At a glance
- Main muscle
- Triceps
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Rep range in Mitta
- 10 to 15 reps
- Skill level
- Beginner
- How tiring
- Low
- Weight step in Mitta
- 1 kg
How to do it
- Neutral grip.
- Lower the dumbbells beside your head.
- Upper arms at a slight angle.
Pick a weight you can lift for 10 to 15 reps with good form, and stop each set with a few reps left in the tank.
Why rating A
Same stretch as the barbell version with less elbow stress.
Mitta rates every exercise from S to C, based on research where it exists and on how the exercise loads the muscle. When Mitta builds your plan it picks from S, A and B exercises and prefers ones that load the muscle at long length. C exercises are never picked automatically, but you can still choose them yourself.
Alternatives
These train the same muscle. Use one if you lack the equipment, if this exercise does not feel right, or for some variety.
- Skull Crusher · Barbell · rating A
- Single-Arm Dumbbell Overhead Extension · Dumbbell · rating A
- Overhead Cable Triceps Extension · Cable · rating S
Keep learning
- What is progressive overload, and how do you do it?
- How many sets per muscle per week?
- What is RIR, and how do you estimate it?
- One-rep max calculator: your max from any hard set of the dumbbell skull crusher.
Let Mitta set the weight.
Mitta plans the dumbbell skull crusher with a weight and rep target for every set, worked out from your last sessions.
Questions about the
dumbbell skull crusher
What muscles does the dumbbell skull crusher work?
The dumbbell skull crusher mainly trains your triceps.
How many reps of the dumbbell skull crusher should I do?
Mitta plans the dumbbell skull crusher at 10 to 15 reps per set. Most sets should end with only a few reps left in the tank.
What can I do instead of the dumbbell skull crusher?
Good alternatives that train the same muscle are the skull crusher, single-arm dumbbell overhead extension and overhead cable triceps extension.
Is the dumbbell skull crusher good for beginners?
Yes. It is easy to learn, so it suits people who are new to lifting.
Why does the dumbbell skull crusher have rating A?
Same stretch as the barbell version with less elbow stress.