How to make thrusters - super movement for pumping the whole body

What are thrusters

Trasters are a functional strength exercise that combines a squat with weights and a chest press (push press).

Most often, thrusters are performed with a barbell, but you can also do them with dumbbells and weights, a medicine ball, and even an expander tape.

In CrossFit and Functional All-Around, this movement is often included in competition complexes to test the strength endurance of athletes. Sometimes it is also used to test strength and power, for example, if the task says to find the one-rep maximum in this exercise.

Why thrusters are good

This exercise hasR. Snarr. Exercise Technique: Kettlebell Thruster / Strength and conditioning journal several advantages:

• Pumps the upper and lower body. The hips and buttocks, abs and back, arms, chest and shoulders will receive the load.
• Develops power. Trains the ability not only to make an effort, but also to do it quickly.
• Increases strength endurance. Doing thrusters many times per set teaches the body to resist fatigue longer.
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• Spends a lot of calories. Since thrusters engage many muscle groups and raise the heart rate quickly, they can be considered a good exercise for weight loss. At least if you perform them in conjunction with other movements.
• Trains well-coordinated muscle work. In thrusters, you learn to transfer efforts from the lower limbs to the upper ones through the body, which is useful both in different sports and in everyday life.

Thus, thrusters will be useful to anyone who wants not only to lose weight or build muscle, but also to get a strong, functional and well-rounded body.

How to make thrusters with a barbell correctly

Most often, thrusters are performed with a barbell, since this shell provides shoulder stability and allows you to take more weight than when using dumbbells or weights.

Remove the bar from the racks, place it on your chest so that the bar touches the collarbones and front deltas, bring your elbows forward.

Move away from the racks, place your feet shoulder-width apart, straighten your back and try to bend in the thoracic spine, and keep the lower back straight.

Bring your hips back a little and do a squat. Sink deeply so that the pelvis is below the level of the knees. At the same time, do not lift your heels off the floor or roll your knees inward.

Keeping your back straight, exit the squat. At the end of the lift, when the legs are not yet fully straightened, with a sharp explosive movement, squeeze the bar up from the chest.

Both phases of the exercise should be a single movement, without pause. Use the inertia of the lift to push the boom up.

Straighten your arms fully above your head. Make sure that at the top of the exercise the bar is in line with your body, not in front of it. Leaving the bar in front will put unnecessary stress on your lower back and may result in pain.

Smoothly lower the projectile back to your chest, while bending your knees to immediately go into the next squat. Repeat the required number of times.

What other burden can you perform thrusters with?

This exercise can be done with different shells, focusing on the tasks and capabilities of your body.

Medicine ball

Ball trasters are suitable for beginners who find it difficult to work with a barbell due to lack of mobility in the thoracic spine. With the ball in front of your chest, it will be easier for you to keep your back straight. In addition, these shells are lighter than an empty bar - medicine balls range in weight from 3 to 12 kg.

Place your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, take the ball in your hands and hold it in front of your chest.

Squat full range so that the pelvis drops below the level of the knees, then sharply straighten your legs at the hip and knee joints and lift the ball over your head. Lower the shell to chest level and repeat.

With dumbbells

This exercise is easier to perform with a tight thoracic spine, since the separate shells provide more freedom. At the same time, the dumbbells are less stable, which increases the load on the shoulder girdle.

Start with light equipment and add weight only if you are confident that your shoulders will support and will not injure due to fatigue.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, grab dumbbells, bend your elbows and place the shells over your shoulders. Squat below the parallel of your hips to the floor, keeping your back straight. With an explosive movement, go upstairs and lift the dumbbells above your head. Straighten your arms fully, then lower the shells to the starting position and repeat.

With kettlebell

Try this variation if you want to develop shoulder stability and work harder on your core muscles. To get started, choose a light weight with which you can effortlessly work on your technique and check if you can keep your shoulder in the right position.

Bend your arm at the elbow and place the kettlebell next to your shoulder so that its body is pressed against the back of your forearm, and the bow hangs at the base of your thumb, like on a hook. Holding the kettlebell in this position, squat just below the parallel of your hips to the floor. You can extend your free hand in front of the body to maintain balance.

Straighten your legs sharply at the hip and knee joints. At the end of the extension phase, use the gained momentum and squeeze the kettlebell over your head, fully extending your arm. Then gently return it to its original position, while bending your knees, and go to the next squat.

With expander

This option is good for home workouts. Also, rubber band thrusters are suitable for beginners who are not yet ready to work with free weights.

Step on the elastic and hold the other end of the loop in bent arms over your shoulders. Lower yourself into a squat, and at the exit from it, sharply straighten your arms above your head.

When performing thrusters with this shell, you will not put too much stress on your legs, since during the squat the elastic will dangle freely and create little resistance only at the end of the movement. But at the moment of pressing, the expander will stretch and provide a good load on the arms, shoulders and chest.

How to include thrusters in your workouts

If you want to build muscle power and strength, add thrusters to your program once a week. Do the exercise for 3-5 sets of 6 reps, resting for 2-5 minutes.

Pick up the weight in such a way as to perform the movement in an explosive manner, tire the muscles, but at the same time finish all repetitions with good technique.

If you're looking to increase your calorie expenditure and build overall and strength endurance, try CrossFit's intense workouts (Workout of the day, WOD). Do them 1-2 times a week, at the end of strength training (if it is not very voluminous and heavy) or on days off.

There are a lot of complexes with trusters, so you can easily find an option for your capabilities. Below we list two WODs that can be run with a minimal set of hardware.

Complex 1

Time yourself and do it in a row without rest:

• 10 barbell thrusters;
• 50 double jumping rope;
• 8 barbell thrusters;
• 40 double jumping rope;
• 6 barbell thrusters;
• 30 double jumping rope;
• 4 barbell thrusters;
• 20 double jumping rope;
• 2 thrusters with a barbell;
• 10 double jumping rope.

Pick up the weight in such a way that you can easily finish 10 repetitions. If you do not know how to do double jumping rope, do single jumps.

Complex 2

Complete 10 rounds:

• 30 seconds burpee;
• 30 seconds of rest;
• 30 seconds of dumbbell thrusters (14 kg for women, 20 kg for men).
• 30 seconds rest.

Choose the weight of the dumbbells according to your capabilities. You need to be able to do at least one 30-second interval without stopping.