How To Do Front Raises with Plate
Sometimes, to get the best work out for trouble muscle groups (such as shoulders), you have to be a bit creative, especially if your equipment is somewhat limited. This goes double for people who’re just starting out, not ready for the harder, often slightly dangerous exercises people often associate with body builders and gyms.
One of the more interesting and unique shoulder exercises you might not have thought of is the front raise with a plate. No, we don’t mean a dinner plate, we mean a barbell plate. This is still a somewhat risky exercise if your grip isn’t good, so be sure to pay close attention to how to grip it, and be sure it’s not too heavy or too big in diameter to comfortably hold on to.
What You Need
You just need a single barbell plate of sufficient diameter and weight to meet your needs, and a pair of decent globes to ensure you have a safe grip on it. Wear shoes even if working out at home – should you drop the plate, shoes won’t stop it from hurting, but will help minimize potential injury.
Standing Barbell Military press Muscles Worked
By Anatomography – en:Anatomography (setting page of this image), CC BY-SA 2.1 jp, Link
Action
- Grip the plate like you would a steering wheel – 10 and 2, fingers gripping the side facing away from you.
- Starting position is to hold the plate at waist/pelvis height, arms outstretched, elbows unbent.
- Slowly lift the plate with your shoulders, until you’re holding it outward at about chest level (a little higher is ok if you’re confident).
- Gently lower it back down under your own control.
Caveats
Don’t pick a plate that’s too huge, exceptionally thick, or too heavy. Excessive weight isn’t the point, it’s to move muscles that usually aren’t moved independently as much. Be sure you have a solid grip before lifting it past your waist.
Consult a physician if you have arthritis problems, as a loss of grip could be hazardous to say the least.
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