The Thruster: 10 Reps to failure!

A thruster is a front squat and a push press joined together,that combination creates something magically brutal! The pressure of keeping that bar in the front rack throughout the squat and then the elevation of heart rate by the overhead movement is a cocktail for spiking heart rate and gasping for oxygen.

Keys to succes

Front rack first. Elbows up, bar resting on the shoulders rather than held in the hands. If the elbows drop in the squat the bar comes forward, the back starts rounding and your breathing is more restricted.

Squat to depth, chest up, bar over the middle of the foot. Drive the elbows up out of the bottom of the squat and explode as fast as you can. As soon as your hips reach full extension allow that momentum to drive the bar up and continue to press it to full lock out overhead. For most top position is the best place to breath. Your chest is open and this allows you to get air in more easily. The other option is to pause once the bar returns to the front rack.

Pacing matters more than technique here. Thrusters punish going out fast more than almost anything else. Fifteen broken at eight and seven is usually faster than fifteen attempted unbroken and abandoned at eleven with your hands on your knees. Also, even if you complete the big set you pay the price later. Much like sprinting on the fan bike the pain of the thruster comes 10 to 15 seconds after finishing. Too late to do anything about it.

`If you’ve done the workout Fran and sprinted those first 21 thrusters, you’ll know how bad it feels in the round of 15!`

If the front rack is poor that is where to spend your time. Ten minutes of wrist and lat work twice a week to ensure you can keep the bar in good position throughout will transfer into not only thrusters but all movements that utilise the front rack.

If your squat is what lets you down, the first thing to work on is ankle mobility. This is the most common cause for a forward leaning torso and a much more uncomfortable bottom position. Work on your ankle mobility with some half kneeling ankle mobilisations for a minute or two daily and this will improve 50% of your CrossFit movements!

Never done one and now slightly concerned? Fair enough — nobody's first thruster is pretty. Come and see how it gets taught. Book a free fifteen minute call with Jeremy or Beth first, no obligation, at crossfitchiltern.com.