Top Trainer Shares a Joint-Friendly Skullcrusher Variation That Still Builds Sleeve-Splitting Triceps
If you want big arms, you've got to train both your biceps and triceps. You've likely mastered the art of the almighty bicep curl, but triceps exercises can be a bit more of a test, especially since many exercises require either overhead motion or repeated bending and extending of the elbows. For anyone dealing with shoulder or elbow discomfort and injuries, the best triceps exercises, like skullcrushers, can quickly become painful, leading them to be neglected or skipped entirely.
"While many people focus on the biceps to get big arms, the triceps actually make up roughly two-thirds of the upper arm's mass," says Luka Hocevar, trainer of Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance. "Because skullcrushers allow you to load more weight than a kickback or a standard cable extension, they are one of the best tools for adding the sheer volume and thickness needed to fill out a shirt sleeve."
Skullcrushers don't always feel great on the joints because the fixed path and stretched position can place stress on the elbows and shoulders. But joint pain doesn't have to keep you away from them forever. Hocevar shared a joint-friendly skullcrusher variation that can help you train your triceps hard without aggravating sensitive elbows or shoulders. All it requires is a decline bench and a pair of kettlebells.
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How to Do Joint-Friendly Skullcrushers
- Lie down on a bench with a slight decline, grabbing a kettlebell in each hand.
- Extend your arms with the kettlebells overhead.
- Bend the elbows, watching excessive flaring and bringing the kettlebells down to the outside of your eyes.
- Once at eye level, bring the elbows down toward your sides before extending them back overhead.
Benefits of Skullcrushers
Because skullcrushers involve an overhead arm position, they put the long head of the triceps in a stretched position. Research consistently shows that training a muscle at long muscle lengths is superior for muscle growth compared to training in a shortened position.
"Most isolation exercises for the triceps lose tension at certain points of the movement, but skullcrushers maintain a high level of mechanical tension throughout the eccentric phase. This tension is the primary driver for building muscle," Hocevar says.
And aside from blowing up your triceps, skullcrushers translate to other big lifts because strengthening this muscle supports both chest and shoulder performance. In particular, they build stronger elbow extension, which is exactly what you need to push through the final 20 percent of a heavy bench press.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the Fitness section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 10:18 AM.