Conditioning
Dumbbell thruster
- Kit
- Dumbbells
- Works
- quads · glutes · shoulders
- Also
- triceps · abs · upper back · calves
The dumbbell thruster joins a front squat and an overhead press into one movement. You squat with the dumbbells at your shoulders, then drive up out of the bottom and let that drive carry the weights overhead. It works the legs, shoulders and trunk at once and raises the heart rate fast, which makes it a strong conditioning exercise for anyone with a pair of dumbbells.
Form
How to do dumbbell thruster
- 1Stand with your feet about shoulder width, a dumbbell in each hand resting on the front of your shoulders, elbows pointing forward.
- 2Brace your stomach and squat down, hips back and knees tracking over your toes, until your thighs are about level with the floor. Keep your chest up.
- 3Drive hard through your whole foot to stand, and as your legs straighten, press the dumbbells straight overhead in one smooth movement, breathing out.
- 4Bring the dumbbells back to your shoulders under control and sink straight into the next squat, breathing in.
- 5Keep a pace you can hold with good form until the timer ends, and rest the weights on your shoulders if you need a pause.
Watch for
Common mistakes
Squatting, standing, and then pressing as a separate move.
Fix: Start the press while the legs are still finishing the drive, so the hips do half of the work.
The chest drops and the elbows fall at the bottom of the squat.
Fix: Keep the elbows up and the dumbbells on your shoulders, and only squat as deep as you can with a proud chest.
The lower back arches at the top of the press.
Fix: Squeeze your glutes and pull your ribs down as the arms lock out.
Variations
Easier and harder
Sessions
Put it in a workout
None of the fixed workouts uses it. Pick a workout for your kit, or start today's session on /gym.