What Are Incline Dumbbell Skull Crushers?

The inline dumbbell skull crusher is a resistance training exercise that works your triceps on the back of the upper arms. It is similar to the traditional skull crushers exercise, except you use dumbbells for weight and set the bench at an angle.

When you use two dumbbells instead of a single barbell, each arm must work independently. Additionally, the different angle of the bench loads the muscles in the stretched part of the range of motion and targets different parts of your triceps.

Muscles Worked

Incline dumbbell skull crushers are a single-joint movement that primarily involves elbow extension. Therefore, this movement works all three heads of the triceps brachii, which are the lateral, medial, and long heads.

The medial tricep (middle) and lateral tricep (outer) get worked the most when your arms are angled overhead as they are on incline skull crushers. Also, the highest loading occurs when your arms are bent, which further targets the middle and outer triceps.

Benefits & Limitations

The incline dumbbell skull crusher exercise offers additional benefits besides targeting specific tricep heads. Firstly, using dumbbells requires more activation of stabilizer muscles, leading to improved functional strength gains.

Secondly, the incline position offers a deeper stretch than the flat bench at the bottom of the range, which can help you feel a better contraction of your triceps during skull crushers.

Finally, dumbbells allow a neutral grip, reducing the stress on the forearms compared to an overhand grip.

Pros

• Build strong triceps and bigger arms.
• Better for functional strength and coordination.
• Prevent stronger arm from taking over.
• More comfortable hand position.

Cons

• ​Requires adjustable or inline bench.
• More challenging to master than a barbell skull crusher.

How to Do An Incline Dumbbell Skull Crusher

​The incline dumbbell skull crusher is more technically demanding than most tricep exercises. So, starting with lighter weights is a good idea until you’ve mastered the movement pattern. Here are the basic steps to perform the exercise.

1. Adjust the angle of the bench to 30-45 degrees.
2. Hold a pair of dumbbells and lie on the bench with your feet firmly planted on the floor. Scoot up, if necessary, so your head is at the top of the bench.
3. Extend your arms above your chest, with your palms facing each other.
4. Slowly lower the dumbbells towards the top of your head by bending your elbows while keeping your upper arms stationary.
5. Pause for a moment when your arms are bent about 90-degrees, then slowly raise them back up to the starting position by extending your arms.
6. Repeat the movement for your desired number of reps.

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Form Tips

The steps and video above should give you a great starting point for executing triceps extensions with proper form. However, here are some additional pointers to help you avoid common mistakes.

• Arm Angle – Before you begin the exercise, tilt your extended arms a few degrees toward your head. This slight arm angle helps keep tension on your triceps at the top of the movement.
• Elbow Position – Your upper arms should remain mostly still while your forearms and hands move. In other words, imagine that your elbows are pinned in one spot throughout the exercise.
• Feel The Muscle – Finally, concentrate on feeling the tension in your triceps through every inch of the movement from stretch to contraction. This will help you avoid using momentum or other muscle groups.

Incline Dumbbell Skull Crusher Alternatives

The incline dumbbell version is one of several skull crusher variations, and other tricep extension exercises can make a good alternative. Here are some of the best exercises for targeting the tricep muscles similar to incline dumbbell skull crushers.

Check Out My Full List of 13 Skull Crusher Alternatives Here

Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension

The lying dumbbell tricep extension, otherwise known simply as dumbbell skull crushers, is a variation performed on a flat bench. This exercise is well suited for targeting all three tricep heads. However, it doesn’t isolate the lateral or medial head of the triceps to the same extent as the incline variation.