How do you perform skulls?

[qbkilla]

I haven't done these in forever as I prefer other triceps exercises.

I know some like them on the floor, you can use more weight, but less rom.

Then you have rippetoe ones, much greater ROM supposedly hit the long head better.

I like them on an incline. But isn't this getting close to a pjr press but with a barbell vs dumbbell? I don't see a major difference in the movement and it's also close to a French press (assuming most people like to reach back and get that long ROM).

I tried some dumbbell ones and felt it, but I feel like it becomes more difficult to progress with 2 dumbbells vs a loaded barbell.

I guess the solution would be to use dumbbells then when you stall out and stability feels poor switch to an equal weight with a barbell and keep loading.

 

[-Spartan-]

i like them on the floor with a EZ offset bar. but on occasion i'll do them on a incline like in a few of John Meadows programs.
i've also tried them with DB's(on a bench, not the floor) and it just feels awkward with more pressure put on the tendons/joints instead of the muscle.

 

[Bleed]

He's a love or hate guy but I do them the way Jeff Cavaliere recommends to do them. I started doing them the way he recommends (Arms bent back over the head and not straight up) and imo this is the right way to do them.

 

[alfresco]

Use a reverse grip.

 

[fisther69]

I just do rolling tricep extensions now..

 

[rAJJIN]

Elbows stationary and bar to the head

 

[jeroendebleser]

I don't. They kill my elbows.

 

[MR. BMJ]

I have to do them to my head. I have really bad shoulders, especially my right one, and if I go further back above my head and down further, it messes with my shoulder(s).

 

[qbkilla]

I gave pjr pullover press a try today first time ever. At first didn't like it, felt like it was more lats despite doing it the proper way to hit Tris. Head was getting in the way, felt awkward stabilizing my body and targeting my Tris at the same time. But by the time I was done 30 RP I felt it killed my Tris. Weak part I have no long head but in mirror it was pumped, almost a prop shot gone bad lol. Definitely plan to keep using these.

 

[xpoc]

I use 3 forms of skull crushers in my current split. PULLOVER SKULLS with a curl bar (4 sets) DEAD SKULLS (3 sets) with a curl bar. PJR PULLOVERS (3 sets) with a dumbbell. Pullover Skulls are on my "A" day. Dead skulls and PJR are on my "B" day. I have an A day and a B day each week and combined that gives me 10 sets of direct triceps work.

 

[iwantmass]

I do them on a decline bench. I can easily grab the bar from the floor myself, and for some reason, I find less stress in the elbows

 

[kastro]

When i used to do them usually off the floor.Slight pause on the floor then back up.

 

[Inov8labs]

Deadstop Skulls with EZ Bar

 

[Elvia1023]

The "correct" way to do them is not to your skull and to bring the bar down over your head but I prefer doing them with fixed elbows to my forehead. Although I often start a set using the "optimal" way but swop over to my preferred method when I start to fatigue. I do them with DB's or an EZ Bar either on a slight inclined bench, flat bench or lying on the floor. If I do them lying on the floor I often to deadstop reps to finish off with.

 

[buck]

My preferred version was to use a decline bench and use one dumbell that i put on the floor which made getting the weight up easy. Great stretch and range of motion.

 

[bellicose]

I never do. Saw a friend tear his triceps tendon going too heavy.
When I did them when I was powerlifting I went lighter and used dumbbells and used it as a hypertrophy exercise in sets of 12 reps controlled

 

[Cerberus777]

I gave pjr pullover press a try today first time ever. At first didn't like it, felt like it was more lats despite doing it the proper way to hit Tris. Head was getting in the way, felt awkward stabilizing my body and targeting my Tris at the same time. But by the time I was done 30 RP I felt it killed my Tris. Weak part I have no long head but in mirror it was pumped, almost a prop shot gone bad lol. Definitely plan to keep using these.

Standard skulls give me tendinitis the PJR pullover is great though.

 

[11sh11]

He's a love or hate guy but I do them the way Jeff Cavaliere recommends to do them. I started doing them the way he recommends (Arms bent back over the head and not straight up) and imo this is the right way to do them.

This by having the bar clear the head, the triceps are in the longest form of extension. If not fully extended, your missing the ability to also stress the origin of the heads, and mostly working the insertions near the elbow

 

[bigstick]

Use a reverse grip.

That’s badass

 

[qbkilla]

This by having the bar clear the head, the triceps are in the longest form of extension. If not fully extended, your missing the ability to also stress the origin of the heads, and mostly working the insertions near the elbow

Doesn't Jeff reccomded them on the incline too? I know heavy hitter was able to link an old post from Paul Carter ig. He was doing standing skulls leaning on the incline (so you can extend over the head where if you sat the bench would get in way). Paul was using dumbbells though.

Almost like a dumbbell French press more than a skull though. I know the rippetoe extension you really let the bar go back over the head