EZ Bar Skull Crusher

Setup

1. 01Lie back on a flat bench holding an EZ bar with a narrow grip on the angled sections.
2. 02Press the bar up so it sits over the shoulders or slightly behind the head.
3. 03Plant the feet, tuck the elbows in, and set the shoulder blades on the bench.

Execution

1. 01Bend only the elbows to lower the bar toward the forehead or just behind the head.
2. 02Keep the upper arms still and angled slightly back toward the head.
3. 03Stop when the forearms pass parallel and the triceps are fully stretched.
4. 04Extend the elbows to press the bar back to the start without flaring.

Checkpoints

• -Upper arms stay fixed; only the forearms move.
• -Elbows point up, not flaring wide.
• -The bar path stays over or slightly behind the head, never over the face at lockout.
• -Full stretch at the bottom and full extension at the top.

Common mistakes

• -Turning the movement into a close-grip press by dropping the elbows.
• -Flaring the elbows out to grind out heavy weight.
• -Cutting the eccentric short and losing the stretch.
• -Bouncing the bar off the forehead.