Join 500,000+ Dumbbell Thruster Tips The dumbbell variation may be more shoulder “friendly” given the neutral grip but as always, let pain be your guide. First, learn the move with a dowel or unloaded barbell so you can perfect your form before adding weight. It's safe to say that these suck. You also have to master the rack position (wrists bent back) which is tough for many big lifters. Reach tall at the top and don’t worry about keeping the shoulders packed down and back. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. The standard barbell thruster is a fusion of a front squat and overhead press. The thruster is a movement popularized by competitive fitness sports, however it has been around as a simple squat into overhead pressing movement for…ever. 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Lines and paragraphs break automatically. This movement can be used to increase fitness, cardiovascular endurance, and sport specific performance in CrossFit training and yes, even Olympic weightlifting. You shouldnât be leaning back excessively as you press. Build muscle, lose fat & stay motivated. Dumbbell or Kettlebell Thrusters. Upon the athlete finishing explosively upwards with the legs, they should finish the lift with a shoulder pressing motion. If you find the weight falling forward in the bottom of the front squat, you may need to address a lack of ankle dorsiflexion by putting your feet on plates (or using squat shoes) or perhaps a lack of thoracic extension which you can address with a foam roller. BarBend is an independent website. For the longest time, I didn't even know what a "thruster" was. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs as you press. Check out these awesome articles and workouts to build functional strength and movement! Check your inbox for your welcome email. Proper Form: Start with your feet approximately shoulder width apart in your squat position Since using a dumbbell limits the amount of weight used, focus on maintaining a slower tempo and do more volume. You can begin by In the above video, Jason Khalipa discusses some of his tips for performing light and fast thrusters, whereas in the video below Olympic weightlifter, Dmitry Klokov shows us how thrusters can be done with some serious, serious weight… 385lb to be exact. • Hold the dumbbells in the front-rack position during the squat. By doing so with two independent dumbbells, the lifter must solidify proper technique and stability with both sides of the body to synchronize the motion as a whole. Rather than dumbbells, use kettlebells or a barbell. The dumbbell thruster is great for building strength and muscle, particularly in the legs, Foster says. Never Tip Forward. The movement has a lot of application in building strength, size, and explosiveness. "Master the movement at a weight you can crank out 15 to 20 reps unbroken with good form," says Wickham. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions. Therefore, in this article we will discuss the benefits of performing dumbbell thrusters and what you need to know when doing them. Join the BarBend Newsletter for workouts, diets, breaking news and more. Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level, elbows bent 90°. Simply put, a thruster is a front squat into an overhead push press movement. The athlete starts similar to a front squat, and after descending into the bottom of the squat they start to accelerate aggressively upwards using the legs and hips while keeping the back vertical. Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them just above your shoulders with palms facing each other. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. Push your hips back and bend your knees to play a squat. newsletter subscribers! Hands up if you voted today ✌️#crossfit #gymbae #dumbbellthrusters, A post shared by Lydia Hewitt (@lydia.hewitt) on Jun 8, 2017 at 11:09am PDT. If your shoulders are bothering you during the movement, consider experimenting with a wider grip or utilizing some of the vertical pressing progressions listed on the site. Stand tall at the top of the movement to reach full hip, knee and arm extension. Columbia, SC 29209 Learn how to get order discounts and FREE fitness gear! Online magazine for fans of CrossFit® and functional fitness can crank out 15 to 20 reps unbroken good. And its … Stand tall at the top of the movement slowly while controlling back... And concise exercise demonstration by Matt Chan on how to do thousands of exercises 's an alternative with the... Apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level, elbows 90°... 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