Exercise Comparison
Band Skull Crusher vs Seated Bent-Over Two-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension




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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.
Seated Bent-Over Two-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension
Sit down at the end of a flat bench with a dumbbell in both arms using a neutral grip (palms of the hand facing you).
Bend your knees slightly and bring your torso forward, by bending at the waist, while keeping the back straight until it is almost parallel to the floor. Make sure that you keep the head up.
The upper arms with the dumbbells should be close to the torso and aligned with it (lifted up until they are parallel to the floor while the forearms are pointing towards the floor as the hands hold the weights). Tip: There should be a 90-degree angle between the forearms and the upper arm. This is your starting position.
Keeping the upper arms stationary, use the triceps to lift the weight as you exhale until the forearms are parallel to the floor and the whole arm is extended. Like many other arm exercises, only the forearm moves.
After a second contraction at the top, slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position as you inhale.
Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Verdict
Both exercises target the triceps. Band Skull Crusher is a beginner exercise using bands, while Seated Bent-Over Two-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension is intermediate and uses dumbbell. Choose Band Skull Crusher if you're looking for a more accessible option, or Seated Bent-Over Two-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension for a greater challenge.