Question about skull crushers

[DerickVonD]

I've been doing skullcrushers with dumbbells and I have been able to progress. I started with just 10lb to get used to it, then 15lb and now 20lb, but every time I do them my triceps feel really tight and like they are under a lot of pressure. I do not have this problem, when I do overhead dumb bell extensions. I am able to progress though, it just feels like there is a lot of pressure. Is there a warmup I should do?

 

[wedlund6]

i use a ez curl bar. but ya they feel realy tight like stretching them i think that is the point of doing them and y they are so effective

 

[Type O Hero]

Go ahead and switch to using a bar unless you're wanting to train each arm individually (which for triceps is only a good idea if one arm is noticeably larger than the other). With a bar you can use more weight.

Tip: Lower the bar like you would but when you come back up, stop when your arms are about a 45 degree angle, rather than bringing the bar back up so that your arms are straight. This keeps the stress on the triceps and forces them to keep contracting to support the weight. If you bring the bar back up over your head and lock your arms out, your triceps stop bearing the bulk of the weight which is now being supported by your bones, ect..

 

[DB21]

I do incline skullcrushers.

I feel best when using a bar, but I feel the dumbell more direct..

You're supposed to keep your elbows in to keep tension on the tricep while focusing on squeezing the tricep at top. This allows the tricep to get tension the whole lift..
Works great for me.

 

[SoloScooter]

Use the ez curl bar.

 

[deadlift18]

Yea ez bar has always got the job done for me. If you must do one armed ones i would super set with something else, or do drop sets until failure.

 

[DerickVonD]

Well the reason I was using dumb bells is I have limited space. I have a squat rack and I can deadlift in my room, but moving the big barbell around the room can be a hassle.

 

[shizz702]

I'll add to the consensus here that the ez bar works better for skullcrushers in my experience. But I'll also add that you'll find that not all exercises work for you and that may be the case for you with the skulls. Give the ez bar a shot and if you still feel the same pressure you speak of then maybe you should opt for a different tricep exercise.

 

[DerickVonD]

Well I'll have to try them with a barbell and hope I don't it anything in my room with the bar. I can't get an ez bar now, because I don't have any money and I can't borrow one because everyone I know that works out have standard weights all my stuff is good old Olympic.

 

[n8te]

i like using dumbbells I feel that it targets my tris better than just using the bar. Maybe modify the movement by extending the lower part of your arm at a 45 degree angle (elbow above forehead), instead of straight up and down like a normal skull crusher See if that works, it wont limit your ROM and you should still be able to get that stretch in the tri w/o all the pressure. Let me know if that helps.

 

[Eric160]

the stretch u feel is when u lower behind ur head im guessing because thats when it is for me

thats a good thing all musles are covered by a membrane called a fascia when stretched it allows more room for the muscles to grow

so getting a stretch midset is helping u get bigger in 2 ways
dont believe me look it up

easy curl swivel bar is def the best rout to take

 

[DerickVonD]

Well thank you for the advice guys. Once again you guys never disappoint. I always learn something whenever I come to this site.

 

[DerickVonD]

Okay I foundout that if I have my arms farther up and I do something like this http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/DBLyingTriExt.html
Alot of the pressure I was feeling is gone