- Maeo S, Huang M, Wu Y, et al. Greater hamstrings muscle hypertrophy but similar damage protection after training at long versus short muscle lengths. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2021;53(4):825-837.
- Pedrosa GF, Lima FV, Schoenfeld BJ, et al. Partial range of motion training elicits favorable improvements in muscular adaptations when carried out at long muscle lengths. European Journal of Sport Science. 2022;22(8):1250-1260.
- Refalo MC, Helms ER, Trexler ET, Hamilton DL, Fyfe JJ. Influence of resistance training proximity-to-failure on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine. 2023;53(3):649-665.
How EZ bar skull crusher compares with other triceps exercises
Of the 11 triceps exercises in the catalogue, ranked from least to most fatiguing by the values the generator uses, EZ bar skull crusher is number 6 (tied with one other).
It sits in the middle of its group: it works as the day's main exercise or as a second or third one.
With different equipment, the same movement pattern offers 6 alternatives, such as Triceps kickback, Triceps pushdown and Overhead cable triceps extension.
| Exercise | Equipment | Fatigue | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| Triceps kickback | dumbbells | Low (0.4 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Triceps pushdown | cable | Low (0.5 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Overhead cable triceps extension | cable | Low (0.6 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Overhead dumbbell extension | dumbbells | Low (0.6 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
| Bench dips | bodyweight | Low (0.6 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Seated overhead dumbbell triceps extension | dumbbells | Moderate (0.7 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| EZ bar skull crusher | barbell | Moderate (0.7 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
Tension with the muscle stretched. EZ bar skull crusher loads the muscle when it is longest. In the review by Kassiano et al. (2023), across eleven studies, full range of motion and partials performed in the initial part of the movement — with the muscle long — produced more growth than partials performed at the end.
An isolation exercise. In the trial by Gentil et al. (2015), with untrained young men over ten weeks, the biceps curl and the lat pulldown were equally effective for gaining strength and size in the elbow flexors: isolation is not filler.
- Kassiano W, Costa B, Nunes JP, Ribeiro AS, Schoenfeld BJ, Cyrino ES. Which ROMs lead to Rome? A systematic review of the effects of range of motion on muscle hypertrophy. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2023;37(5):1135-1144.
- Gentil P, Soares S, Bottaro M. Single vs. multi-joint resistance exercises: effects on muscle strength and hypertrophy. Asian Journal of Sports Medicine. 2015;6(2):e24057.
Related guide
Best biceps and triceps exercises for bigger arms
Alternative exercises
- Triceps pushdown
- Overhead dumbbell extension
- Triceps kickback
- Overhead cable triceps extension
- Seated overhead dumbbell triceps extension
More isolation exercises
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does EZ bar skull crusher work?
EZ bar skull crusher mainly works the triceps muscle group, plus synergist and stabilizer muscles depending on the variation.
How many sets of EZ bar skull crusher should I do?
Between 3 and 5 sets per session, adjusting the total weekly volume for triceps to your level (about 10–20 sets per muscle per week).
Are EZ bar skull crushers bad for your elbows?
They do not have to be if you control the load and the range. Elbows suffer when the weight is excessive, when they flare or when reps bounce. Use an EZ bar, lower slowly, keep your elbows narrow and choose a weight you control on every rep. If you feel elbow pain, reduce the weight, try a cable or check with a professional.
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