EZ-Bar Skull Crushers

Lie on a bench and grip an EZ-bar with a narrow grip on the angled sections. Lower toward your forehead by bending only the elbows; keep upper arms still, wrists neutral, core braced. Press back to lockout. The angled grip reduces wrist strain compared to a straight bar.

Muscles worked

Primary

Equipment

EZ barBench
EZ-Bar Skull Crushers exercise demonstration

How to do it

  1. Lie on a bench and grip an EZ-bar with a narrow overhand grip on the angled sections.
  2. Press the bar to lockout above your shoulders with the arms straight.
  3. Tilt the upper arms slightly toward your feet so the bar can travel past your face.
  4. Lower the bar toward your forehead by bending only the elbows.
  5. Stop just above your forehead with the upper arms still tilted.
  6. Extend the elbows back to lockout under control.

Watch for

  • Upper arms drifting straight up, which kills the triceps stretch.
  • Elbows flaring wide instead of staying narrow.
  • Wrists bending under the bar.

Breathing

Inhale as you lower toward your forehead, exhale as you press back to lockout.

Tip

The angled grip protects the wrists. Use a load that keeps the upper arms quiet from first rep to last.

Track this exercise in the SmartReps app

Log sets, reps and weight, and let the AI coach plan your progression — free on iOS and Android.

Log this exercise in SmartReps

Related exercises