Exercise Comparison
Alternating Cable Shoulder Press vs Kettlebell Thruster
Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Only in Kettlebell Thruster
Instructions
Alternating Cable Shoulder Press
Move the cables to the bottom of the tower and select an appropriate weight.
Grasp the cables and hold them at shoulder height, palms facing forward. This will be your starting position.
Keeping your head and chest up, extend through the elbow to press one side directly over head.
After pausing at the top, return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.
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.
Verdict
Both exercises target the shoulders. Alternating Cable Shoulder Press is a beginner exercise using cable, while Kettlebell Thruster is intermediate and uses kettlebells. Choose Alternating Cable Shoulder Press if you're looking for a more accessible option, or Kettlebell Thruster for a greater challenge.