So I have recently when performing close grip skullcrusher to my chin felt that some nerve (googled it possibly ulnar nerve) get "jammed" or pinched when doing this exercise. Therefor I have been avoiding it which is Sad because I get a better contact with my triceps doing this exercise. It´s not happening so often in normal grip skulls where you decend the ez-bar over your forehead nor doing close grip benchpress or reversed grip benchpress.

Is there some way to stretch or exercise to make this stop or is i dislocation of the nerve which causes this crap?

While I get quite the pump doing dips and pushdowns in cable etc skulls still give more of a burn in my triceps which should mean it´s activated much more effectivly.

Stefan,

There is potential for injury with every exercise especially if you do them wrong, use too much weight, or do them too much. If skullcrushers are working for you and you have no elbow or arm pain, keep doing them. Listen to your body not Google :-)

I have been doing behind the neck shoulder presses for 31 years. If you search online or talk to "experts" they will say never do this exercise as it is bad for shoulders. It builds the entire shoulder and traps better than front military presses. Period. Not everyone has the biomechanics to do them. I just happen to be able to do them and I can without issue. Therefore, I listen to my body not the "experts".

John

Yeah I know everything can cause injury and it´s not like I am loading the weight of half a horse while doing them it occurs at as easy weights as 50lbs when doing close grips. So I assume my body doesn´t like them and that I rather should do other exercises then. It doesn´t hurt but the feeling is similar to when you hit you elbow into a doorframe or table etc when you get that feeling that runs trough the entire arm (we call em enkel-stöt here) not sure what that would translate in properly in english. But it makes it uncomfortable to continue doing more.,

OK. If you are feeling pain or discomfort doing them, that is your body saying "stop doing this exercise". Triceps are an easy muscle to grow as they are involved in all pressing exercises for chest and shoulders just like biceps get worked a lot with back exercises. Skullcrushers are not necessary. Dips are the best compound exercise to grow all 3 heads of the tricep.

John

Dips I do quite often so I will rather stick to them then skulls then. And perhaps incorporate them before bench becuase if I do dips after bench there it feels like there is less strength left in them.

what you should do is start with a low weight. then work it up towards the weights you know it wont hurt you.

besides, when I preform skulcrushers, i lower the barbel back toward my forehead, even behind my head.

and maybe change your grip more often, don't focus to much on 1 kind of grip.

please correct me if I'm wrong.

Joris F

Weight sadly doesn´t matter at all . Even if going as light as 15 kg that nerve or what it is "jumps" and causes discomfort. But it´s only the close grip that always makes this occur wide grip over and beyond head doesn´t necessary cause it but close grip to chin and ez-bar close grip bench also causes it to occur .. Very disturbing since I really feel the muscle connection good while doing these , dips do to but these feels more isolating .

Are you properly warmed up and stretched before you do skull crushers? I have dealt with this similar issues a few times throughout my years of training. I'm not an expert with what's going on but Johns right, your body's talking to you so quit doing them. give them a break and try them down the road again with hood warm ups and stretches. That's what i found worked for me.

Yes I am warmed up and stretched . I guess it could be a result of 10 years working as carpenter carrying drywall boards up and down stairs because that sometimes caused discomfort in same place.

It sounds like you are getting neural tension throughout your shoulder and arm. This is a pretty common problem and I can see how skullcrushers would exacerbate your symptoms. Google "ulnar nerve glides" to see some exercises on how to lengthen and stretch your nerve. You could also do median nerve glides and radial nerve glides to help prevent any more future problems. You'll need to do the glides several times daily for a few weeks to start noticing a difference.

Hope that helps.