It’s Technique Tuesday where we talk about a movement we’re doing tomorrow, WHY we’re doing it, and other fun facts and tips about it!
Movement: Thruster
Description: With the bar in the front rack position, squat to below parallel and on the way up transition directly into pressing the bar overhead.
Primary Movement Pattern:
Physical Skills Developed:
Tips, Tricks, and Fun Facts: The thruster is a CrossFit staple. It combines a front squat and a push press into a full body squatting and pressing movement that builds strength, power, coordination, balance, and flexibility. When you do more than one rep at a time it also builds stamina and cardio respiratory endurance.
Tomorrow we’ll be refining technique and range of motion before building to a 1 rep heavy for the day – developing max strength and power. Afterwards we’ll complete a set of maximum reps at 60% of the max weight, testing (and building) strength endurance.
Newer athletes will keep the loads lighter and practice sound mechanics with additional reps each set.
Setup:
– start standing with the bar in the front rack position
Initiation:
– shift hips back and down to initiate squat; maintain neutral spine and upright chest
– squat to hip crease below parallel; maintain neutral spine, upright chest, knees tracking in line with toes
– stand up out of the squat, accelerating with maximum leg drive. As legs reach full extension driving bar vertically off the front rack, press the bar overhead to full arm extension.
– Finish with legs, hips, and arms fully extended.
Common faults:
– hips shooting up first from the bottom of the squat (loss of upright chest)
– pressing the bar before completing leg extension
Check out our social media for the slow motion video with commentary and have one of our coaches check your technique tomorrow!
Dean