Analyzing the Thruster

image courtesy of CrossFit.com

The thruster has been called the king of metabolic exercises. The combination of a front squat to a push press can be absolutely brutal. But what makes it so killer, and how do you do it right?

First, let's look at the metabolic demand the thruster places on you. We measure intensity as power which = (FxD)/t or Force times Distance divided by time. The thruster allows us to move a significant amount of weight (Force) over one of the longest distances possible (Distance) with a very fast rate of both movement and cycle rate (time).

As you can see in this graph, the more the power output, the more demand on the various energy systems. Compare the thruster to other exercises and you will see why it is so demanding. The deadlift or squat allow us to move more weight, but it is over a shorter distance limiting the power output. The snatch covers a longer distance coming all the way from the floor to overhead, and it is faster than the thruster, but the cycle time prevents it from being as demanding once you go beyond a few reps.

So, how do we do it right and get the most out of the thruster? So, we start like the setup for the front squat with the bar resting on the shoulders, feet shoulder width apart, weight on the heals, back straight. The difference is that in the front squat you want to have your elbows up high so that your upper arms are parallel to the ground. In the thruster, they do need to be up enough that the bar can rest on your shoulders, but they don't need to be up so high that you have no pushing power.

As you descend into the squat, you really need to keep a tight core because if you are soft at the bottom, not only do you risk injury, but you will come out of the whole slowly and waste a lot of energy trying to finish the thruster. EXPLODE out of the bottom and drive up hard from the hips. It is essential that the bar is resting on the shoulders as you come back up. If you start pushing early, you are wasting the momentum that your legs are trying to contribute to the bar.

Once you reach full hip extension, that is when you start the push. It needs to be as straight up and down as possible. You will have to pull your head back as the bar passes in front of your face. As soon as the bar passes the head though, you need to get your head back under the bar. The cue I normally give is "look through the window". At the top, continue to press the bar to the ceiling to achieve active shoulders and pull back on the bar with scapular retraction.

Now you have completed 1 repetition, but your return is just as important as how you got the bar up. You can not just drop into the next rep. First, lower the bar to the shoulders keeping your elbows forward of the bar. Once the bar is resting on the shoulders again, you are ready to bend the hips and start your next repetition.

The smoother and straighter you make the movement of the bar, the more efficient your thrusters will be. Now you are ready to thrash yourself. Here are some final points about training the thruster. Remember that while we can do the thruster as a max strength exercise, is best suited for metabolic conditioning. So, you want to choose a weight that allows you to achieve the greatest metabolic demand. There was a great article in the CrossFit Journal titled "Fooling Around with Fran" where Greg Amundson tested his "Fran" with various weights and rep schemes. The time he was able to complete the workout changed. By analyzing this, he was able to find the best weight for him to train with in order to challenge his metabolic system. The weight that allows you the highest power output is where you want to train this exercise most often. This will change over time as you get stronger and as your endurance and stamina improve, but essentially you can take the 3 Bears approach. You don't want it to be too heavy, but you don't want it to be too light. Somewhere in between is going to be just right.

So, what are you waiting for? Get out and start practicing yourself on the fast track to "Pukie".