Many fitness enthusiasts often wonder about their level of fitness. It can be difficult to gauge how well you are doing despite the hard work put into exercise routines. To provide some insight, we consulted a fitness expert who revealed a specific combination move that can help assess your fitness level. This move, if done repeatedly, indicates that you are in excellent shape. Intrigued? Let’s find out if you are up for the challenge!

We had a conversation with Aine Thomas, a certified personal trainer and fitness manager at The Edge Fitness Clubs. According to Aine, “If you can perform a squat thruster, also known as a squat to overhead press, multiple times, then you are definitely in top physical condition.”

What makes the squat thruster so special?

Aine further explains, “This exercise exemplifies peak fitness as it goes beyond merely building strength. It is a dynamic movement that requires coordination, balance, and overall physical stamina as it engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously. By working on both the upper and lower body, you are pushing your limits in terms of strength and endurance. It also helps you identify areas of strength and weakness, determining which areas need more attention and improvement.”

Before you start testing yourself, let’s review the right way to perform a squat thruster and helpful tips when doing the exercise so you can prevent injury.

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How to Properly Perform a Squat Thruster

When performing a squat thruster (aka squat to overhead press), your entire body works in harmony. The move is all about combining good form, mobility, and explosiveness. You engage your lower body—including the calves, quads, hamstrings, and glutes—exploding upwards into an overhead press.

“Because of this, one should be able to push a heavier weight using the momentum,” Aine says.

When performing the overhead press portion of the exercise, you engage your shoulders, biceps, lats, and core.

Each of these workouts—the squat and overhead press—is difficult on its own. When the two of them are combined, along with an explosive rise and heavy lift, Aine says “you have an exercise you can use to take your body to the next level.”

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Here’s how to do it:

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-distance apart, holding a set of dumbbells or kettlebells at shoulder level.
2. Bend at the knees and hips to lower into a deep squat, maintaining a tall chest as you do so.
3. Drive through your feet to stand up tall, pressing the weights overhead in a smooth motion and completely extending your arms.
4. Lower the weights to shoulder level and immediately descend into your next squat.

What To Look Out For

It’s essential to perform the exercise correctly to avoid injury. Signs that you are doing a squat thruster properly include an upright chest, never hinged. In addition, your feet should be flat on the floor, knees should be aligned with your toes, and both arms should be fully extended when completing the press, not pushed out in front.

It’s extremely important to prevent injury or burnout. Be mindful of hyperextending the knee when coming up from your squat. In addition, focus on the angle of your elbows, which shouldn’t be back too far.

Alexa Mellardo