The thruster requires a long line of action against the normal force of gravity with a load plus body weight, creating one of the most profound accelerations possible. The movement works from full flexion to full extension at the ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, and arm, and involves most of the major muscle groups. These factors earn the thruster its reputation as "the most draining of all exercises."

“The goal in your pull-up work is 'more.' You want, you need, more pull-ups. The more you can do, the stronger you become. Muscular endurance, absolute strength, relative strength—whatever you want to define and measure gets better. Every personal-best pull-up is an event worthy of celebration. You’re going to live to be 100, but you’ll not get that many pull-ups, so treat the new ones like birthdays.” —Greg Glassman