One of the most popular exercises at crossfit is the thrusters. thrustersThis is one of the most complete exercises because it works, among others, the shoulders, arms, legs and abdomen. This exercise, also known as squat with push-upcombines basic movements of weightlifting. In this post we tell you how to do thrusters with barbell and dumbbells in your workouts crossfit to avoid any wrong movement that can cause an injury.

What is a thruster?

A thruster is acompound exercise that combines a front squat with a military press. It consists of placing the bar at shoulder height and performing a squat. Then, you return to the starting position and extend your arms upwards pushing the barbell so that it is above your head, i.e., a shoulder press. Finally, you return to the starting position by placing the bar at shoulder height. As you may have noticed, this movement involves several muscle groups such as triceps, quads and hamstrings, as well as power, coordination and flexibility, so you must master strength and technique to avoid injury. To perform a thruster correctly during your crossfit workouts, consult your coach, who will guide you at all times.

It has two different parts:

1. Front squatFront squat: this is the first phase. Once the barbell or dumbbells are placed at shoulder height, we perform the squat. To do this, we bend our knees, making sure that they do not exceed the tip of the foot and we descend the trunk straight until our hips are below the parallel. Subsequently, we return to the starting position by extending the knees and hips completely.
2. Military Press Once we have returned to the starting point, we are ready for the second phase of this exercise. To perform the military press we must extend our arms upwards pushing the barbell so that it is above our head.

In this video you can see in detail how to do a barbell thruster:

How to make a thruster step by step

Now that you know what each of the phases of a thruster look like, we explain how to execute this exercise in a simple step-by-step manner: Steps to follow:

1. To begin this exercise we must grab the bar with both hands and place it at shoulder height. place it at the height of the shouldersand let it rest on your shoulders. The feet should be at shoulder height, the hands separated a few centimeters beyond the width of the shoulders and the arms must form an angle of less than 45º.
2. From this position, begin to perform the squat by lowering your hips until they exceed your knees. Remember that your knees should follow the line of your feet. your knees must follow the line of your feetRemember that your knees should follow the line of your feet and keep the curvature of your lower back.
3. Extend your knees and hips. Once this movement is completed, extend arms upward to perform a military press. perform a military press.
4. Finish the movement by returning the bar to the starting position and repeat.

One of the variations of this exercise is to replace the bar or weights with a disc. Here you can see a video of this modality:

What muscles are worked when you perform a thruster?

As you may have noticed throughout this post, when you perform a thruster a large number of muscles are worked, among them:

• Triceps.
• Biceps.
• Quads
• Hamstrings.
• Buttocks.
• Shoulders.
• Lumbar.
• Pectoral.
• Scapula.
• Middle and upper trapezius.

Without a doubt, the thruster is one of the most popular multi-joint exercises performed during crossfit workouts due to the large number of muscles involved in its execution.

How to get a thruster running

While it is true that a thruster is one of the most complete movements you can find in the world of crossfit, its execution is recommended only for athletes and amateurs. only for athletes and amateurs and amateurs who have a certain level and experience. Since it is a combination of two exercises, front squat and military press, we recommend that you start by performing both exercises separately and, little by little, perfect the technique until you master it and, thus, be able to perform a thruster without running the risk of injury.

Dumbbell Thruster

If you prefer to use dumbbells, either for ease or comfort, until you are ready to use the barbell, the technique of the Dumbbell Thruster or Dumbbell Thruster is pretty much the same. The only difference is that the dumbbells should rest on the shoulders and the hands should be positioned at shoulder height.

 Regardless of your level, it is always advisable to have the right protection to avoid injuries or discomfort that can interrupt your workouts. At PICSIL you will find the protection you need, from elastic wristbands, weightlifting wrist straps o knee pads up to lumbar belt to properly protect your back and beat your personal bests. After this post Do you dare with a thruster?