August Squat Thrust Exercise Challenge (AugThrust)

Squat Thrusts are another one of those exercises you love to hate, and this month’s Squat Thrust Challenge will get you doing them every day. You can thank me later.

Challenge yourself with this August Exercise Challenge, a fitness challenge designed to get you moving every day throughout August, with daily progression options. Pick a level or mix and match to suit your needs. Are you up for it? Commit to this August Exercise Challenge and invite a friend to join you.

They are a great way to work the lower limbs, extremely tiring, and a good way to build up your muscular endurance while working the heart and circulatory system. 

Squat Thrusts are the exercise of choice for my #Augthrust challenge. Join in throughout August and challenge yourself with a new target each day. Use the target guide below and attempt to complete the repetition set each day. You can break down the reps into sets if it makes it more manageable.

Scoring the Challenge

The challenge is divided into three levels, allowing you to track your progress. You don’t need to stay on one level; you can mix & match, going up or down a level as required. Each level is assigned a score. Use the free-scoring sheet available for download below to track your progress and tally your total score for the month.

You get either 1,2, or 3 points for the target level and either 1, 2 or 3 points for the Squat Thrust variation. That’s a maximum of ‘6’ per day, minimum of ‘2’ unless you skip a day, in which case it would be ‘0’.

August (AugThrust) Squat Thrust Exercise Challenge Scoring Sheet 102 KB 26 downloads

Scoring sheet to be used to track the August Squat Thrust Exercise Challenge (AugThrust   …

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For example, if you choose the LEVEL 2 target guide and the Regular Squat Thrust, you will earn two points for the targets achieved and two points for the exercise variation, for a total of four points for the day.

Challenge Design

This challenge is a progressive, shallow pyramid programme that will gently increase the number of Squat Thrusts each day, with decreases and increases forming a shallow pyramid, helping you to achieve more reps each day progressively.

Ready to get started?

Commit to this challenge, any goal is more likely to be achieved if you share your goals with others, be that loved ones, friends or colleagues, even better if they join in. Share your challenge and get support, as well as possibly find some willing challengers.

What is a Squat Thrust

The Squat Thrust forms part of the Burpee exercise; it’s the floor part of the Burpee without the squat down and jump up. It’s an excellent cardio exercise that recruits core and shoulder stabilisers; the strain on the upper body is on some of the most complex parts of the body. Unlike the Burpee, in a Squat Thrust, we never get out of the prone position, which keeps the arms and shoulders in constant activation, supporting the upper body throughout the exercise. Meanwhile, your core activates to protect the lower back and maintain good posture and form.  

The Squat Thrust is often also called a Half Burpee, and it’s considered a variation of a burpee. The distinguishing factor for a Squat Thrust is the double jump. If there is no double jump, I’d be inclined to refer to the exercise as a variation of a mountain climber, which alternates feet positions front to back rather than a double hop/jump.

A Squat Thrust is NOT a Burpee

Often, Squat Thrusts and Burpees are used interchangeably to describe the Burpee exercise; the Squat Thrust is NOT a Burpee. However, the Burpee involves performing the Squat Thrust action as one of its components.

What’s the difference between a Squat Thrust and a Burpee?

Simple, no jump! This means that when you perform the double jump, with your feet close to your hands, you simply double jump back rather than pushing through the floor and jumping up, which is a Burpee. The fact that we remain in the prone support position (Straight Arm Plank Position) means we work the arms, shoulders and stabilisers to support our body weight for the set reps or duration.

Target Guides

Choose the level you’d like to start on. Remember, you can always mix and match. Don’t forget to download the Challenge Scoring Sheet to track your progress.

How to do a Squat Thrust

Equipment: None is required, but you may want to use a mat for your hands to prevent slipping. A hard floor will work best.

If you search ‘Squat Thrusts’ on YouTube, most of the exercises you will see are Burpees or Burpee variations! Not Squat Thrusts.

The Squat Thrust is essentially half a Burpee, and therefore, you can see where the confusion arises. The Regular Squat thrust, as described in the Level 2 section below, is the standard exercise, with variations that are both easier and more challenging, as shown below.

Squat Thrust Exercise Levels

These alternatives can be used to make the Squat Thrust exercise harder or easier. Remember that each exercise level target can be matched with these variations.