Viva Los Thrusters

I interned at a Crossfit gym over the summer and had an awesome experience. (Insert shameless plug for Crossfit Sun in Poway, CA. While I was there, I learned a lot about functional fitness, working as a team and pushing past one's perceived limits.

On a more micro level, I learned a BUNCH of exercises -- and proper form for executing them -- that I have incorporated into my own workouts, the regimens at my boot camps, and am excited to use with future clients. One of those that I love the most are thrusters.  They're a part of many Crossfit WODs and have brought me to my mental and physical limits many times, which is a good thing.

I love them because they're tough, they're a full body workout, and they really force good form in order to execute them. They are basically a combination of a front, dumbbell/barbell -weighted squat and a push/shoulder press. They work legs (squat), core (balance/posture), shoulder and triceps (press) and forearms (grip/press) in one fluid motion.

If you've never tried them, use an unweighted bar first to get the movement down. I'll save you step-by-step explanations and link to a video for you to check out. Once you've got the form down, use them as a great anchor for a full-body workout. And remember, you can ALWAYS go a little further/harder than you think.