Moving an object from a squat position upwards is one of the most challenging and exhausting movements we can do. The thruster is a movement popularized by competitive fitness sports, yet it has existed as a simple squat in the upper pressure movement.
Although bars are often the most common way to perform them, other objects, such as dumbbells, can offer the same benefit to lifters.
What is a thruster?
Simply put, this exercise is a front squat position along with a superior push pressure movement. The athlete starts similarly to a front squat, and after descending to the bottom of the squat, begins to accelerate aggressively upward using the legs and hips while keeping the back vertical. When you explosively end up with your legs, you should end the lift with a shoulder press motion.
This movement can be used to increase fitness, cardiovascular endurance, and sport- specific performance in CrossFit training, and yes, even Olympic weightlifting. Thrusters can be used in powerlifting to assist those lifters who slowly move away from the squat when recovering from cleans and / or those lifters who do not use their legs when performing jerks and push presses.
Why use dumbbells to do thrusters?
The benefits of thruster movement can be expanded when an athlete chooses to use dumbbells.
Unilateral benefits
The benefits of one-sided training are described here, with the dumbbell thruster offering those attributes to those who perform them. Whether you do it with one arm at a time, or both, muscles and neural systems are properly trained.
Additionally, the ability to address asymmetries that may go unnoticed when training with a unique team (such as the barbell) can help maximize resistance to injury, coordination, and muscle development.
Individualized wrist and shoulder positioning
At some point in an athlete's physical condition, there will come a time when the bar will be unavailable and / or injury to the shoulder and wrist can make the bar variation unbearable. The weights will allow a wide range of wrist angle and overload positions that can be altered to better "fit" the athlete. For this same reason, greater joint stabilization can also occur in different positions to maximize joint capsule integrity and movement.
Increased neuronal stimulation
Like any new movement, neurological systems adapt to new imbalances, proprioception, and demands for stability. When doing it with two independent weights, the lifter must solidify the proper technique and stability with both sides of the body to synchronize the movement in its repetition. Once developed, the transition to the bar (or other fixed object) will be less challenging (in terms of stability and coordination).
