Arms · Triceps extension
Cable Skull Crusher
The Cable Skull Crusher mainly trains your triceps.
One cable
Flat bench
Stable
How to do it
- Set the bench lengthwise in front of the tower, head toward the pulley
- Tilt your upper arms slightly toward your head and hold them there
- Extend your forearms until your arms are straight
- Lower slowly to behind your forehead
Coach’s tip
Unlike a free weight, the cable keeps pulling on the triceps even with your arms straight. Move the bench far enough from the tower that the plates don’t touch down at the lowest point. The EZ bar is the kindest to wrists and elbows.
Noticeably loads the elbow. If you tell DCFT that this joint bothers you, the app leaves exercises like this one out and picks a better supported alternative.
Setup
Pulley
Pulley at the bottom
Grip
EZ bar, short bar or rope
Load
One cable
You need
Flat bench; one of: EZ bar, Short straight bar, Triceps rope
Stability
A bench, the floor or the frame takes the counterforce, or the cable pulls straight up or down. Good for heavy sets.
Alternatives
Other exercises for the same movement (triceps extension). In DCFT you can swap with one tap, and the app only offers what your equipment allows.
Questions about this exercise
What muscles does the Cable Skull Crusher work?
Mainly the triceps.
How do I set up the cable machine for the Cable Skull Crusher?
Pulley: Pulley at the bottom. Grip: EZ bar, short bar or rope. You also need: Flat bench.
What can I do instead of the Cable Skull Crusher?
For the same movement: Rope Triceps Pushdown, Overhead Triceps Extension and Bar Triceps Pushdown. In DCFT you swap with one tap.
DCFT
The Cable Skull Crusher in DCFT
In the app this exercise comes with your weight: the plate to pin, what you lifted last time and a rest timer that starts by itself.
Free on the App Store for iPhone. Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription.