Dumbbell Floor Skull Crusher

How to do it

1. Lie on your back on a mat with knees bent and feet flat, a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Press the dumbbells up so the arms are straight above your shoulders, palms facing in.
3. Bend the elbows to lower the dumbbells beside your head, upper arms pointing up.
4. Stop just before the dumbbells touch the floor.
5. Straighten the elbows to bring the dumbbells back above your shoulders.

Tips

• The floor sets a clear bottom, so use it to keep every rep the same depth.
• Keep the elbows about shoulder-width apart.

Common mistakes

• Resting the dumbbells on the floor between reps.
• Letting the upper arms fall back toward the floor.

Muscles worked by the Dumbbell Floor Skull Crusher

• Triceps (long head) Primary38%
• Triceps (lateral head) Primary28%
• Triceps (medial head) Secondary22%
• Forearm flexors Stabilizer4%
• Rear delts Stabilizer3%
• Rotator cuff Stabilizer3%
• Upper abs Stabilizer2%

Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.

Lowering the weight to the head with the shoulder flexed near 90 degrees trains all three heads with the long head partly lengthened, between a pushdown and an overhead extension.

Dumbbell Floor Skull Crusher alternatives

Same equipment

• Crossbody Dumbbell ExtensionDumbbell
• Dumbbell Skull CrusherDumbbell

Different equipment

• Cable Rope Skull CrusherCable
• Cable Skull CrusherCable
• Dead Stop Skull CrusherBarbell

No equipment

• Bodyweight Skull CrusherBodyweight

Make it harder

• Crossbody Dumbbell ExtensionDumbbell
• Dead Stop Skull CrusherBarbell
• Lying EZ Bar ExtensionEZ bar
• Rolling Dumbbell ExtensionDumbbell

Similar exercises

• EZ Bar Skull CrusherEZ bar

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Dumbbell Floor Skull Crusher work?

Mainly the triceps (long head) and triceps (lateral head). The triceps (medial head) assist.

Is the Dumbbell Floor Skull Crusher good for beginners?

Yes. The Dumbbell Floor Skull Crusher is rated beginner in the Zulta library: the technique is easy to learn with a light weight.

What is a good alternative to the Dumbbell Floor Skull Crusher?

For example the Cable Rope Skull Crusher, Cable Skull Crusher and Dead Stop Skull Crusher. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.

How do you make the Dumbbell Floor Skull Crusher harder?

Add weight or reps, or move on to the Crossbody Dumbbell Extension and Dead Stop Skull Crusher.

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