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Old Forum crossfit thrusters?

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RussellPeele

RussellPeele

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to say i'm not sold on crossfit would be understatement. However, I have long been of the belief that you can learn SOMETHING from anyone, regardless of how misguided they might be. Example: I really like thrusters (i don't really dig the title, but it's better than "ft squat accelerating into a push press), but I'm not a big fan of doing them with a 95lb barbell for high reps. Here's what i do like--loading them up with heavy weight for lower reps. This forces compensatory acceleration. If you don't accelerate through the full motion, you're not going to lock out the bar overhead. A typical squat done with CAT requires slowing as you near full extension (exception: bands/chains). When doing a heavy thruster, this is not an option! Note: behind the neck thrusters are great too, for those with healthy, flexible shoulders.

Another thruster variation I like: kettlebell thruster (double or single) for reps. In this case, you have a friendlier rack position conducive to repping away while fatigued. The double and single kb versions both have unique upsides.

If anyone tries these out, let me know what you think!
 
Russell, I can't tell you how much I share your sentiment about Crossfit.  I mean, I really can't.  The tenor of this forum is supposed to be positive and high class.  I see thrusters as being a good option for natural squatters.  For bad squatters the move just doesn't flow.  A good option is heavy one or two bell Viking push presses, popping out of the rack and grabbing a breath or two at the lockout.  That's just me.
 
makes sense, Matt. Something i'd like to point out: i do not mean to imply any looking down upon crossfit. I actually do like the competitions (with the exception of those kip pullups... how do you judge those...) and respect the competitors. In fact, I saw one of the better TSC competitors, Pat Burke, on ESPN the other night competing in crossfit...   all that being said, it's worth paraphrasing Christian Thibadeau, "An athlete looking to be successful in Crossfit competition should not be focusing on the WOD". He went on to describe that said athlete would be better off spending his or her efforts working on basic strength, o lifting technique, and learning basic gymnastic movements... strong first?
 
I have a few minutes and thought I'd ask this question. What is the difference between a "thruster" and a long push press?

 
 
@Russell.  Haha, I didn't mean that.  I just have my own special private opinion of Crossfit I really should keep to myself.  I do admire the competitors.  Like you point out, their actual training undermines the WOD mentality.  On pages 76 & 77 of Easy Strength there is a great passage by Brian Petty.

@Mark.  I might be wrong, but I think the moves are identical.  I think the long push press is a Pavel drill to assist the start of the KB press.  Thrusters are MetConish.
 
Some years ago Dan John recommended thrusters for a Tabata workout. By its very nature, a Tabata workout will involve higher reps. I do not know if Dan has changed his position on this issue. I think high-rep thrusters make a pretty good conditioning workout. I do agree that double and single KBs create a "friendlier" rack position. Dumbbells would be my second choice. Barbells can get awkward.
 
My $.02 in response to Mark's question:

I think the differences are in the implement and the application more than the form of the drill.

Thrusters seem to typically be done for high reps as a metcon drill. IMO, high reps using a barbell in a FSQ rack is problematic.

The long push press was (to my knowledge) first suggested by Pavel as a bridge to strict pressing a heavier KB, with the rationale that it would have more carryover to the strict press than would a traditional push press.

If done for higher rep sets, I think the KB is more suited for maintaining a good rack position.

 
 
Really like thrusters with KBs. No better way to keep your KB fs speed up then moving right into a double press. Add a clean to each rep and you have almost a full body workout.
 
mark - assuming a long pushpress involves a full squat with emphasis on acceleration from the bottom, there is no difference.

mike - kb thrusters done with a tabata protocol would be a nightmare (an effective nightmare).
 
Mike - I believe Dan John now recommends front squats for the Tabata Protocol.  8 front squats - rest 10 seconds and repeat for 8 total rounds.  He mentions doing this once every couple of weeks.
 
I believe that Dan always recommended keeping the bells int he rack otherwise you lose too much time reracking and don't recover as well. Although I have to imagine keeping bells in the rack while you're breathing heavy can't be easy.
 
I feel a strange sense of jealousy at all the pain you guys are enjoying and I'm missing out on.  I made a good attempt at double cleans, front squats, push presses, & thrusters for cardio, mostly with 32 kg bells.  I had to stop because my transversus outgrew my pelvis and ribcage to the point of being uncomfortable.  Power to you!
 
Oh man a DBL CLN to a FRT SQT to a DBL PRESS/Jerk.

Yeah that would be killer.

 

This combo is one of my favorites in a love/hate kind of way.
 
I later said that the Thruster is a terrible exercise. I could get away with it, frankly, but few can. Using 95 pounds after jerking 385 for five allowed me to deal with the movement. I apologize.

From what I have seen in the last year with injuries and sheer idiocy, I struggle to find much positive to say about crossfit methods. If, in anyway, I encouraged anyone to hurt themselves doing crossfit, I apologize. My friend, 9/7, has ruined himself doing it and his shoulder injury is permanent.

I wish the internet would not have been around during that experiment in my life. When I did the two years of Nautilus training (another classic failure...my concept of "everything works for six weeks" comes from this), I didn't have to see my words repeated over and over. Forgive me.

Complexes work well for most, but the Thruster seems to just add ballistics to poor positions.
 
@ daniel john - clarifying... would you consider heavy (not so much maximal, but heavy) barbell thrusters done for low repetitions to be a terrible exercise? if so, why?  How about repetition thrusters with kbells? again, why?
 
Why not just Clean and Jerk? Why not just Push Press or Push Jerk?

You can do anything you want, by the way, brave people have put their life on the line so that you can do what you will.  I'm not sure I can make my point about not doing them clear enough, but, alas, I again apologize to anyone who did them after reading my work...which I disavowed years ago.
 
"Why not just Clean and Jerk? Why not just Push Press or Push Jerk?"

why not? same but different. Doing a push press with a much deeper dip (all a thruster is) will add leg emphasis. i'm not necessarily saying this will improve one's jerk or pushpress (might, might not) but it will provide a slightly different stimulus. I ask because i'm wondering if there is some danger I'm missing. I understand the risk involved in doing such an exercise while huffing, puffing, and seeing stars, but i don't see that issue when keeping the reps low. I do not have these as part of my routine right now, but in the future i plan to get them involved at some point. If I have erroneously convinced myself that this exercise is worth its risk, I'd like to find out otherwise through explanation rather than injury.
 
I do a version of this with Dbl Kettlebell front squat to press.  Set your timer or look at your clock, on the minute clean your kettle bells (once), front squat down and up, then do a press, do 5 reps of both, and repeat at the top of each minute.  When it becomes to difficult to press, I start doing push presses.  For me it is intense, as much fun as a Tabata workout.  Let me know what it's like to do it for 10min.  I set my timer for 10min., think I made it to 7 min last time.

I also do a version of Dan's swing and pushup workout,  20 swings, either two handed or 10/10single, then 6-10 pushups.  Do that every other min. for 20 min.  Good Times
 
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<a></a>HAMLET
<a></a>Between who?
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<a></a>LORD POLONIUS
<a></a>I mean, the matter that you read, my lord.
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<a></a>HAMLET
<a></a>Slanders, sir: for the satirical rogue says here
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<a></a>though I most powerfully and potently believe, yet
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