Not sure how to start your fitness journey? Not a problem at all. You can achieve your fitness goals with a set of handy weight plates.
Technically the weight plates are used with the combination of a barbell. However, it wouldn't be incorrect to say that these are some of the most underestimated and underexplored pieces of equipment. Most of us think of lifting when we mention weight plates. But it's the flexibility of the equipment which makes it so unique.
This simple-looking equipment is a house of power that works exceptionally well for building endurance, improving balance, and enhancing strength. If you like to work out at home but don't have a barbell, then the weight plates can be your ideal tool.
They come in numerous shapes, sizes, and weights that you can choose from per your needs and requirements. In the case of a primary home workout, it is recommended that you use a weight plate of 2.5 to 10 kg.
This article will present 15 exercises you can perform using only weight plates and within the comforts of your home.
Benefits of Weight Plates
Weight plates are among the most versatile and essential pieces of equipment in strength training. They are circular cast iron or steel discs in various sizes, typically ranging from 1.25 pounds to 100 pounds or more. They are designed to be loaded onto barbells, dumbbells, and other weight training equipment, to provide additional resistance during exercises.
Here are some spectacular benefits offered by weight plate exercises:
Improves Grip
All fitness enthusiasts know the significance of grip strength. Most of us cannot lift heavy barbells because of our weak grip. Since bumper plates are tough to grasp and handle, they automatically improve grip strength.
Related Article: How to Fix the Issue of Losing Your Grip During Lifting
Builds Endurance
Weight plate exercises contract your muscles throughout the exercise, increasing their time under pressure. This tension forces your muscles to work harder, resulting in greater endurance and strength.
Helps Targets More Muscles
Working with a dumbbell or barbell involves working with a steady load. However, it's not the same with a weight plate. Exercise movements with a weight plate can be way more challenging as it involves several muscle groups.
Increases Stamina
Weight plates enhance the resistance level of simple exercises to boost muscle strength. For example, practicing plank with a weight plate on your back and trying to hold the position for up to 2 minutes will increase your resistance and stamina.
Reduces the Risk of Injury
Weight plates are much safer than heavyweights. Especially if you have a weak grip, working with barbells can lead to injury. Therefore, working weight plates are much safer than weights. On the other hand, since you build strength in your arms, core, and hamstrings, you are much less likely to get injured.
Bumper Plates
If you're looking for a set of bumper plates that provides more comfort and safety to your lifting sessions, these bumper plates from DMoose are an excellent option.
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Adds Versatility to Your Workout Routine
The conventional exercise is attaching weight plates to the barbell or working with dumbbells. Weight plates add more versatility and diversity to your routine and allow you to try something different. In addition, it escalates your motivation and energy levels.
Related Article: Top 10 Essential Barbell Exercises for Building Muscle and Strength
Easy to Store
Since they are not too large, storing them is pretty easy. Especially if you're low on space.
If you are searching for durable and secure bumper plates, consider one by DMoose. They are a fantastic piece of engineering with rubber construction to absorb shock and provide maximum stability.
Open Barbell
The open barbell is composed of high-grade steel with a tensile strength of 150K psi and a load capacity of 1000 pounds. The black phosphate coating on the shaft and chrome on the sleeves protect it from wear and oxidation, making it a long-lasting product.
Workouts Using the Weight Plates
Fitness enthusiasts are always looking for new and exciting ways to challenge their bodies and take their workouts to the next level. One quickly gaining popularity is incorporating weight plates into your routine.
This versatile equipment can build strength, increase endurance, and boost your fitness. Whether you're a seasoned athlete or just starting your fitness journey, weight plate workouts offer a fun and effective way to get in shape. So grab those plates and get ready to unleash your full potential!
1. Plank Plate Switch
Are you tired of the same old basic exercises? Spice up your routine with the plank plate switch! The plank plate switch is a unique exercise that combines the traditional plank position with a dynamic movement involving a weight plate or any other small weight.
This exercise is perfect for those who are looking for a challenging workout that targets their core, shoulders, and triceps.
Targets: Shoulders, chest, abs, obliques.
How to Do It:
- Start in a high plank position with your hands on a weight plate on the floor directly beneath your shoulders.
- Brace your core and keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Lift one hand off the plate and use it to drag the plate across the floor to the opposite side of your body.
- Place your hand back on the plate and repeat with your other hand, dragging the plate back to the starting position.
- Continue alternating sides, dragging the plate back and forth while keeping your core tight and your body stable.
