The CrossFit Open reveals everything: strengths, weaknesses, nerves, and grit. Every year, we’re challenged with some familiar — and some not-so-familiar — movements, testing not just fitness, but confidence under pressure. If you want to thrive in the Open, it comes down to preparation and understanding the fundamentals.
In this article series, we’re breaking down the movements most commonly seen in the CrossFit Open with clear tips, smart training progressions, and insights from CrossFit’s expert trainers. Whether you’re chasing Quarterfinals, a higher leaderboard spot than last year, or simply showing up to put in honest work, these articles are designed to help you move better, train smarter, and step into the competition with confidence.
If this series inspires you to dive deeper and learn more about training and movement, check out our course library, including the foundational Level 1 Course (available online or in person), or other online options on nutrition, anatomy, scaling, and more. See all available courses here.
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The thruster is a quintessential CrossFit movement often seen in the Open and in regular CrossFit programming. To properly execute the thruster, an athlete must master the front squat and the transition into a push press. This movement requires not only leg, core, and upper-body strength but also the coordination and timing to transition from the front squat to a push press in a seamless core-to-extremity movement pattern. Returning the bar to the shoulders to initiate the next rep is equally important as the lifting phase when performing multiple reps consecutively. Focusing on actively guiding the bar down to the front-rack position and starting the descent in the front squat only once the bar touches the shoulders allows for smooth reps and prevents the bar from crashing into the lifter. Dedicated strength development and practice maximizes efficiency and increases muscular endurance, enabling the performance of more reps in a conditioning workout.
Common Faults
- Improper Timing — Early Arm Press: It is common for athletes to engage their arms early in the thruster as they attempt to get the bar overhead. This means the athlete presses the bar before completing full hip and leg extension. This is a core-to-extremity violation that results in less weight being lifted, inefficient movement, and increased fatigue.
To learn the proper timing and coordination for the lift, athletes can practice push presses to focus on leg drive and elevating the bar off the shoulders. The athlete can also perform the squatting motion and attempt to pop the bar off the shoulders with an aggressive leg drive at the top of the movement while omitting any arm drive. After performing either of these drills, it is recommended to combine them with the full thruster. For example, perform 2 sets of 2 push presses, followed by one thruster. Both of these drills allow the athlete to focus on full hip and leg extension and how this musculature contributes to the movement. They should notice the bar pops off the shoulders and moves vertically past the chin. This transfer of force from hip extension into the bar, causing the bar to move off the shoulders, is the athlete’s cue to engage the arms. With a bit of practice, the athlete should be able to get this timing right.
- Descending Into the Squat Before the Bar is in the Rack Position (Improper Timing on the Return Phase): After the bar reaches the lockout position, there can also be a timing issue that occurs when attempting to move immediately into the next rep. This issue occurs when the athlete initiates the squat before the bar has returned to the shoulders. This may cause the bar to crash into the lifter as they descend into the bottom of the squat, leading to poor mechanics and instability. Proper execution demands the bar to contact the shoulders a split second before the athlete flexes at the hips and/or knees to squat. Slowing down the return phase of the movement, or cueing the athlete to wait to squat until the bar clears their line of sight, are viable options to help improve this fault.
- Front Squat and Shoulder Press Mechanics: Faults found in the front squat and shoulder press will also be found in the thruster. Issues such as heels lifting from the floor prematurely, knees collapsing inward, loss of lumbar curve, poor bar path, and lack of range of motion may be present. Dedicated practice on front squats, presses, and push presses to eliminate these faults will improve thruster performance. Put simply, the better one’s front squat and push press, the better one’s thruster.
Progression
Developing a full thruster involves establishing the correct setup position, executing a mechanically sound front squat with a specific "thruster" grip, and transitioning efficiently to a push press.
Setup
In the setup for the thruster, the athlete assumes a roughly shoulder-width stance with toes turned out slightly, the legs and hips fully extended, and the bar racked high along the shoulders. Unlike the traditional front squat grip, the athlete has a full grip on the bar, with the hands just outside the shoulders, elbows pointing down and out, and forward of the bar.
Front Squat
While maintaining the thruster grip, the athlete initiates the descent by pushing their hips back and down until the hip crease falls below the knees. After reaching the bottom position, the athlete initiates the ascent and rapidly extends the hips and knees at the top of the movement to help lift the barbell off the shoulders. This leg drive is the start of the push-press phase. The trunk remains neutral, and the knees stay in line with the feet throughout the movement. The heels remain down until the hips and knees fully extend.
Push Press
Once the athlete has aggressively extended their hips and legs to finish the front squat and start the push press, they use the shoulder girdle and arms to continue pressing the bar in a straight line to the finish position directly overhead. Proper timing of the press is essential to the movement's efficiency.
Finish Position
The movement is finished when the bar is overhead and roughly in line with the ankles and hips, and the knees and arms are fully extended. The trunk is neutral, and the shoulders are actively driving upward. To begin a new rep, the athlete brings the bar back down to the original setup position on the shoulders and, without pausing, descends into a front squat once again.
Here is a simple progression for mastering the thruster (use an empty bar or a PVC pipe to practice):
- Complete 5 front squats, maintaining a thruster grip on the bar. Accelerate through the top portion of the front squat to pop the bar off the shoulders when the hips and legs extend.
- Complete 5 push presses, focusing on the leg drive to launch the bar overhead and the arms pressing only after the legs and hips extend.
- Complete 5 thrusters, focusing on the proper timing of the press and the return of the bar to the shoulders for the next rep.
Overcoming Frustration
The strength and coordination demands of the thruster can be challenging to master. Consider the following to make the process more enjoyable:
- Set Process-Oriented Goals: Determine the first drill to practice and set aside time each week to practice this skill until it is mastered, before moving on to the next drill in the progression. Master the front squat, push press, timing of the press, and timing of the return individually.
- Refocus on Strict Strength Development: Front squats and all types of presses are specific to the thruster.
- Record Yourself: Watching a video of your attempts is often the fastest way to identify the faults that are preventing you from advancing.
- Celebrate Small Wins: Mastering the front squat with a thruster grip, the timing of the push press, and the timing of the bar's descent from overhead are all solid wins along the path to mastering the thruster.
Practice
Consistent practice is critical for success. Create a plan that allows for consistent practice over weeks. Use your warm-ups and cool-downs as practice time a few times per week. The plan should be structured, but still allow for some freedom to make changes and some fun along the way. Several 10-minute practice sessions throughout the week will effectively develop the needed skills.
- Continue strict strength development: Although not necessarily considered a skill to practice, it is worth reiterating that strict strength capacity will carry over strongly to your performance in the thruster. Add challenging low-rep front squat and press sets, negatives, isometric holds, and even an accessory movement or two to support your development.
- Timing practice: Practice timing in the push press and rep cycling to ensure the most efficient movement.
- Volume work: Consider adding short sessions to develop your thruster capacity and efficiency. This could involve performing low-rep EMOMs or ladders to build volume.
