The plate press is an effective chest and shoulder workout that will leave you feeling the burn. It’s easy to do with minimal equipment so that you can add it to your routine without any hassle!
This article will explain how to do plate presses, the muscles worked, the benefits of doing them, and alternative that you can try.
Table of Contents
How to do the plate press
There are two types of form of the plate press:
- the standard plate press
- the plate pinch press
Adding weight to your workout is a must for two of the most effective exercises out there. If you don’t have access, use anything that’s around and can get creative with it!
Standard plate press
- Stand in a balanced pose, feet shoulder-width apart while staying alert for what’s coming next!
- Placing the plate on your chest, bend at the knees and pick up safely with both hands. Return to a standing position while holding it vertically – arms are positioned at 3 o’clock or 9 pm according to preference.
- Pushing out your hands, you feel the pressure of a hard surface. Your core is engaged and back straight as knees slightly bend for this stretch that takes place in front of an object – here it’s just yourself!
- Contract your abs to sharply bring the weight back into position before slowly lowering it again. This is one rep!
- Complete 2–3 sets of 8-12 reps for this finisher exercise. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, try to beat your score from before!
Plate pinch press
Equipment: 1–2 small weighted plates
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and keep them planted to the ground.
- Placing two small weighted plates together with your palms facing up, pull back slightly so that the weights are off-center. The angle at which they sit in front of you should give an intense stretch for shoulders and chest muscles while keeping an upright posture; take deep breaths here!
- Like an elastic band, the muscles in your chest will contract and expand with each movement. As you extend out arms, be sure to keep them at shoulder height while pressing into plates so they can get a good stretch!
- After inhaling, with arms at sides, bend elbows and bring hands to the chest. Squeeze tightly for one rep per set until muscle fatigue, then switch sides!
- Complete 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps for time if possible. If used as a finisher, do the best you can to get 1 min all-out with maximum effort!
Benefits of plate press
The plate press is a simple exercise that only requires minimal equipment. It’s an excellent choice for beginners or those who want to avoid heavier, such as barbells and dumbells workouts, because of its ease-of-use nature!
Furthermore, the decline bench press is a great option for those who want to evade weightlifting over their head and shoulders. It also puts less pressure on you than other chest exercises like pushups or even shoulder presses!
The plate press is a great exercise for increasing strength and power. In addition, contracting your muscles throughout the movement can be used to force more blood into those areas of our body that we typically don’t get enough of to achieve maximum development!
Alternative of plate press
Here are alternative to the plate press:
Plate Pinch
The plate pinch is an excellent alternative to the standard plate press because it allows for a greater range of motion. Plate pinches are also great for working your shoulders to improve strength and power!
Conclusion
If you have access to weight plates, give these variations of presses a try next time you want some extra oomph in your workout! Plate presses are a great way to work on strength, power, and endurance as long as you place the right priority on the form.