Behind Head EZ-Bar Skull Crusher

Also known as: ez bar behind the head skull crusher, ez bar behind head triceps extension, ez bar back of the head lying tricep extension, ez bar lying close grip triceps extension behind head, 45 degree lying tricep extension ez bar, Behind Head EZ-Bar Lying Triceps Extension

In SetGrip: EZ-Bar Lying Triceps Extension (Behind Head)

Secondary muscles
Delts
Body part
Upper Arms
Position
Lying
Laterality
Bilateral (both sides together)
Category
Strength

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Swapping the straight bar for an EZ bar puts your wrists at a semi-neutral angle, which most lifters find far more comfortable when the bar travels behind the head. Compared with the standard EZ-bar skull crusher, the behind-head path adds stretch at the bottom and removes the resting point at lockout, so sets burn out faster at the same weight.

How to do the Behind Head EZ-Bar Skull Crusher

  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
  2. Hold the ez barbell with a close grip, palms facing up, and extend your arms straight up over your chest.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the barbell behind your head by bending your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
  5. 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

  • Delts — The front delt holds the upper arm in position on overhead extensions and should feel tension but not be lifting.

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 ez bar

Easier and harder

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

Sources

  1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
  2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
  3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
  4. 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.