Exercise Comparison
Band Skull Crusher vs Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Only in Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
Instructions
Band Skull Crusher
Secure a band to the base of a rack or the bench. Lay on the bench so that the band is lined up with your head.
Take hold of the band, raising your elbows so that the upper arm is perpendicular to the floor. With the elbow flexed, the band should be above your head. This will be your starting position.
Extend through the elbow to straighten your arm, keeping your upper arm in place. Pause at the top of the motion, and return to the starting position.
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
Lie back on a flat bench. Using a close grip (around shoulder width), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest. Tip: Make sure that - as opposed to a regular bench press - you keep the elbows close to the torso at all times in order to maximize triceps involvement.
After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your triceps muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
Verdict
Both exercises target the triceps. Band Skull Crusher is a beginner exercise using bands, while Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press is beginner and uses barbell. Choose Band Skull Crusher if you have access to bands, or Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press if you prefer barbell. Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press is a compound movement working multiple joints, making it better for overall strength. Band Skull Crusher isolates the target muscle for focused development.