Introduction
What Head Of The Tricep Does Skull Crushers Work: Skull crushers, or lying tricep extensions, are a compound exercise that predominantly targets the long head of the triceps. Understanding the specific triceps head worked during this exercise is essential for maximizing its benefits and tailoring your workout routine to your goals. The long head receives the most significant engagement and stress during the exercise.
The long head of the triceps is the innermost head of the muscle group and is responsible for a significant portion of the overall size and definition of the triceps. When well-developed, it contributes to the thickness and depth of the upper arm. The long head is particularly engaged during movements that require the arm to be positioned overhead, such as skull crushers.
Skull crushers are performed by lying on a bench, with a barbell or dumbbells, and extending the arms overhead. This action stretches and contracts the long head of the triceps, making it the primary target of the exercise. Proper form is crucial for effectively targeting the long head while minimizing strain on other muscle groups or joints. When it comes to building strong and well-defined triceps, understanding which head of the triceps various exercises target is crucial.
Do skull crushers work all tricep heads?
That’s where the skull crusher comes in. It lets you hold your shoulders steady, allowing all three heads of your triceps to engage maximally. That’s why doing skull crushers (and other triceps extension variations) combined with pressing movements helps us build bigger arms and get more balanced muscle growth.
Long Head Engagement: Skull crushers primarily target the long head of the triceps. The long head, located on the inner side of the upper arm, is the most significant of the three tricep heads and is responsible for the overall size and definition of the muscle group. The extension and flexion of the elbow during skull crushers place substantial stress on the long head, making it the primary focus of the exercise.
Secondary Engagement of Lateral and Medial Heads: While skull crushers predominantly target the long head, they also involve the lateral and medial heads to some extent. The triceps function as a coordinated muscle group, and movements that engage one head often engage the others as well. The lateral head, situated on the outer side of the upper arm, and the medial head, located beneath the long head, both contribute to the overall triceps activation during skull crushers.
Range of Motion and Grip Variations: The degree to which the lateral and medial heads are engaged can be influenced by factors such as grip variations and the range of motion used during skull crushers. Experimenting with different grips and angles may alter the emphasis on specific tricep heads.
Balanced Triceps Development: To achieve well-rounded triceps development, it is advisable to incorporate a variety of triceps exercises into your workout routine that target all three heads. While skull crushers are excellent for isolating the long head, complementing them with other exercises like tricep kickbacks, tricep pushdowns, close-grip bench presses, and dips can ensure comprehensive triceps development.
Which head of the triceps does the skull crusher effect?
The skull crusher is a good exercise to activate the medial head of the triceps, as compared to standing triceps extensions or other exercises in which your upper arm is at your side ( 4 ). This can help add mass to your triceps, which is important for bodybuilders.
Long Head Emphasis: Skull crushers primarily target the long head of the triceps. This particular tricep head, located on the inner side of the upper arm, is the largest and most significant among the three tricep heads. The extension and flexion of the elbow joint during skull crushers place significant stress on the long head, making it the primary focus of the exercise.
Stretch and Contraction: The unique mechanics of skull crushers involve a substantial stretch and contraction of the long head of the triceps. As the weight is lowered toward the forehead and then pushed back up, the long head is elongated and then contracted forcefully. This action leads to muscle fiber recruitment and growth in the long head.
Depth and Thickness: Developing the long head of the triceps through skull crushers can enhance the depth and thickness of the upper arm, contributing to a well-rounded and aesthetically pleasing arm appearance. A well-developed long head is often associated with a “horseshoe” shape in the triceps.
Functional Strength: While aesthetics are a crucial aspect, the long head’s engagement during skull crushers also contributes to functional strength. This strength improvement aids in various daily activities and sports that require arm extension and stability.
What do tricep skull crushers target?
Skull Crushers are a series of exercises geared towards building upper arm strength, the more technical name is supine or lying triceps extensions. There’s no single way to do a Skull Crusher, but most popular variants focus on weights and elbow extensions, and primarily target the triceps.
Long Head of the Triceps
- Tricep skull crushers primarily target the long head of the triceps brachii, one of the three distinct heads of the triceps muscle group.
- The long head is located on the inner side of the upper arm and is the largest and most visually prominent of the three tricep heads.
- During skull crushers, the extension and flexion of the elbow joint create a significant stretch and contraction in the long head of the triceps, making it the primary focus of the exercise.
Medial Head of the Triceps
- While the long head is the primary target, tricep skull crushers also engage the medial head of the triceps to some extent.
- The medial head, situated beneath the long head, contributes to the overall
- activation and stability of the triceps during the exercise.
Lateral Head of the Triceps
- The lateral head, positioned on the outer side of the upper arm, is involved to a lesser degree in skull crushers.
- The coordinated function of all three tricep heads ensures the stability and strength required for the exercise.
Forearm Muscles
- Tricep skull crushers also engage the forearm muscles, particularly the forearm flexors, which assist in controlling the movement of the weight.
Which tricep head is stronger?
The lateral head is believed to be the strongest of the 3 heads and is actually responsible for movements requiring high levels of force (study). This unique design means that the long head of the triceps muscle has a very unique purpose. That is it is involved with the extension of the shoulder.
Long Head Strength
- The long head of the triceps is often considered the most massive and powerful of the three heads.
- Its location on the inner side of the upper arm allows it to contribute significantly to the overall size and definition of the triceps.
- The long head plays a vital role in exercises involving arm extension, such as tricep pushdowns, skull crushers, and overhead tricep extensions.
- Its size and involvement in various movements make it a dominant player in overall tricep strength.
Lateral Head Strength
- The lateral head of the triceps is positioned on the outer side of the upper arm.
- While it may not be as massive as the long head, the lateral head is vital for arm stability and aesthetics.
