Why the Thruster Sucks

This is crossposted from the IGx..."overflowing with foul-mouthed ignorance."

Thruster's Suck

I've edited it a bit.

Thrusters look great on paper. They deliver a serious punch to the CV system. Take a step back and you see the thruster for what it is: A bastardized low-skill compromise made up for trainees with training ADD. They do a great job to "mess you up" but, fuck, what's the purpose of it, really, because running sprints will fuck you up harder and faster, especially hill sprints.

Even if the weather is terrible, there are better options.

It's a ugly combination of front squat and push press and in most videos of the thruster, you see a whole lot of undesirable things happening. Add that in with a certain type of trainee's zest for doing something all-out without first acquiring the mastery, and you'll start to see why it's a junk movement, and not really a front squat + push press.

Let's start with the squat portion...it's not a front squat because you rack a front squat. Most thrusters have you doing some kind of squat with the bar being held at the shoulder level, but not racked. Given the somewhat high velocity of the thruster movement, this is a lot of unnecessary, and, dare I say it, stupid stress on the wrist, which isn't quite that robust of a joint. While this might not be an issue with PVC, or a lighter bar, eventually most folks doing this as a metabolic conditioning movement will put enough slop into it to do something nasty to their wrists. Let's also talk about rebounding out of the squat for a newer trainee...not a good idea. Some experienced olympic lifter types have adapted to this, but the newbie hasn't.

Now the overhead portion has a similar issue...you are essentially transfering forces from the ground, up through your legs and core, and then overhead...except it's not the core that's taking the brunt, it's the wrist. Pavel talks about leakage...even in the best videos of thrusters, you'll see leakage through the wrists. And shoulders. What happens when you rebound with the bar held in your hands, it jams your shoulders down.

Using dbs or kbs makes the movement more palatable since many of these issues are eliminated. 

Overall there are better ways to get this response.

Now, the combination movement of front squat + push press isn't a bad strength movement combination and many have pointed out that it has it's use.  That's not what I'm talking about here.  I'm talking about doing it hard and fast with bad form.  That's no way to develop virtuosity.

And, because it's funny:

Comments

[lb]

That video is g-d hilarious. Well done, whoever did it.

[Andrew]

U front Squat drop elbows as the hips fire into Push press and drive the shoulder into Overhead position

Its a strength endurance movement not strength and with correct loading a good one

Funny as hell video

[mc]

really like what you say about slop.

If you look at the wrists in these typical thrusters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr_1gqoatcs

and compare that with olympic snatches

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOE-PZJq2sk

the wrists stay strong; they don't bend back.

likewise in the gs long cycle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fS_Mf4AbHA

wrists are strong

or the olympic C&J

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcM_SCp2KHA

wrists (except in the rest/rack position of the clean) just don't fold back at the top of a press, do they?

What it also seems shows up is a lot of imbalance. That could be just strength on one side or the other, but going with dbs or kbs as you suggest will also help work that out, too. Either that or use a lighter weight on the bar that can be controlled with perfect form? But from what i've read about xfit, perfect form on every rep isn't a requirement.

great post

mc

[Steve Shafley]

Thanks for the comments, y'all.

Andrew, I know what the thruster is, you're missing the point. The point is there are better ways to get that training effect.

MC: Thanks for dropping by.

[Mean Mister Mustard]

Maybe this blog is dormant, but it was clearly destiny that I end up here today. All the clips on Youtube from that scene with Hitler flipping to various subtitles (e.g. the Hilary Clinton one, the housing bubble one, Giants/Pats, etc.) have been removed from Youtube in the past week. BUT THE THRUSTER VIDEO LIVES! Maybe the owners thought this vid's content was too helpful to society to remove! HAHAHAHAHAHA!