2. Plate Push-Ups
Plate push-ups are a challenging and effective workout that can help to tone and strengthen your arms, chest, and core muscles. Unlike traditional push-ups, plate push-ups require placing your hands on two weight plates instead of the ground, making the exercise more challenging and engaging different muscle groups.
By incorporating plate push-ups into your workout routine, you can take your fitness to the next level and achieve your goals faster.
How to Do It:
- Start in a high plank position with your hands on a weight plate on the floor directly beneath your shoulders.
- Brace your core and keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Lower yourself down towards the weight plate, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position, using the weight plate to help stabilize your hands.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps, keeping your core tight and your body stable throughout the movement.
3. Front Shoulder Raise
Want to tone your shoulders and build upper body strength? Look no further than the front shoulder raise. This exercise isolates your deltoids, focusing on the front of your shoulders. With regular practice, you'll soon have the defined, sculpted shoulders you've worked towards.
How to Do It:
- Stand, keeping your feet at the width of your hips.
- Grab a plate and hold it with both hands with an inside grip.
- Slowly extend your arms, keep your elbows soft, and raise it over your head.
- At this point, your biceps should be touching your ears.
- Descend your arms to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
4. Lateral Raise
The lateral raise exercise with plates is a variation of the lateral raise exercise, which uses weight plates instead of dumbbells. Incorporating lateral raises with plates into your workout routine allows you to add variety to your shoulder workout and target the deltoids in a new way.
How to Do It:
- Keep your torso upright and feet hip-width.
- Hold a bumper plate in each hand on your sides, this will be your starting position.
- Lift your arms to your sides, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
- At this point, your arms should be parallel to the ground.
- Lower the plates gradually to the starting point.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Related Article: Maximize Your Post-Workout Benefits With These 10 Tips
5. Halo
The halo plate exercise is a dynamic exercise that targets the shoulders, core, and upper back muscles.
The halo plate exercise primarily targets the shoulders, specifically the deltoid muscles. This helps to improve core strength and stability, which can translate to better performance in other exercises and daily activities.
The halo plate exercise also works the upper back muscles, including the rhomboids and trapezius muscles. These muscles are essential for good posture and upper body strength.
How to Do It:
- Stand upright and hold a plate in both your hands.
- Keep an outside grip when holding the plate.
- Lift the plate and bend your elbows to rotate the plate around your head in a circular motion until you reach your starting position.
- Switch sides and repeat as tolerated.
6. Chest Squeeze Press
The chest squeeze press is a compound exercise that targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders. The chest squeeze press significantly emphasizes the chest muscles, allowing for greater activation of the pecs compared to a regular dumbbell press.
It also targets the triceps and shoulders, allowing for greater upper-body strength. By focusing on squeezing the dumbbells together, you can improve your mind-muscle connection and develop better control over your chest muscles.
How to Do It:
- Start by holding two weight plates and pressing them together between your palms.
- Keep your hands across your chest and shoulders down.
- Now press the plates and pull them together with your chest.
- Then extend your elbows to push the plates as far from your chest as possible.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
7. Squat Press
The squat press is a compound exercise that targets multiple muscle groups, including the legs, glutes, core, shoulders, and triceps. This makes it an efficient way to work out your entire body in one exercise.
The squat press requires you to lift a significant amount of weight, which can help build strength in your lower and upper body muscles. You can improve overall strength by continually challenging yourself with heavier weights.
The squat press also helps to develop power and explosiveness, which are essential for sports and lifting heavy objects.
How to Do It:
- Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a weight plate with both hands at chest level.
- Lower into a squat position by bending your knees and pushing your hips back, keeping your chest up and your weight in your heels.
- As you stand up from the squat position, simultaneously press the weight plate overhead, extending your arms fully.
- Lower the weight plate back down to chest level as you lower back down into the squat position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps, keeping your core tight and your movements controlled throughout the exercise.
8. Counter Balance Squat
Counter balance squats with a weight plate are a great way to target your lower body muscles, particularly your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps. This exercise involves holding a weight plate in front of your body to help counterbalance your movements as you perform squats. Here's how to do it:
How to Do It:
- Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a weight plate with both hands in front of your body.
- Lower into a squat position by bending your knees and pushing your hips back, keeping your chest up and your weight in your heels.
- As you come up from the squat position, keep the weight plate close to your body to help counterbalance your movements.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
9. Side Bend
The side bend is a simple exercise that targets the oblique muscles, which are located on either side of the abdomen and provides various benefits, including improved core strength, posture, flexibility, balance, and low-impact exercise. Incorporating the side bend into your workout routine can improve overall fitness and health.
How to Do It:
- Stand straight and hold a bumper plate in your left hand at your side.
