The dreaded exercise thrusters
Have you ever tried the exercise called thrusters? If not, we can say, “you are in for a treat.”
It’s no coincidence that this barbell exercise has become a true classic in CrossFit circles. It’s heavy, breathless, and wonderfully challenging.
What are thrusters?
A thruster is best described as the love child of the exercises: Front squats and push press.
A front squat is a squat with a weight resting on the front of your chest and shoulders.
A push press is a shoulder press where the legs help to drive the barbell upward at the start of the press. The thruster is, therefore, a squat that transitions directly into a shoulder press.
Are thrusters tough?
Thrusters are one of the most heart-pumping barbell exercises out there. The barbell’s long journey from a deep squat to a press up to straight arms above your head forces your entire body to work. The exercise leaves little time for the athlete to catch their breath, leading to a quick increase in heart rate.
What muscles does a thruster work?
The muscle groups that typically feel the exercise the most are the front thighs, glutes, and shoulders. It’s crucial that you use your legs to their full potential. If a thruster is performed without explosive power in the legs, your shoulders will have to do more of the work in the press, which will be immediately noticeable.
Top tips for getting good at thrusters:
Here are our four best tips for mastering the thruster exercise:
- Do few reps at a time
- Pause at the top
- Be explosive
- One rep at a time
Do few reps at a time.
A classic beginner’s mistake is going too hard too soon. Thrusters can quickly go from feeling okay to becoming extremely challenging. This usually happens after 6 to 10 reps at the start. So, don’t do more than 10 reps at a time. Drop the barbell and lower your heart rate, even if it doesn’t feel tough yet. This will pay off in the long run.
Pause at the top.
The only place where the barbell can rest in a thruster is at the top position with straight arms above your head. Once you’ve reached that point, you can exhale and take a deep breath before the next rep. Don’t rest anywhere in between.
Be explosive.
Once you’ve caught your breath and are ready for the next rep, just go for it. A slow thruster is a heavy thruster. The more power you can generate from your legs, the easier the press will be. Make every rep count!
One rep at a time.
Of course, you can’t do more than one rep at a time, but here we’re mainly thinking mentally. Once you’ve decided how many thrusters you’ll do in a set, focus only on the rep you’re doing right now. From top to bottom and back up again. Breathe, and do another. Not stressing about the work ahead makes the exercise much easier.
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