If you’ve ever had to load up a barbell or leg press with weight plates, you know that effort is required to move those things from A to B! Not only are they heavy, but they are somewhat of a challenge to hold as the only place to grip them is on their edges – hello increased grip strength!
If you’d like to integrate some weight plate training into your workout regime, this article is for you! Read on for some general info on weight plates and a full body weight plate workout for you to get stuck right into.
Contents
Weight Plate 101
Weight plates come in a range of weights, sizes, colors and materials.
- Standard Olympic weight plates are available in 2.5, 5, 10, 25, 35, and 45 lb denominations and range in diameter accordingly.
- Bumper plates are available in 10, 15, 25, 35, 45, and 55 lb denominations, but are all the same size (17.72”).
For the purpose of this workout, a 17.72” weight plate would be best – so, a 45lb standard Olympic weight plate or an appropriately weighted bumper plate for your current strength levels.
Below you will find a full-body workout that is made up of only weight plate exercises!
This workout is split into 3 circuits, a core circuit, a lower body circuit and an upper body circuit. Each circuit is to be repeated 3 times in total before moving onto the next one! This is a 30 to 40-minute workout and will leave you feeling very much WORKED OUT.
Circuit 1 – Core Workout
1. Decline Weighted Sit Up
This weight plate core exercise targets both your lower and upper abdominals. It is performed at a decline, so you will require a decline bench as well as a weight plate to perform it.
Lay on a decline bench on your back with your feet secured. You should have a weight plate on extended arms above your torso. Lie all the way back, then sit up into a full sit up, pressing the weight plate overhead, before returning to starting position. The weight plate should always be held on extended arms.
Suggested repetitions: 15 to 20
2. Wood Chop
This traditional cross-body exercise becomes extra difficult when performed with a weight plate due to the grip required. The wood chop targets your upper and lower abs as well as your obliques!
Start by holding the weight plate in front of your chest on bent arms. Swivel on your left foot, rotating your body towards the right and lift the plate up overhead. Then reverse the movement, pivoting on your right foot and going into a semi-squat position on your left. The weight plate should finish low and on the left of your body.
As this is a ‘single-sided’ exercise, be sure to do the reps on both sides! One side will see you pivoting and pressing overhead on the left, and the other will see you pivoting and pressing overhead on the right.
Suggested repetitions: 10 to 12 each side
3. Side Bends
Side bends provide a fantastic workout for your waist as they effectively target the sides of your core. The challenge is to not allow your arms to assist you at all – leave it all up to your core! Your arms are merely there to hold the weight plate.
Hold a weight plate in one hand and keeping your hips still, bend to the side, lowering the weight plate down that side of your body. Once you feel a stretch through the opposite side of your core, pull back up to centre. Repeat all repetitions on one side before changing sides.
Suggested repetitions: 15 to 20 each side
Circuit 2 – Lower Body Workout
4. Alternating Forward Lunge & Twist
What’s a lunge without a twist? Half as difficult, that’s what! We’re not here to mess around, so we’re not only going to hold the plate for added resistance, we’re going to twist with it too.
Hold the weight plate in front of your chest on bent arms. Step forward with your right leg into a lunge whilst simultaneously rotating through your trunk, twisting the plate to your right. Step back to centre and then repeat with your left leg, twisting the plate to your left. Make sure to keep your torso upright and your weight in the heel of your front foot.
Suggested repetitions: 24 alternating repetitions
5. Sumo Squat
The sumo squat is a great exercise for hitting your glutes and adductors!
Hold a weight plate on extended arms in front of you. Your feet should be over shoulder-width apart. With your knees tracking your toes, drop down into a sumo squat, lowering the weight plate towards the ground, in between your knees. Hold for a second then powerfully stand back up and squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement.
Suggested repetitions: 12 to 15 repetitions
6. Calf Raises
For this one, the weight plate is responsible for furthering your range of motion. If you have access to several weight plates you can use one for your base (to stand on), and one for added resistance (to hold).
Place the weight plate on the floor and stand on it with the front of your feet only. With or without another weight plate against your chest on bent arms, lower your heels towards the ground. Push back up onto your toes, feeling your calves fully contract. Hold for a second in this top position before returning to starting position.
Suggested repetitions: 12 to 15 repetitions
Circuit 3 – Upper Body Workout
7. Floor Press
The floor press will work your chest, triceps and shoulders – this makes it the perfect upper body exercise!
Lie on your back on the ground with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Hold the weight plate on fully extended arms above your chest. Lower the plate down towards your chest by bending at the elbows and eventually resting them on the ground. Push back up until your arms are fully extended.
Suggested repetitions: 12 to 15 repetitions
8. Bent Over Row
If you’re familiar with a barbell bent over row, this version is much the same, except for the fact that you’re holding a weight plate. This exercise targets your back and biceps, primarily.
Hinged at the hips with a slight bend in your knees, hold a weight plate on extended arms below your torso. Maintaining a neutral spine, pull the weight up towards your chest by bending your elbows. Your arms should skim passed your sides and you should have your shoulder blades retracted at the top of the movement. Hold here for the count of 2 before you go back to the starting position.
Suggested repetitions: 12 to 15 repetitions
9. Overhead Press
Your shoulders are going to love this one!
Standing with your feet hip-width apart, hold a weight plate on bent arms just above chest height. Engage your core as to maintain a neutral spine then push the weight plate overhead until your arms are extended. Ensure that the eccentric phase (the way down) is slow and controlled and that you are not leaning too far back.
Suggested repetitions: 12 to 15 repetitions
Final Thoughts
Weight plate workouts are a fun way to add some variety to your training and shock your body a little! There are plenty of weight plate exercises that you can do for all parts of your body and this weight plate workout is a great example of some of them.
Using a weight plate over more traditional things like dumbbells and barbells will, overall, test your grip strength more. I am yet to meet someone who thinks their grip strength is adequate though – so, all the better!
I hope you get to put this workout into practice. If you do, let us know how you got on with it in the comments section below.
