Not to be confused with with the hip thruster, the barbell thruster is best known as the bane of all Crossfitters’ existence during “Fran” when they’re complemented with pull-ups for 21, 15, and nine reps. This multi-joint exercise works every muscle from head to toe by combining a full front squat and a push press, all in one, smooth-but-brutal range of motion.
The barbell thruster is a complex exercise that demands a tremendous amount of mobility, strength, stability and power. It is a metabolic thrasher that can humble even the most hardened of lifters. But that’s good news. Because of how intense it is, the thruster can drastically improve overhead pressing strength and overall body composition with regular practice. Proper execution is a must if you want to master this taxing exercise.
To begin the thruster you must first perform a proper power clean to get the bar into the front rack position from the floor. The bar must properly rest against the front of your shoulders and chest. Make sure to use a hook grip — do not try to wrap your thumb around the bar. You need to let the wrist and fingers bend back to allow the elbows to rise up parallel to the ground. This is important as you begin to squat down to prevent a forward lean.
Keeping the bar in the rack position, drop into a full front squat. Make sure your feet are shoulder width apart with your toes pointed out 10-30 degrees. As you squat, distribute the weight in your heels and on the outsides of your feet. If necessary, drive your knees outward as you squat to open up your hips allow you to squat below parallel.
Explosively squat out of the hole to the standing position. You want to let the momentum from the squat and the drive from your hips and legs press the bar above the head. The power generation it requires to get to full overhead extension comes from your hips and legs – not your shoulders. Focus on getting to the standing, fully extended position by driving through your heels in an explosive (thrusting) motion and pushing the weight up over your head in one, uninterrupted range of motion.
Do not press the bar in front of you. This forces you to lean back, which can strain your lower back. If you’re strong enough to “muscle” the bar up but you let it linger out in front of your head, this can still compromise your shoulders. At the very least, this form deficiency leaves you with a broken chain of muscle recruitment, therefore eliminating the efficacy of the exercise. Instead, have “active” shoulders at the top of the lift and don’t leave the bar in front of you – work hard to get it directly overhead by “pulling” it back over your heels and above the head.
Without pausing at the top, return the bar back to the rack position and immediately repeat the movement. It should be a smooth, unbroken move, with the weight coming down to the rack position just as you are squatting down into the next rep. From there, coil and explode into the next thrust.
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All Made Simple – by: S.George
Contact: sheldon@crossfitroundrocktx.com
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