Skullcrusher push up

Muscles worked: Upper arms
Upper arms
🔧 no equipment ↕ Push 🔁 reps Difficulty:

Muscle outlines from Body Muscles by Ivan Vulović, Apache 2.0 — regrouped and recoloured for Muscle Train.

How to perform

Start in a forearm plank, elbows bent at 90 degrees, directly under shoulders. Body forms a straight line from head to heels, core braced, glutes squeezed, shoulders pulled away from ears. Press through your hands, extending your elbows to a full push-up position, maintaining a rigid plank. Head, shoulders, hips, and heels rise simultaneously. Lower back to the forearm plank over 2-3 seconds, bending only at the elbows. Reset and repeat. Beginners: 3 sets of 5-8 reps on knees. Intermediate/advanced: 3 sets of 8-12 reps on toes. If needed, perform negatives only: press up, then lower for 4 seconds.

Muscles Worked

Triceps
Secondary: Anterior deltoids, pectoralis major, core stabilizers, serratus anterior

Tips

Elbows move only – avoid shoulder roll or hip bounce. Track elbows forward, not outward. Keep head level or slightly behind hands. Maintain a rigid plank throughout the movement. Control the eccentric phase (lowering) for 2-3 seconds to maximize triceps tension.

Similar exercises

Dumbbell skullcrusher Upper arms · 🔧 Dumbbells 2/10 Push up Chest, Upper arms · 🔧 no equipment 3/10 Resistance band skullcrusher Upper arms · 🔧 Resistance band 1/10 Barbell skullcrusher Upper arms · 🔧 Barbell 3/10 Dumbbell floor skull crusher Upper arms · 🔧 Dumbbells 2/10 Dumbbell incline skull crusher Upper arms · 🔧 Dumbbells, Incline Bench 2/10 TRX push up Upper arms, Shoulders, Abs · 🔧 TRX 4/10 Decline push up Upper arms, Chest, Shoulders · 🔧 no equipment 4/10
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