Thruster

A front squat flowing seamlessly into a push press, combining a full-depth squat with an overhead press in one continuous movement. It is a full-body, high-demand movement common in conditioning workouts.

Standard: A valid rep begins in the front rack, reaches a squat with the hip crease below the top of the knee, and finishes with the bar locked out overhead and hips, knees, and arms fully extended.

How to do the Thruster

1. Rack the bar on the shoulders with elbows high and feet about shoulder-width.
2. Brace the midline and descend into a full front squat below parallel.
3. Drive out of the bottom aggressively, keeping the torso upright and elbows up.
4. Let the momentum from the legs carry into the press as the hips open.
5. Press the bar the rest of the way to a locked-out overhead position over the mid-foot.
6. Finish tall with hips, knees, and arms fully extended before the next rep.

Common faults

• Pausing at the top of the squat and losing the drive into the press.
• Cutting the squat above parallel and missing full depth.
• Elbows dropping in the squat, causing the chest and bar to fall forward.
• Finishing with the bar forward rather than stacked over the mid-foot.

Scaling & progressions

• Reduce load or use dumbbells to keep the movement continuous.
• Break the movement into a front squat and push press to learn the timing.
• Squat to a target to ensure consistent depth under fatigue.
• Elevate the heels to help maintain an upright torso in the squat.