Muscles worked
The dumbbell thruster joins a front squat and a shoulder press into one movement. Your quads and glutes drive the squat, and the momentum from standing up gives the dumbbells a push upwards. Your shoulders and triceps finish the press, and your upper back keeps the dumbbells steady overhead. With dumbbells, each side works on its own and your palms can face inwards, which many find easier on the wrists than a barbell on the front of the shoulders. At high reps it is as much conditioning as strength.
Common mistakes
- Dumbbells hovering above your shoulders. Holding them in the air at the bottom tires your arms before the press even starts. Let one end of each dumbbell rest on your shoulder as you go down.
- A squat that turns into a short dip. A shallow squat leaves your shoulders doing almost everything. Sit as deep as you can with a straight back and your heels down.
- Holding your breath for the whole set. That lasts a few reps, then you fade. Breathe out at the top and in on the way down, then brace again.
Variations and alternatives
- The barbell thruster lets you load heavier and add weight in smaller steps.
- The goblet squat practises the squat with one dumbbell held at your chest, useful if your depth needs work.
- The standing shoulder press trains the press without help from your legs, for pure shoulder strength.
Sets and reps
Your shoulders usually tire first, so choose dumbbells by what you can get overhead with leg drive. For strength and muscle, 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps with a couple of minutes' rest works well. For conditioning, go lighter: 8 to 15 reps per set, or timed intervals. The guide to sets and reps covers which suits your goal.
Add reps until you reach the top of your range, then move up a pair. The jump is often 2 to 2.5 kg per dumbbell, which is a lot in a press, so expect fewer reps for a while. That is how progressive overload works with dumbbells. If your shoulders, knees or back hurt, stop the exercise and have it looked at by a doctor or physiotherapist.