The triceps muscle, located on the back of the upper arm, is one of the largest muscle groups in the body. It’s responsible for extending the elbow joint and providing stability to the shoulder joint. If you want to build massive arms, you need to focus on your triceps. One of the most effective exercises for targeting this muscle group is the skull crusher, also known as the lying triceps extension. In this article, we’ll discuss how to do skull crushers and how to build insane triceps by incorporating this exercise into your routine.
How to Do Skull Crushers
- Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor and your arms extended straight up above your chest, holding a barbell or dumbbells.
- Keeping your elbows locked in place and your upper arms perpendicular to the floor, slowly lower the weight down towards your forehead.
- Stop when the weight is a few inches above your forehead, and then press it back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for several sets of 8-12 reps.
Tips for Doing Skull Crushers
- Keep your elbows in and pointed towards the ceiling. This will help isolate the triceps and prevent other muscles from taking over the movement.
- Use a weight that challenges you, but make sure you can maintain proper form throughout the exercise.
- If you’re using a barbell, make sure to grip it with your palms facing up towards the ceiling. This will help take the pressure off your wrists.
- If you’re using dumbbells, you can rotate your palms towards each other as you lower the weight down towards your forehead. This will provide a greater stretch on the triceps.
How to Build Insane Triceps with Skull Crushers
- Incorporate Skull Crushers into Your Routine
To build insane triceps with skull crushers, you need to make them a regular part of your routine. Aim to do 3-4 sets of skull crushers at the end of your arm workout, 1-2 times per week.
- Vary the Angle
You can vary the angle of the skull crusher to target different parts of the triceps muscle. For example, doing the exercise with an incline bench will place more emphasis on the long head of the triceps, while doing it with a decline bench will target the lateral head.
- Use Progressive Overload
Progressive overload is the principle of gradually increasing the weight, reps, or sets of an exercise over time. By doing this, you’ll force your muscles to adapt and grow stronger. With skull crushers, aim to increase the weight by 2.5-5 pounds each week, or increase the reps or sets.
- Use Supersets
Supersets involve doing two exercises back-to-back with little to no rest in between. By doing this, you’ll increase the intensity of your workout and provide a greater stimulus for muscle growth. You can superset skull crushers with other triceps exercises, such as triceps pushdowns or close-grip bench presses.
In conclusion, if you want to build insane triceps, skull crushers are an excellent exercise to incorporate into your routine. By following the tips outlined in this article, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your arm-building goals. Just remember to start with a weight that challenges you, maintain proper form, and use progressive overload to keep your muscles growing.