Secret Training Tip #228 - Weight Plate Pizza Presses for Shoulders
By Nick Nilsson
If you're looking for an effective new way to train your
shoulders, look no further than the Pizza Press.
You won't be using a barbell, dumbell or cable for this one...all
you need is a weight plate!
When you read the description and see the pictures of this one in
action, you'll know exactly where I got the name for it!
Basically, you're going to be doing what looks like a standard
shoulder press movement. But here's the trick...instead of holding
dumbells or a barbell, you're going to be using a single weight
plate.
So how do you press a weight plate? Well, you're going to use one
hand to grab the plate and place it FLAT on top of your other hand
so you're pressing with your palm.
Ever see a picture of a shotputter about to throw? THAT is the
position the weight plate will be in - palm up, ready to shotput it
across the room. As for the name of the exercise, think of the
weight plate you're pressing as a pizza you don't want to drop on
the floor as you're pressing it overhead.
This is a great exercise for the shoulders in that not only does it
require strength, it requires balance in your hands, which also
carries over to the shoulder. Pressing with your palm flat gives a
whole different dimension to the shoulder press movement than
gripping around a bar or dumbell handle. You'll feel the difference
from "normal" press where you're wrapping your hand around a handle
or bar
This Pizza Press is an excellent variation for when you have
shoulder pressing on your training schedule but you don't feel up
for heavy pressing with regular free weights. You can get a GREAT
shoulder workout with lighter weights with this one because of the
instability and balance involved.
How To Do It:
---------------------------
As I mentioned previously, you're going to be doing a shoulder press
exercise. And instead of using a barbell or dumbells, you're going
to use a single barbell weight plate. Obviously this puts
limitations on how much weight you can use, but I found 45 lbs to be
plenty, due to the nature of the exercise.
To use a 45 lb plate, you should be able to handle at least 70 lb
dumbells on the dumbell shoulder press. If you can do 50's, start
with a 35 lb plate. If you can do 35's, go with a 25 lb plate. If
you can do less than 35's, start with a 10 lb plate.
You'll be doing this exercise in a standing position. Reach down and
grab the plate around the lip with your left hand. Lift it up and
place the PALM of your right hand on the smooth BOTTOM face. You
want to be SURE you're placing your hand on the smooth, flat face to
maximize the effect of this exercise. Be sure to watch the video
(link below) to see exactly how to get the plate into position.
Note: your palm will be on the plate surface but your fingers will
be slightly bent to allow you to exert pressure with your fingers to
help balance the weight plate as you press it up.
Be careful with this exercise! Because you're not gripping anything
(but relying on finger pressure to balance the plate) the chances of
the plate moving around are greater. So do this one light the first
time to get an idea of what you're doing. THEN you can move up in
weight.
With your palm flat under it, get it to shoulder level - you'll look
like a waiter serving a pizza (or a shotputter). Your other arm
should be out to the side for balance. You should start at rock
bottom, with the weight plate almost touching your shoulder - bring
it to this point on every single rep as well (the weight plate all
the way down almost to the shoulder).
Now press it up under control. As you press, you'll have to balance
the weight plate on your palm using finger pressure. This makes it a
bit tricky and tougher with the larger 45 lb plate (which is why you
need to be somewhat stronger than being able lift only 45 lbs on
dumbell presses).
When you're done with one arm, grab the lip of the plate with your
free hand and swing it back down to the ground. Switch hands,
getting your left hand under the bottom of the plate this time.
COMMON ERRORS:
---------------------------------------
1. Using too heavy of a weight plate
This exercise requires finger strength and balance. If you go too
heavy, you won't be able to properly balance the plate. Start
lighter than you think you'll need to and move up from there!
2. Letting the weight plate tilt too much
It can be tough to keep your palm flat through the entire movement
but do your best. If you let the plate tilt too much, it'll make the
plate harder to control - we don't want that pizza sliding off and
we definitely don't want the weight plate falling!
TRICKS:
-----------------
1. Keep the non-working arm out to the side
This will help with balance - keeping your non-working arm out the
side will work to counterbalance the weight plate on your working
side.
2. Keep your fingers flexed/bent
It's important not to let your fingers spread out flat on the bottom
of the weight plate. If they go flat, you'll lose control of the
plate. Keeping your fingers flexed allows you to control the weight
plate using finger pressure.
CONCLUSION:
---------------------------------
The Weight Plate Pizza Press is an excellent exercise for hitting
the shoulders in a very unique way. The stabilizing factors required
by the exercise put a whole different type of tension on the
shoulders (and the hands!). It's a great option when you don't want
to do barbell and dumbell shoulder pressing.
------------------
Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training
company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and
Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more
than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks
including "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "Muscle Explosion! 28
Days to Maximum Mass," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of,"
"Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best
Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" all available at http://www.fitness-ebooks.com/ He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.
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