I’m having some elbow pain while performing skull crushers. It happens right above the elbow bone (not sure what the official name is). Any recommendations on what to do? I use a EZ Curl bar, so I don’t know if it would be better to use dumbells or a wider grip. What worked for you guys?
Skullcrushers are an awesome triceps-building exercise. They also are notorious for causing tendonitis (ask anyone who’s done them for more than a few years). Welcome to the club.
I have found Meadows-style programming (ie, wherein the muscle is warmed up very thoroughly prior to doing any sort of heavy, tendon-straining lifting) has allowed me to work around my chronic triceps tendonitis. You can find JM’s arm-training articles all over this site. FWIW, I do my skullcrusher-style exercise last (when my triceps are at their weakest, so the least amount of weight is needed to challenge them), and use dumbellls (so I can employ a neutral grip). Maybe give that a trial.
I stopped doing them over a year ago. Kept giving me triceps tendonitis and I found them to be not worth it for me. If you’re dead set on doing them follow the suggestions that are given/going to come from guys more experienced than me. Also fish oil and flossing with voodoo bands helped me get rid of my triceps tendoinits, but so did stopping skull crushers 
Just remember there’s always an alternative, and since dropping them I haven’t missed em one bit.
@bulkNcut What’d you do as alternative/replacement for skull crushers?
I just focused on improving my bench press and over head press, as well as dips and the pushdowns on the cable pulleys if I wanted more volume. Say what you will about pushdowns but in my experience they rarely attribute towards tendonitis. Depending on where you are in your training it might make sense to scale back your assistance work and focus on improving your bench press and overhead press. I mean, if you take a step back and realize that your assistance exercises are limiting your success in your primary exercises, they’re not really assisting are they? Not saying that is your situation just some insight from my injury experience and own stubbornness.
Sounds good. I’ll throw in more pullldowns and dips. Right now, it’s not limiting my bench or ohp. I bench about 265 at a bw of 200. Nothing impressive by any means, but that number is continuing to go up. And I’m always open for more advice because the majority of lifters have lifted longer than I have. The more advice the better IMO
Advice is always good, but take it with a grain of salt. I haven’t been lifting for that long either, just a subject I felt I could help with.