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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 Pizza Presses for
Shoulders:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
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