Barbell Thruster
A front squat that flows straight into an overhead press with a barbell, using the drive out of the squat to launch the bar. It trains the quads, glutes and shoulders together. Choose it for conditioning circuits and power work when you can front squat and press with a clean rack.
Updated
Primary muscles: Front Delts, Quadriceps. Supporting muscles: Triceps, Glutes, Core. Equipment: Barbell.
Muscles worked
Equipment
How to do it
- Unrack the bar into the front rack, hands just outside the shoulders and elbows forward.
- Set your feet shoulder width and brace the core.
- Squat to just below parallel with the torso upright and the elbows high.
- Drive up through the whole foot and extend the hips hard.
- Let the leg drive launch the bar and press it to a full lockout over the middle of the head.
- Lower the bar back to the shoulders under control and sink into the next squat.
Watch for
- Elbows dropping in the squat, which rolls the bar off the shoulders.
- Pressing before the hips finish extending.
- Arching the low back at lockout.
Breathing
Inhale and brace before you squat, hold it through the bottom and the drive, exhale as the bar passes your face.
Tip
Start with the empty bar: if your elbows sink in the front squat, fix the rack before adding plates.
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