Exercise Spotlight: Squat Thrust
Sometimes referred to as a burpee, this is a classic bodyweight exercise done in military PT and high school gym classes the world over.
The How-To: From start to finish, one rep is actually a four-step process.
1 - Begin from a standing position, then squat down to a crouched position (both feet and palms flat on floor).
2 - Shift weight onto your hands while jumping/kicking both legs straight backwards, landing on the toes, and ending up in a "push-up position."
3 - Reverse step 2, jumping the feet in towards the chest, landing in a full squat position (feet flat).
4 - Stand upright.
Main Muscles Involved: E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g, with stability required in the shoulders, back, and abs, and flexibility required in the hamstrings, calves/ankles, and low back (for the squatting portion).
Common Variations: Add a push-up between steps 2 and 3. Add a high jump immediately after step 4. Hold dumbbells, keeping the arms at your sides and close to the body throughout the movement. Any combination of those three options (adding a push-up and a jump creates one of the most challenging bodyweight-only exercises around.)
Best Suited For: High reps (anything from 20-100, or more if you're crazy... and bored) for conditioning/fat loss workouts. Low to moderate reps (5-10) as part of a general warm-up prior to training.
Another alternative is to go for time, rather than total reps. 30 seconds of non-stop squat thrusts can be a killer part of circuit training. For reference, 40+ basic squat thrusts (no jump, no push-up) per minute is a solid performance.
Contraindications/Who Should NOT Perform This Exercise: Folks with persistent hip, hamstring, and/or lower back inflexibility; especially on the transition from step 1 to step 2 (kicking the legs out and landing in the push-up position), everyone should avoid the tendency to let the back and abs droop towards the ground, as can happen when performing reps quickly.
Fun Fact: If you haven't been doing any cardio training recently, try adding 1 set of half-your-age-in-reps after every few sets of other exercises throughout your next workout. See if it doesn't make you re-evaluate your need for a few cardio sessions.
The How-To: From start to finish, one rep is actually a four-step process.
1 - Begin from a standing position, then squat down to a crouched position (both feet and palms flat on floor).
2 - Shift weight onto your hands while jumping/kicking both legs straight backwards, landing on the toes, and ending up in a "push-up position."
3 - Reverse step 2, jumping the feet in towards the chest, landing in a full squat position (feet flat).
4 - Stand upright.
Main Muscles Involved: E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g, with stability required in the shoulders, back, and abs, and flexibility required in the hamstrings, calves/ankles, and low back (for the squatting portion).
Common Variations: Add a push-up between steps 2 and 3. Add a high jump immediately after step 4. Hold dumbbells, keeping the arms at your sides and close to the body throughout the movement. Any combination of those three options (adding a push-up and a jump creates one of the most challenging bodyweight-only exercises around.)
Best Suited For: High reps (anything from 20-100, or more if you're crazy... and bored) for conditioning/fat loss workouts. Low to moderate reps (5-10) as part of a general warm-up prior to training.
Another alternative is to go for time, rather than total reps. 30 seconds of non-stop squat thrusts can be a killer part of circuit training. For reference, 40+ basic squat thrusts (no jump, no push-up) per minute is a solid performance.
Contraindications/Who Should NOT Perform This Exercise: Folks with persistent hip, hamstring, and/or lower back inflexibility; especially on the transition from step 1 to step 2 (kicking the legs out and landing in the push-up position), everyone should avoid the tendency to let the back and abs droop towards the ground, as can happen when performing reps quickly.
Fun Fact: If you haven't been doing any cardio training recently, try adding 1 set of half-your-age-in-reps after every few sets of other exercises throughout your next workout. See if it doesn't make you re-evaluate your need for a few cardio sessions.
posted by Chris Colucci at 1:09 PM
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