On thoracic spine rolling

[Jonathan Silverman]

Thoracic Spine Rolling should be beneficial for thrusters right?

[Steve Shafley]

Not as beneficial as uncoupling the squat and the overhead push press from each other and getting independently stronger at both those movements.

[Steven Low]

Thoracic spine rolling is pretty much good for everyone who lives with computers and a lot of sitting. For all full body movements.

But yes, what Steve said. Thrusters are kind of a whack exercise like sumo deadlift high pulls and med ball cleans. Pretty much useless and reinforce bad technique/habits for everything else. Stay away. Far away.

[George Mounce]

Originally Posted by Steven Low

Thoracic spine rolling is pretty much good for everyone who lives with computers and a lot of sitting. For all full body movements.

But yes, what Steve said. Thrusters are kind of a whack exercise like sumo deadlift high pulls and med ball cleans. Pretty much useless and reinforce bad technique/habits for everything else. Stay away. Far away.

So would that mean, stay away from CrossFit?

[Steven Low]

Originally Posted by George Mounce

So would that mean, stay away from CrossFit?

It depends on what you define as CF...

[Steve Shafley]

My opinion piece on the thruster: Enjoy each curse word like the caress of a lover. Also keep in mind that it's been said that I obviously am afraid to Forge Elite Fitness (TM)

Most specifically the barbell thruster:

Thrusters look great on paper. They do deliver a serious punch to the CV system. Take a step back and you see the thruster for what it is: A bastardized low-skill compromise made up for trainees with training ADD. They do a great job to "mess you up" but, fuck, what's the purpose of it, really, because running sprints will fuck you up harder and faster, especially hill sprints.

It's a ugly combination of front squat and push press and in most videos of the thruster, you see a whole lot of undesirable things happening. Add that in with a @Fer's zest for doing something all-out without first acquiring the mastery, and you'll start to see why it's a junk movement, and not really a front squat + push press. One clear trend on the @F injury board is thrusters cause injury...wrists, shoulders, knees...

Let's start with the squat portion...it's not a front squat because you rack a front squat. Most thrusters have you doing some kind of squat with the bar being held at the shoulder level, but not racked. Given the somewhat high velocity of the thruster movement, this is a lot of unnecessary, and, dare I say it, stupid stress on the wrist, which isn't quite that robust of a joint. While this might not be an issue with PVC, or a lighter bar, eventually most folks doing this as a metabolic conditioning movement will put enough slop into it to do something nasty to their wrists. Let's also talk about rebounding out of the squat for a newer trainee...not a good idea. Some experienced olympic lifter type has adapted to this, but the newbie hasn't.

Now the overhead portion has a similar issue...you are essentially transferring forces from the ground, up through your legs and core, and then overhead...except it's not the core that's taking the brunt, it's the wrist. Pavel talks about leakage...even in the best videos of thrusters, you'll see leakage through the wrists. And shoulders. What happens when you rebound with the bar held in your hands, it jams your shoulders down.

Using dbs or kbs makes the movement only more palatable.

Overall there are better ways to get this response.

Now, the combination movement of front squat + push press isn't a bad strength movement combination. It's when you do it fast and with the prevalent shitty form that it becomes an issue.