Dips vs. Skullcrushers?

[SweatsR15]

Looking to strengthen my triceps, give them some serious size so I can help myself get some real balance and perhaps more strength when I bench. My chest is a bit disproportionate to the rest of my body, so I'm looking to strengthen both my shoulders and arms in general to balance my upper body. Favorite two tricep exercises are skullcrushers and weighted dips, and I want to know which would be more effective. If any other are more effective, give me suggestions. Thanks

[devilsrule61287]

I think dips are probably the best overall tricep movement (as I've been told that its one of the few that actually hits all heads of the tricep at once). I'd put skullcrushers right behind that as my second favorite. But honestly, why choose between and make distinctions? Might as well do them both. Maybe alternate which one you do first in order to get the most benefit out of both.

As for other exercises, maybe try closed grip bench press (though some people get some wrist pain from it if done with a regular barbell), or triceps pushdowns. I find triceps pushdowns with a rope attachment to be excellent, since you can sort of spread the rope apart at the very bottom to really accentuate every rep (though you will be able to do more weight with a V bar or flat handlebar attachment).

[randymiscer]

Use a dip station if ur gym has one there's so many various. Wide, narrow. How u place ur lower body while dipping. With weights etc they all target different areas

[IDrinkBloodLOL]

If I had it to do over again, I'd have always done my skullcrushers so that at the bottom of the lift they touched the tip of my chin instead of my forehead. When I go to my forehead it lets me stop with my elbows at about 90º, but I've since learned that the additional ROM hits the medial head of the triceps really hard and is very much beneficial for tricep growth and pressing strength alike. Failure to do them this way is probably why I had such *******y anne triceps for most of my training career.

[devilsrule61287]

If I had it to do over again, I'd have always done my skullcrushers so that at the bottom of the lift they touched the tip of my chin instead of my forehead. When I go to my forehead it lets me stop with my elbows at about 90º, but I've since learned that the additional ROM hits the medial head of the triceps really hard and is very much beneficial for tricep growth and pressing strength alike. Failure to do them this way is probably why I had such *******y anne triceps for most of my training career.

Interesting. I'll have to try it this way sometime. If people aren't bringing the bar down to the forehead, its usually coming down on top of or behind the head. Never seen someone go more for the chin.

[NZninja101]

If I had it to do over again, I'd have always done my skullcrushers so that at the bottom of the lift they touched the tip of my chin instead of my forehead. When I go to my forehead it lets me stop with my elbows at about 90º, but I've since learned that the additional ROM hits the medial head of the triceps really hard and is very much beneficial for tricep growth and pressing strength alike. Failure to do them this way is probably why I had such *******y anne triceps for most of my training career.

That makes a lot of sense. I try to utilize about as much ROM as I can on pushdowns and overhead extensions for the same reason.

[yanboulay]

That makes a lot of sense. I try to utilize about as much ROM as I can on pushdowns and overhead extensions for the same reason.

I love to do them on a decline bench so the tension stays on for the whole time, it gives me the awesome pump I look for. For abs I like to do any kind of leg raises and knee raises (side as well) on the floor I like to work with v up and those kind of movements.

[lca1986]

Interesting. I'll have to try it this way sometime. If people aren't bringing the bar down to the forehead, its usually coming down on top of or behind the head. Never seen someone go more for the chin.

This

[Jasonk282]

Dips

[SweatsR15]

I think dips are probably the best overall tricep movement (as I've been told that its one of the few that actually hits all heads of the tricep at once). I'd put skullcrushers right behind that as my second favorite. But honestly, why choose between and make distinctions? Might as well do them both. Maybe alternate which one you do first in order to get the most benefit out of both.

As for other exercises, maybe try closed grip bench press (though some people get some wrist pain from it if done with a regular barbell), or triceps pushdowns. I find triceps pushdowns with a rope attachment to be excellent, since you can sort of spread the rope apart at the very bottom to really accentuate every rep (though you will be able to do more weight with a V bar or flat handlebar attachment).

Definitely doing both obviously, just prioritizing, seeing what would help me to best achieve said goal. Feel like dips still create a lot of tension in my chest, not completely isolating the tricep like a skullcrusher, but it definitely creates a much higher workload. Big fan of these two, as well as pushdowns. Hate kickbacks, find close grip bench to be a pain, and not sure what to make of reverse pushdowns. Any ideas on those?

[kimm4]

My staples:

CGBP
Dips
Skullcrushers
DB or cable overhead extensions
Rope pressdowns

[kgts]

My triceps have gotten thick from these following

Heavy CGBP for low reps
Heavy Decline EZ bar skullcrushers, cheated a bit.
Ball grip pushdowns, clean form
V bar pushdowns
Underhand pushdowns

Dips kill my shoulders, never really feel them so I dropped them.

[SweatsR15]

When you say heavy, what sort of rep range? 3-6?

[kgts]

When you say heavy, what sort of rep range? 3-6?

Everything. Start light, doing sets of 10, then pyramid up to 1-2 heavy sets for about 5 reps. If you can get 6, up the weight and force out 4-5.

[ACSZZ1988]

Why can't you do both? Also try push downs

[SweatsR15]

Why can't you do both? Also try push downs

I do everything, just trying to put a main focus on a certain exercise(s) to aid my bench press, not just put on tricep mass. Help that press movement

[Degenerocracy]

trying to put a main focus on a certain exercise(s) to aid my bench press

100%, unilaterally dips. And make sure to go no higher than 8 and no lower than 5. With your stats, you'll have to hang a lot of weight on a belt. Regardless, dips man.

Or do some shoulder pressing and work those anterior delts. Just doing that for a few weeks for strength (adding about 30 pounds over 3 weeks) added just about the same amount to my bench.

[Slingsby93]

Id put my vote in for weighted dips as the best accessory movement for bench. Ive found that as my dips have gotten stronger (more weight and reps) my BP has improved as well. The guys in my gym with strong bench presses tend to do a lot of dips as well.

[ZoranM]

Looking to strengthen my triceps, give them some serious size so I can help myself get some real balance and perhaps more strength when I bench. My chest is a bit disproportionate to the rest of my body, so I'm looking to strengthen both my shoulders and arms in general to balance my upper body. Favorite two tricep exercises are skullcrushers and weighted dips, and I want to know which would be more effective. If any other are more effective, give me suggestions. Thanks

There's no place for 'vs'. here.
You can't go wrong with doing both, or skullz and cgbp instead of dips. With adding pushdowns, there's all you'll ever need, basically.

[BenBlue]

People need to stop posting "exercise A vs exercise B" posts. Rack pulls vs deaadlifts, skull crushers vs dips. There is no reason why people shouldn't be doing it all.