Reverse Grip Barbell Skull Crusher
In SetGrip: Barbell Skull Crusher (Reverse Grip)
- Secondary muscles
- Forearms
- Body part
- Upper Arms
- Position
- Standing
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Strength
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Flipping to an underhand grip on a lying barbell extension changes the wrist and forearm demand more than the triceps stimulus: your fingers, not your palms, keep the bar from rolling, so grip often fails before the triceps do. Load it well below your regular skull crusher and treat it as an occasional change of pace.
How to do the Reverse Grip Barbell Skull Crusher
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
- Hold the barbell with a reverse grip, palms facing towards your face, and your hands shoulder-width apart.
- Extend your arms straight up over your chest, keeping your elbows in and your wrists straight.
- Slowly lower the barbell towards your forehead by bending your elbows, keeping your upper arms stationary.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Keep a slight bend at the top on lying extensions to protect the elbow, but lock out fully on cable pushdowns.
Muscles worked
Primary
Triceps · Arms
The triceps straighten the elbow, and overhead variations stretch the long head at the bottom, so you should feel the whole back of the upper arm working with a hard squeeze at lockout.
Secondary
- Forearms — The forearms grip and stabilize the wrist, which should stay straight rather than bending back under the load.
Common mistakes
- Elbows flaring out — on overhead and lying extensions the elbows should stay pointed forward or up, not out to the sides, since flaring turns it into a press.
- Upper arm moving — the upper arm should be pinned in place and only the forearm should move; if the elbow drifts, drop the weight.
- Not finishing the rep — take every rep to a full triceps squeeze; on pushdowns that means a complete lockout for a count.
- Cutting the stretch — on overhead extensions let the weight travel down behind the head until you feel the long head stretch before pressing up.
Where it fits in a workout
Triceps extensions go after the presses in a push session or at the end of an arm day. Superset them with biceps curls.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without barbell
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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More exercises
- All arms exercises
- All triceps exercises
- All barbell exercises
- Barbell triceps exercises
- Banded Single Arm Side Triceps Extension
- Bodyweight Triceps Extension
- Rope Cable Lying Triceps Extension
- Straight Bar Cable Lying Triceps Extension
- Rope High Pulley Cable Overhead Triceps Extension
- Cable Overhead Triceps Extension
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.