Hey Guys, Sean Nalewanyj here of SeanNal.com and BodyTransformationTruth.com and in this
video I just want to give you 5 quick tips to help you eliminate elbow pain during skull
crushers.
So although they are one of the most common tricep exercises that you'll see being performed
at the gym, skull crushers are also one of the very worst movements out there when it
comes to placing unwanted stress on your elbows and most lifters who include this exercise
in their routine for more than a couple of years will most likely end up with nagging
elbow pain whenever they perform it if the proper precautions are not taken.
Before I go any further though, I do want to stress the following, and that is that
as much as you might enjoy this particular movement, skull crushers are definitely not
a mandatory exercise and there really is no hard necessity to include them in your muscle
building routine in the first place anyway.
Yes, skull crushers are a good exercise for stimulating your triceps but the simple reality
is that there are a million and one other tricep extension variations out there for
you to choose from that will ultimately be just as effective.
So if you're currently experiencing a reasonable amount of elbow pain when performing your
skull crushers, the simplest solution is to just find a different tricep extension variation
that doesn't give you any problems.
Tricep pushdowns, overhead extensions and cable kickbacks are all perfectly good choices
and you can also go ahead and experiment with different angles and attachments on these
exercises in order to find out what works best for you.
In addition, don't forget that the majority of your tricep growth will come as a result
of your basic compound pressing exercises for your chest and your shoulders anyway.
That said, if for some reason you really enjoy this particular exercise and you want to keep
it in your routine, or if you aren't experiencing elbow pain yet but you just want to get some
good preventative measures in place then here you go.
Tip number 1.
Don't go too heavy or perform low reps.
Instead select a weight that you can remain in complete control of using a slow deliberate
cadence for around 8 to 12 reps.
Skull crushers are anything but a power exercise and if you start bouncing the weight up and
down using excessive amounts of resistance then you're just begging to injure your elbows
in the process.
Tip number 2 is to make sure that your technique is perfect.
So along with using a controlled rep speed and keeping you elbows tucked in rather than
flared out, also aim to lower the weight slightly behind the top of your head rather than to
your nose or forehead, and this will keep the tension on your triceps throughout the
movement but will also take some of the stress off of your elbows.
Tip number 3 is to cycle them in and out of your routine.
There's no necessity for you to perform skull crushers year round and instead you can add
them into your program for 4 or 8 or 12 weeks at a time, and then simply take some time
off and perform a different tricep extension variation in its place in order to give your
elbows a chance to recover.
Tip number 4 is to use dumbbells rather than a straight bar or easy curl bar.
So grab a pair of dumbbells and perform your skull crushers using a neutral grip with your
palms facing each other.
With your arms now able to move in a more natural motion rather than being locked into
a fixed position on the bar, your wrists and your elbows will also be placed under less
stress.
Elbow issues aside this is simply a better variation from a muscle building perspective
anyway since each arm will now be able to move independently and one arm can't cheat
for the other.
And Tip number 5 is to roll your shoulders back at the bottom of the movement instead
of just pressing the dumbbells straight up and down using pure triceps extension.
So roll your shoulders slightly backward at the very bottom of the movement before rolling
them forward again in order to extend the weights up.
And here's an example of what this looks like.
Performing your skull crushers in this fashion will de-load your elbows at the bottom of
the movement in order to take some of the stress away.
So if you're looking to keep those skull crushers in your routine in order to build up your
triceps without the accompanying elbow pain, Number 1, stick to moderate weights for around
8 to 12 reps.
Number 2, keep your elbows tucked and lower the weight behind the top of your head.
Number 3, only include them in your routine for a period of 4 to 12 consecutive weeks
before cycling off.
Number 4, perform them using dumbbells with a neutral grip.
And Number 5, if you're still experiencing pain than use the rolling variation to de-load
your elbows in the fully stretched position.
Give these tips a try and see how it goes.
If you've already stressed your elbows to an excessive degree at this point, then they
may or may not solve the problem and in that case you'll simply have to introduce a different
tricep extension variation in its place.
However, if you catch it early enough and start employing these techniques right away
you can probably keep those skull crushers in your routine without any elbow issues moving
forward.
So thanks for watching this video lesson.
I hope you found the information useful here today.
If you did enjoy the video, as always, please make sure to hit the LIKE button, leave a
comment and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future videos.
Also make sure to check out my complete step-by-step muscle building and fat loss programs over
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Talk to you again soon.