Skull Crushers VS Tricep Pushdowns

[Admin]

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Skull crushers or pushdowns?

Thought it'd be a good discussion

 

[Bench Polkov]

Cable Tricep Pushdowns are in my top 10 favourite exercises ever. Skullcrushers hurt my elbows.

 

[canned tuna]

Feel like pushdowns have a more constant tension, yet I prefer skulls.. light but controlled with elbows tucked in tight

 

[Bench Polkov]

Tricep pushdowns are the upper body squat.

 

[White_Lie]

I think a lot of people don't keep a strict enough movement with skull crushers, moving at the shoulders to get some momentum. Like a cheat curl for the tri's.

Those that do crushers, what's the preferred method and grip?

I like doing 21's
7 narrow grip to mouth, 7 slightly wider and to the forehead then 7 wider again and over head. All laying flat

Don't mind doing inclines with dumbells either. A lot easier on the elbows

 

[Rugby88]

I like both exercises but Tricep pushdowns for me - def one of the better tricep exercises...

 

[lkt004]

Do them both

 

[spartacus]

I don't like skull crusshers, so do a version overhead. With ez bar or straight bar, I lift bar overhead and then reverse bar behind neck as far as I can go and then return overhead.

Only problem is tendency to move shoulders out rather than keep elbows in (as with skull crushers), but still find it best for triceps along with close grip bench and pushdowns for something easier.

 

[Goosey]

seeing as two heads of the tricep cross over the shoulder i like to have my arms up over my head.

pushdowns are safer... if you don't have a cable, i think dips are the next best thing.

having said that, i don't believe any one exercise is better than the other, they all have pros and cons.

 

[Goosey]

I don't like skull crusshers, so do a version overhead. With ez bar or straight bar, I lift bar overhead and then reverse bar behind neck as far as I can go and then return overhead.

Only problem is tendency to move shoulders out rather than keep elbows in (as with skull crushers), but still find it best for triceps along with close grip bench and pushdowns for something easier.

yes, i get a real good stretch and contraction with this exercise, the stretch is the key, nothing biulds strength like placing a muscle in full stretch | under load..

 

[spartacus]

silverback, do you try and keep elbows in?

I find it a bit uncomfortable, so let them go out a bit.

 

[Goosey]

silverback, do you try and keep elbows in?

I find it a bit uncomfortable, so let them go out a bit.

No, my focus is getting the arms as far back as possible and try to touch my back with my hands, in this case i don't believe the position of the elbow is important in this exercise, but trying to get a "pre-stretch" of the tricep is.

 

[Neddysmith]

I prefer push downs, I find when doing skull cruches it causes shin splint type pain in my forearms, since dropping skull crushes this pain has gone.

 

[Bazza20]

Pushdowns.

 

[bozodos]

dips or lying tricep extension 'skullcrusher' with ez curl bar back to the middle / back of my head and over it.

Hard to load up effectively though, as too much too fast gives me elbow pain despite being able to move it. These days I dip due to being able to do dips at bodyweight, which is more than the stack on the cable pushdown machine

 

[spartacus]

No, my focus is getting the arms as far back as possible and try to touch my back with my hands, in this case i don't believe the position of the elbow is important in this exercise, but trying to get a "pre-stretch" of the tricep is.

concur.

 

[steveP]

I do both, but if I could only do one, it would be skull crushers. I just think they're an overall harder exercise to master with more of a risk vs reward factor. You could potentially drop a bar on your face, but this means you concentrate on the exercise more and are more controlled. In the same way of comparing a barbell bench press vs smith machine bench press. The barbell will work the stabilising muscles more, but there is a risk of getting trapped under the bar. However I do like how pushdowns engage the core.

For people having problems with skull crushers, you need to have a narrow grip (slightly less than shoulder width) and keep your elbows in like you're holding a basketball between them. Your forearms should be the only part of your arm moving.

 

[Shrek]

Seated dips... Very good, yeah buddy.

 

[Goosey]

Never tried one

 

[Darkoz]

lazy cow