10 Best Kettlebell Thruster Alternatives for Shoulder Power

The Kettlebell Thruster is done standing with a kettlebell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Barbell Thruster, the Dumbbell Push Press and the Double Kettlebell Push Press. Five harder versions, among them the Double Kettlebell Jerk and the One-arm Kettlebell Split Snatch, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

The Kettlebell Thruster drops you into a squat, then asks you to drive off your heels and press the weight straight overhead before lowering it back to your chest, so a swap has to keep both halves of that job. The Barbell Thruster keeps both with a bar held at shoulder height: you squat down, drive through your heels to stand, and press the bar overhead in the same motion.

Kettlebell ThrusterWatch the Kettlebell Thruster

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Kettlebell Thruster

The steps for the Kettlebell Thruster itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Delts, with quadriceps, glutes, core · Kettlebell · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in front of your chest with both hands, palms facing each other.
  2. Lower into a squat position by bending your knees and pushing your hips back, keeping your chest up and your back straight.
  3. As you reach the bottom of the squat, explosively drive through your heels to stand up, simultaneously pressing the kettlebell overhead.
  4. Lock out your arms at the top of the movement, fully extending your elbows.
  5. Lower the kettlebell back to the starting position by reversing the movement, bending your elbows and lowering the weight back to your chest.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Kettlebell Thruster Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Kettlebell Thruster on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Barbell ThrusterPlay demonstration

    1. Barbell Thruster

    95% match

    Delts · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have a barbell to work with, and it still works the delts.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell at shoulder height with an overhand grip.
    2. Lower into a squat position by bending your knees and pushing your hips back.
    3. As you reach the bottom of the squat, explosively drive through your heels to stand up, simultaneously pressing the barbell overhead.
    4. Lower the barbell back to shoulder height as you lower back into the squat position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Kettlebell Thruster
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Kettlebell Thruster
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Kettlebell Thruster
  2. Double Kettlebell Jerk

    Progression

    2. Double Kettlebell Jerk

    90% match

    Delts · Advanced · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the delts.

    • Kettlebell
    How to perform it
    1. Hold a kettlebell by the handle in each hand.
    2. 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, so that the palms face forward. This will be your starting position.
    3. Dip your body by bending the knees, keeping your torso upright.
    4. Immediately reverse direction, driving through the heels, in essence jumping to create momentum.
    5. As you do so, press the kettlebells overhead to lockout by extending the arms, using your body's momentum to move the weights.
    6. Return your feet to the ground in a split fashion, with one foot forward and one foot back.
    7. Keeping the weights overhead, return to a standing position, bringing your feet together. Lower the weights to perform the next repetition.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Kettlebell Thruster
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Kettlebell Thruster
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Kettlebell Thruster
  3. One-arm Kettlebell Split Snatch

    Progression

    3. One-arm Kettlebell Split Snatch

    90% match

    Delts · Advanced · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder single-arm version that still works the delts.

    • Kettlebell
    How to perform it
    1. Hold a kettlebell in one hand by the handle.
    2. Squat towards the floor, and then reverse the motion, extending the hips, knees, and finally the ankles, to raise the kettlebell overhead.
    3. After fully extending the body, descend into a lunge position to receive the weights overhead, one leg forward and one leg back. Ensure you drive through with your hips and lock the ketttlebells overhead in one uninterrupted motion.
    4. Return to a standing position, holding the weight overhead, and bring the feet together. Lower the weight to return to the starting position.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Kettlebell Thruster
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Kettlebell Thruster
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Kettlebell Thruster
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Kettlebell Thruster
  5. Dumbbell Push PressPlay demonstration

    5. Dumbbell Push Press

    85% match

    Delts · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have dumbbells to work with, and it still works the delts.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level.
    2. Bend your knees slightly and dip your body down, then explosively extend your legs and press the dumbbells overhead.
    3. Lock out your arms at the top of the movement, then lower the dumbbells back to shoulder level.
    4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Kettlebell Thruster
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Kettlebell Thruster
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Kettlebell Thruster
  6. Double Kettlebell Push Press

    6. Double Kettlebell Push Press

    84% match

    Delts · Intermediate · Compound

    It still works the delts, through a different movement.

    • Kettlebell
    How to perform it
    1. Clean two kettlebells to your shoulders.
    2. Squat down a few inches and reverse the motion rapidly. Use the momentum from the legs to drive the kettlebells overhead.
    3. Once the kettlebells are locked out, lower the kettlebells to your shoulders and repeat.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Kettlebell Thruster
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Kettlebell Thruster
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Kettlebell Thruster

Why You Might Need a Kettlebell Thruster Alternative

A single kettlebell caps how much weight you can drive through the squat and press, and a home gym with no kettlebell, or one too light, stops you from doing the Kettlebell Thruster at all. Each swap keeps the same two part job: bend the knees, drive up through the heels, then lock the weight out overhead. Some swaps move to a barbell to load more plates, or a pair of dumbbells so each hand carries its own weight, a few clean the weight to the shoulders before pressing it, and a couple put one arm under the weight while the other stays out of it. What changes is the tool in your hands, how it gets to your shoulders and how deep you bend before the drive; the finish, arms locked out overhead, stays the same.

How to Choose the Right Kettlebell Thruster Substitute

If you already own a barbell, the Barbell Thruster loads more plates than a single kettlebell while keeping the same squat into overhead lockout. With two kettlebells, the Double Kettlebell Push Press cleans both bells to your shoulders, then uses a short squat of a few inches to drive them overhead. Training at home with dumbbells, the Dumbbell Push Press keeps the overhead lockout but drops the squat depth, so there is less to coordinate while learning the timing. If you want the weight overhead on one side at a time, the Kettlebell One Arm Jerk presses a single bell from the shoulder with a knee dip, and the One-arm Kettlebell Split Snatch pulls one bell from a squat straight to lockout and catches it in a split stance, one foot forward and one back.

Kettlebell Thruster FAQ

Can I do the Kettlebell Thruster at home?

Yes, if you own a kettlebell or a pair of dumbbells. The Dumbbell Push Press keeps the same overhead lockout with a pair of dumbbells, and the Double Kettlebell Push Press keeps two hands pressing if you already train with two kettlebells, with a shallow dip in place of the full squat. Both fit inside a normal home setup with no barbell required.

Which swap suits a beginner?

The Dumbbell Push Press. It keeps the overhead lockout from the Kettlebell Thruster but drops the deep squat, so there is less to coordinate while you learn the timing. The Barbell Thruster is a reasonable next step once you are comfortable racking a bar across the front of your shoulders.

Do I need a barbell, or can kettlebells alone work?

Kettlebells alone work fine. The Double Kettlebell Jerk, the Double Kettlebell Snatch and the Kettlebell One Arm Jerk need nothing but kettlebells while changing how the weight gets overhead, and the Double Kettlebell Push Press keeps two hands pressing if you want to stay with two bells.

Which alternative changes my footwork?

The One-arm Kettlebell Split Snatch and the Double Kettlebell Jerk both land you in a split stance, one foot forward and one back, as the weight settles overhead, instead of the flat stance you finish a Kettlebell Thruster in. You bring your feet back together to stand up once the weight is locked out, the same way you would recover from either lift.

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