- Keep your right hand on your waist.
- Bend your body to your left side as far as you can. Make sure to keep your triceps clenched.
- Hold the position for 2 seconds, then return to the starting point.
- Switch sides and repeat.
10. Overhead Press
The overhead press is an effective exercise for building upper body strength, improving shoulder stability and mobility, enhancing athletic performance, increasing bone density, boosting metabolism, and improving posture.
How to Do It:
- Stand straight and hold the plate close to your face.
- Then raise your chest and arch your back as you raise the plate over your head.
- Hold it there for a second, then return to holding it close to your face.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
11. Plate Sit-Ups
Plate sit-ups are an effective exercise for building core strength, increasing muscle mass, improving flexibility, enhancing athletic performance, and improving grip strength.
By incorporating plate sit-ups into your workout routine, you can achieve excellent overall fitness and health in your shoulder, bicep, tricep, and abdominal muscles.
How to Do It:
- Lower yourself on the floor in a crunch position and hold the plate over your head.
- As you crunch, extend your arms, holding the plate above your head.
- Lower yourself back to the ground and before moving to the next crunch, your shoulder blades should touch the ground.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
12. Single Arm Plate Row
Single arm plate row is an effective exercise for building upper body strength, improving grip strength, enhancing athletic performance, improving posture, and building back muscles, biceps, and forearm mass. It effectively targets your shoulder, hips, biceps, and upper back.
How to Do It:
- Find a bench or a chair and bend to place one hand on the bench.
- Once you are in the position, hold the plate in your other hand with your fingers in the middle of the plate.
- Pull through your elbows to lift the plate to touch your chest.
- Return to the starting position.
- Complete the desired number of reps before switching sides.
13. Bus Driver
The bus driver exercise is a low-impact exercise that people of all fitness levels can do. It is also a great exercise to add to your warm-up routine before more intense workouts.
The bus driver exercises with plates effectively builds shoulder and core strength, improves shoulder mobility, and enhances athletic performance.
How to Do It:
- Stand straight and hold the plate in your arms extended forward to get in the starting position. Your arms should be straight and parallel to the floor.
- Once in the position, turn the plate back and forth.
- Turn it to as far left as you can and as far right as possible.
- Complete the desired number of reps.
14. Bent-Over Row
Bent-over rows are a compound exercise that targets the back muscles, including the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and trapezius muscles. It helps build strength and muscle in the back, which is essential for maintaining good posture and performing everyday tasks.
In addition to the back muscles, bent-over rows target the biceps and forearms. It helps to build overall upper body strength and muscle mass.
How to Do It:
- Stand while maintaining a neutral grip on the weight plates in your hands.
- Bend until your torso is parallel to the floor or slightly higher. Then, drive the elbows behind your body and retract the shoulder blades.
- Move the plates towards you until it touches your stomach. Then, slowly lower them back to their original position.
- Continue repeating until you reach the desired number of reps.
15. Overhead Lunges
Overhead lunges are excellent for improving overall strength and flexibility, especially in the lower body. Overhead lunges target the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, the legs' major muscles.
The added challenge of holding weight overhead makes these muscles work harder, resulting in increased strength and muscle mass.
How to Do It:
- Stand straight, hold the plate over your head, and your arms extended. This is your starting position.
- Step your right foot forward and drop the knee to the floor to reach a lunge position.
- Keep your left foot extended behind you.
- Activate your glutes and drive through your heels to stand back up.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Conclusion
Weight plates are commonly used with barbells, but their flexibility is their best quality. For individuals who like to work at home or creatively, weight plates can be a piece of ideal equipment. It helps you target more muscles, build strength, boost endurance, and strengthen your grip.
In conclusion, weight plates can be a fantastic tool for anyone looking to spice up their fitness routine. The versatility of these plates enables you to perform a vast range of exercises that are excellent for strength training, building muscle, and improving your overall fitness.
Incorporating weight plates into your workouts with proper form and technique can lead to significant gains in your fitness journey. So, grab a set of weight plates, and get ready to take your fitness game to the next level!
Reading List
Article Sources
- Suchomel, Timothy J., et al. "The Importance of Muscular Strength: Training Considerations." Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), vol. 48, no. 4, Apr. 2018, pp. 765-85. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-018-0862-z.
- Choi, Jung-Hoon, et al. "Comparison of Trunk Muscle Activity Between Traditional Plank Exercise and Plank Exercise With Isometric Contraction of Ankle Muscles in Subjects With Chronic Low Back Pain." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 35, no. 9, Sept. 2021, pp. 2407-13. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003188
