If you are looking for building a good body and out doing your fitness regimes, you’d know you cannot gain optimal level fitness with just one equipment. However, you can use one equipment to over achieve your physique.
You can take one of the old plates that you might have from your older days or you probably can steal one from a friend whose fitness motivation ended on the third day after his home gym set up.
There are many ways you could use a barbell plate to work out, there are hundred and one ways on the internet. But the point is, could the same exercises be done using a dumbbell or a kettle bell too? If yes, then what difference will it make to your work ?
1. Classic Push-ups
Yes, pretty much the same but with a heavy twist. You will be adding weight to your push ups, you could also use a vest but investing in an expensive option when plates could work perfectly fine, sounds like a bad idea.
How to:
Place the plate about hip level, use your hands and place it on your butt -Slide a bit up such that top half of the plate is on the lower back and lower half of the plate is on the top half your butt.
Get in the Push up position and you can decide the number of reps and sets you are comfortable with.
2. Plate Carry
It’s actually quite simple but mentally, very difficult. This challenges you in a lot of different ways. A lot of reliance is on the strength of your forearms and grip to maintain the pinch on the top of the plate. The exercise challenges your mind and body, don’t lose it, because as you feel the burn, that’s when all the gains come in.
How to:
Hold two plates with the pinch of your fingers and walk as much as possible. Even if you have less space, the time and weight you carry makes the difference.
3. Russian Twist-Press
It’s a combination that hits multiple muscles at a time. Abs, obliques, shoulder muscles and arms to be precise.
How to:
Take the position for Russian Twist, holding the plate with both hands. You have to rotate the plate from side to side, with a press(overhead) in between. The weighted press engages your core, works the shoulders and arms at the time of the press and the Russian twist is already working your abs and obliques simultaneously.
4. Impossible Plank
The name itself declares the level of difficulty. This is not a beginners exercise.
How to:
Plank with the support of a plate in your hands. The width of the plate will be your surface area. Hold for as long as you can. You can use your knees for support in case it gets difficult.
5. Plate 8’s
Plate 8 is a great exercise for the shoulders, works it out from all angles.
How to:
Hold the plate with hands stretched out, make figure 8 patterns in the air keeping elbows straight. The bigger the pattern, the tougher it gets.
6. Reverse lunges
Work out your lower body in sync with the upper body. We’re going to make the lunges challenging by adding weight and not stand during the exercise.
How to:
Hold the plate near the chest, push the plate as you go down and pull the plate closer when you’re back to the original position. Remember to maintain the reverse lunge position until the exercise is over. Staying low will provide tension and sync your upper and lower body.
A workout must be able to create an overload in order to be a better exercise to be done with the plate or at least the mechanics of the plate should be adding some value to your workout for you to use a plate.
This list is designed to impact your workout by using the weight plate to amplify your fitness.
Thanks to ATHLEAN-X for their amazing inputs, you could refer it for more out of the box fitness ideas.
