BELIEVE IT OR not, the skullcrusher isn’t the name of a pro wrestler’s signature move. It’s actually a classic muscle-building exercise to isolate the triceps, the big muscles on the back of your arms. As beloved as the skullcrusher is, there’s one key component missing in the way that even the most seasoned gym-goers approach the movement. Thankfully, there’s a simple way to fix that flaw.
Most guys do skullcrushers with free weights, using dumbbells or barbells to perform the movement. These tools allow you to have “great tension when our triceps are stretched,” says Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., MH fitness director. But there’s a catch: “Unless our form is perfect and our upper arm is leaning just the right way, we don’t often get that squeeze at peak contraction,” he continues.
A simple implement swap can fix that. Set this move up with a cable machine and incline bench instead of free weights and a flat bench, and your triceps will get that extra stimulus at the top of the squeeze—a vital portion of muscle growth. Here’s how.
How to Do the Cable Skullcrusher:
Men’s Health
- Bring the attachment point of the cable machine down to its lowest setting and clip on a rope attachment. Set up a bench so that the top of it is close to the cable machine and adjust to a 15 degree angle.
- Lie down on the bench, but extend your legs so you’re situated higher up. This will allow you to pull your wrists down and back without hitting the head of the bench. Drive your feet into the ground and contract your glutes and abs, creating full body tension.
- Grab onto the rope closer to the base.
- Keeping your palms facing each other, bend the elbow down and back to find that stretch through the triceps. Lower your wrists as close as you can to your shoulders based on your mobility.
- Squeeze up until your elbow is fully extended, keeping it stacked on top of your shoulder. Don’t allow them to flare outward.
- Squeeze for one to two seconds before lowering back down.
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Benefits of the Cable Skullcrusher
At the top of dumbbell or barbell skullcrushers, the wrist and elbow stack on top of the shoulder, aligning with gravity. You lose tension across the muscle when this happens, unless you perfectly situate your form so that your elbow is a bit past your shoulder. That can work, but it’s tough to properly evaluate your form in this position.
Using a cable machine allows tension to maintain throughout the entire exercise, creating the proper stimulus for muscle and strength building. Plus, you’ll be able to get a little deeper into the stretch on the triceps. When done with barbells and dumbbells, the equipment is likely to hit your forehead before you get sufficient stretch.
One important note: This variation is best deployed as a compliment to the free weight skullcrusher within your routine, not as a wholesale replacement. You’ll be able to use heavier weights with dumbbells and barbells, so keep a place for those variations in your program.
What Muscles Power the Cable Skullcrusher?
Like a traditional skullcrusher, the cable variation hammers both heads of the tricep: the long and short head. The shoulder muscles will help stabilize the position of your upper arm, and your core will help brace the rest of your body.
How to Add the Cable Skullcrusher to Your Workouts
If you’re factoring this in as an accessory move on a full upper body day, think about keeping it lighter with more reps. Aim for 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps. If you’re using it as a lead move or in a super set, try 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps with a heavier weight.