- It is often engaged during compound movements like bench presses, push-ups, and dips, where it contributes to overall upper body strength.
Medial Head Strength
- The medial head, located beneath the long head, is the smallest of the three tricep heads.
- It provides additional stability to the elbow joint but is not as prominent in terms of strength or size compared to the long and lateral heads.
- The medial head is engaged during various tricep exercises, ensuring the proper functioning of the muscle group.
Do tricep exercises work all 3 heads?
If you don’t do exercises that hit ALL THREE heads equally — you will never get the bigger arms you desire! Some tricep exercises favor one head more than the other. Whatever tricep exercises you choose, just make sure you have a variety of exercises that hit all three heads on every arm day!
Compound Movements: Compound exercises like bench presses and dips engage multiple muscle groups, including the triceps. Variations like close-grip bench presses emphasize the lateral head, contributing to overall tricep strength.
Isolation Exercises: Isolation exercises like skull crushers, tricep kickbacks, and tricep pushdowns specifically target the triceps. By varying these exercises, you can focus on different tricep heads.
Range of Motion: Adjusting the range of motion during exercises can alter which tricep head is primarily engaged. For example, increasing the range of motion in tricep pushdowns can target the long head more effectively.
Variety: Regularly change your tricep workout routine to incorporate different exercises and angles, ensuring that all three tricep heads are consistently challenged.
Is the skull crusher push or pull?
As previously explained, skull crushers are a single-joint exercise isolating the triceps. “They’re also a ‘push’ exercise and are therefore suitable for workouts in push-pull programs, and also work as an opposing muscle group exercise if you’re working on the biceps, for example,” says Flynn Endres.
Push Exercises
- Push exercises involve movements where you exert force to push an object or weight away from your body.
- These exercises predominantly engage muscles responsible for extending the joints and moving a resistance away from you.
- Common push exercises include bench presses, shoulder presses, and chest flies, all of which target different muscle groups.
Push Component: The extension phase of skull crushers, where you push the weight upward, is reminiscent of a push exercise. This phase primarily engages the triceps.
Pull Exercises
- Pull exercises entail movements where you exert force to pull an object or weight toward your body.
- These exercises primarily engage muscles responsible for contracting or pulling a resistance closer to you.
- Common pull exercises include pull-ups, rows, and bicep curls, each emphasizing specific muscle groups involved in pulling movements.
Pull Component: The controlled lowering of the weight, which involves eccentric muscle contractions to resist gravity, has characteristics of a pull exercise. This phase also engages the triceps but emphasizes different muscle fibers.
Are skull crushers bicep or tricep?
Skull crushers are a single-joint exercise designed to isolate the triceps and are popular as part of an upper-body or push/pull routine. The exercise is typically done on a bench but can also be performed on a mat using either dumbbells or a barbell.
Tricep Emphasis
- Skull crushers are specifically designed to target and engage the triceps.
- The exercise involves extending the elbow joint against resistance, effectively working the triceps muscles.
- The triceps are responsible for straightening the arm, and skull crushers require this movement to be performed while lying on a bench, typically with a barbell or dumbbells.
Tricep Mechanics
- The primary mechanics of skull crushers involve the concentric phase, where you extend your arms to lift the weight, and the eccentric phase, where you lower the weight back down.
- Both phases heavily engage the triceps, with the eccentric phase emphasizing control and stability.
Isolation Exercise
- Skull crushers are categorized as an isolation exercise, meaning they target a specific muscle group without significant involvement of other muscles.
- This isolation makes skull crushers an effective choice for building tricep size and strength.
Proper Form
- To maximize tricep engagement during skull crushers, proper form is essential. This includes maintaining a steady range of motion, keeping the upper arms stationary, and focusing on contracting the triceps throughout the movement.
Why don’t I feel skull crushers in my triceps?
This is because they typically place their upper arms perpendicular to the body when lying on a flat bench. Instead when you are performing skull crushers, make sure your upper arms are at 45 degrees instead of 90 so that emphasis will be more on the long head of triceps.
Improper Form
One of the most common reasons for not feeling skull crushers in your triceps is poor form.
If you’re not performing the exercise with correct technique, you may inadvertently transfer the workload to other muscle groups, diminishing tricep engagement.
Insufficient Range of Motion
Limited range of motion can restrict the effectiveness of skull crushers.
If you’re not allowing your triceps to fully stretch and contract during the exercise, you may not feel the targeted muscle engagement.
Inadequate Resistance
Using too light of a weight or resistance level may not provide enough stimulus to engage the triceps effectively.
If the resistance is too low, you might not feel the muscles working as expected.
Neglecting Eccentric Phase
The eccentric (lowering) phase of an exercise can be just as crucial as the concentric (lifting) phase for muscle engagement.
Neglecting the controlled lowering of the weight during skull crushers may result in reduced tricep activation.
Conclusion
Skull crushers, also known as lying tricep extensions, primarily target the long head of the triceps. The long head, positioned on the inner side of the upper arm, is the primary focus of this exercise due to its engagement in movements that require arm extension overhead. When performed correctly with proper form and technique, skull crushers effectively stretch and contract the long head of the triceps, contributing to its development and definition.
While the long head receives the most significant emphasis during skull crushers, it’s important to recognize that this exercise also involves the lateral and medial heads to some extent, as the triceps muscle group works in coordination. The long head benefits the most from this exercise, making it a valuable triceps-focused workout. Skull crushers are an effective exercise for targeting the long head of the triceps, positioned on the inner side of the upper arm.
To reap the full benefits of skull crushers, individuals should prioritize safety, use proper form, and select an appropriate weight or resistance level that aligns with their fitness goals and capabilities. By doing so, they can effectively target the long head of the triceps, leading to well-rounded and sculpted arms, ultimately achieving their desired triceps development.