Kettlebell Thruster
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Kettlebell Thruster
- Clean two kettlebells to your shoulders. Clean the kettlebells to your shoulders by extending through the legs and hips as you pull the kettlebells towards your shoulders. Rotate your wrists as you do so. This will be your starting position.
- Begin to squat by flexing your hips and knees, lowering your hips between your legs. Maintain an upright, straight back as you descend as low as you can.
- At the bottom, reverse direction and squat by extending your knees and hips, driving through your heels. As you do so, press both kettlebells overhead by extending your arms straight up, using the momentum from the squat to help drive the weights upward.
- As you begin the next repetition, return the weights to the shoulders.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Kettlebell Thruster
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Double Kettlebell Jerk
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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2
Double Kettlebell Push Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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3
Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up (Lunge style)
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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4
Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up (Squat style)
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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5
One-Arm Kettlebell Jerk
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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6
One-Arm Kettlebell Push Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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7
One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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8
Two-Arm Kettlebell Jerk
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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9
Alternating Kettlebell Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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10
Kettlebell Arnold Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do kettlebell thruster work?
Kettlebell Thruster primarily works the shoulders. The quads and triceps assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for kettlebell thruster?
Kettlebell Thruster uses kettlebell.
Kettlebell Thruster: is it suitable for beginners?
Kettlebell Thruster is rated intermediate. Movements that assume you already own the basic pattern and are ready to load it.
What can I do instead of kettlebell thruster?
Double Kettlebell Jerk, Double Kettlebell Push Press, Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up (Lunge style) train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my kettlebell thruster reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; kettlebell thruster can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Kettlebell Thruster with AI
Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.