# Dumbbell Thruster: how to do it

- Main muscles: quads, front delts
- Also works: glutes, triceps, cardio
- Equipment: dumbbell
- Level: intermediate
- 3D demo (side view): https://media.trainaq.com/exercises/dumbbell_thruster/7a69aeff1a/side-m-720.mp4

## Steps

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell at each shoulder, palms facing in.
2. Brace your stomach, push your hips back and squat until your thighs are about level with the floor.
3. Drive up through your feet and, as you stand, press both dumbbells straight overhead in one movement.
4. Lower the dumbbells back to your shoulders with control and go straight into the next squat.

## Cues

- Chest up, elbows up in the squat.
- Use your legs to drive the press.
- Finish with arms straight by your ears.

## Common mistakes

- Squatting then pressing as two moves: let the push from your legs carry the dumbbells up.
- Knees falling in: push your knees out over your toes as you rise.
- Arching your back at the top: squeeze your stomach and buttocks as the arms lock out.

## The version in our demo

Two dumbbells held at the shoulders, palms facing each other; a front squat to about parallel, then one continuous drive up into an overhead press. This is ACE's dumbbell thruster; the squat part follows NASM's dumbbell front squat.

## Starting position

Standing, feet hip to shoulder width apart (about 25–35 cm between the heels), toes turned out 10–15°. A dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other, one end of each resting on the front of the shoulder, elbows pointing forward and slightly down. Chest up, core braced, weight over mid-foot.

## The movement

Push the hips back and bend the knees to lower into a front squat, keeping the chest up and the dumbbells resting on the shoulders. At the bottom, drive through the whole foot; as the hips and knees straighten, carry that speed straight into pressing both dumbbells overhead in one smooth movement. Finish standing tall with straight arms, dumbbells over the shoulders and mid-foot. Lower the dumbbells back to the shoulders under control, then start the next squat. The dumbbells travel in a near-vertical line.

## Breathing

Breathe in and brace before the squat; breathe out through the drive and press.

## Tempo

One rep, about 3.2 s: squat down 1.2 s, drive up and press 0.8 s, pause at the top 0.4 s, lower the dumbbells to the shoulders 0.8 s.

## Form in numbers

- Torso 20–30° forward of vertical at the bottom; knees track over the second and third toes.
- Heels stay flat; weight over mid-foot.
- Press top: elbows straight, upper arms by the ears, shoulder elevation about 170–180°; arms angle out slightly, elbows at about 11 and 1 o'clock (ACE).
- Dumbbells finish 5–10 cm apart above the head, palms still facing each other.

## Sources

1. [ACE, "Try This Total-body Workout on Workout Wednesday" (dumbbell thruster)](https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/blog/5171/try-this-total-body-workout-on-workout-wednesday/)
2. [ACE, "Squat to Overhead Press"](https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/exercise-library/357/squat-to-overhead-press/)
3. [NASM, "Dumbbell Front Squat"](https://www.nasm.org/resource-center/exercise-library/dumbbell-front-squat)

Source: https://trainaq.com/exercises/dumbbell-thruster