Thruster Fix: Eliminate the Early Press
Written By Cat Blatner
Timing is everything when it comes to barbell cycling a thruster! Every time a thruster is programmed into a workout, I try to remind my athletes about timing.
The Early Press
A common fault that I have seen super constantly is pressing the barbell off of the shoulders before reaching full extension through the legs; i.e. performing a core-to-extremity violation. This is detrimental to the overall power output onto the barbell and can create a much more taxing movement as the arms now have to do much more work! Who wants to make a thruster harder than it already is? Not me, that’s for sure!
Speed Out of Your Squat
It’s important to understand that your legs are throwing the barbell overhead and that your arms are simply finishing the press. Therefore, the more power you create with your lower body, the less strain you have on your upper body. Work on accelerating out of the bottom of your squat as fast as possible to gain speed on your barbell.
Legs Before Arms
When you reach extension in your hips, knees and ankles you should feel that barbell fly off of your shoulders. It isn’t until that separation happens that you finish the lift with a strong press overhead. This all happens in one fluent motion but must be performed in the proper order for efficiency!
Practice your barbell timing! If you are guilty of the early arm press, thrusters are about to get a whole lot “easier” once you fix your timing! (Well, sort of.)