Lying Close-Grip Barbell Triceps Press To Chin
This is a lying triceps move where you lower a close-grip barbell in a slight arc toward your chin, rather than straight down to your forehead the way a standard skull crusher does. That small change in bar path pulls your elbows forward a few degrees as you lower, turning it into a hybrid between a triceps extension and a press. It's an intermediate isolation exercise for anyone who already owns clean skull-crusher technique and wants a variation that stresses the triceps a bit differently.
Why it works
A pure skull crusher keeps the upper arms fixed and hinges only at the elbow, which isolates the triceps almost completely. Aiming the bar toward your chin instead of your forehead lets your elbows travel forward slightly during the descent, adding a small pressing component to the movement. That shift changes the angle of resistance through the range, which is why lifters use it as a change of pace once the standard version stops feeling challenging.
Set up
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet planted on the floor and your lower back settled against the pad.
- Grip an EZ-bar with hands close together, arms extended straight up over your upper chest.
- Keep a spotter nearby if you're using a weight that challenges your last few reps.
- Set your shoulder blades back and down before the first rep.
How to do it
- Start with the bar locked out above your upper chest.
- Bend your elbows and let them drift forward slightly as you lower the bar in an arc toward your chin.
- Stop the bar a few inches from your chin, keeping tension on the triceps rather than resting the weight.
- Reverse the arc, pressing the bar back up and slightly back to the starting position.
- Lock out just short of your elbows snapping fully straight.
- Repeat for the set, keeping the same arc on every rep.
Form cues
- Let the elbows drift forward on purpose, this isn't a fixed-elbow skull crusher.
- Stop the bar short of touching your chin.
- Press back up along the same arc you lowered on.
- Keep your wrists straight, not bent back under the bar.
Breathing: Inhale as you lower the bar toward your chin, exhale as you press it back to the starting position.
Common mistakes
Letting the elbows travel so far forward that it turns into a close-grip bench press.
Fix: Keep the elbow drift small and deliberate, just enough to aim the bar at your chin instead of your forehead.
Dropping the bar quickly toward the chin instead of controlling the descent.
Fix: Slow the lowering phase down and use a weight you can stop at any point along the arc.
Flaring the elbows out wide instead of tracking them forward and in.
Fix: Keep your elbows narrow and pointed toward your chin throughout the rep.
How to program it
- Once a week as a triceps isolation move fits well for most lifters, since it follows heavier pressing work rather than replacing it.
- 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps is a reasonable range once your bar path is consistent rep to rep.
- Pair it with a pushing session where your shoulders and chest are already warmed up from earlier pressing.
Safety notes
- Keep a spotter within reach for working sets, since the bar travels close to your face and neck.
- Use a weight you can fully control through the arc; a bar that gets away from you near your chin is a real risk.
- Stop if you feel wrist strain and check that your grip isn't letting the bar roll back into your wrists.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Push
- Mechanics
- Isolation
- Category
- Strength
Frequently asked questions
How many sets and reps for the lying close-grip barbell triceps press to chin?
Three sets of 8 to 12 reps, once a week as part of a push or arm day, works well since it's a triceps isolation move rather than a primary strength lift.
Is this the same as a skull crusher?
It's closely related but not identical. A skull crusher keeps the upper arms fixed and lowers the bar to the forehead in a straight hinge, while this variation lets the elbows drift forward a bit so the bar arcs toward the chin instead.
What can I use instead if a barbell hurts my wrists?
A cable lying triceps extension keeps the same lying position and steady resistance without locking your wrists into a fixed bar grip.
Press to chin vs regular skull crusher: which should I pick?
Both train the triceps well. Start with the standard skull crusher to learn a clean elbow hinge, then try the press-to-chin version once that feels solid, as a way to vary the angle of resistance.