Front Raises with Plates

Step 1. The plate front raise is a variation of the dumbbell front raise where the lifter holds a weight plate between two hands, rather than using a dumbbell, barbell, or other weight. It can provide variety in a shoulder-focused muscle-building workout, or as part of an upper body or full-body circuit.

Step 2. - While standing straight, hold a barbell plate in both hands at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions. Your palms should be facing each other and your arms should be extended and locked with a slight bend at the elbows and the plate should be down near your waist in front of you as far as you can go. Tip: The arms will remain in this position throughout the exercise. This will be your starting position.

Step 3. - Slowly raise the plate as you exhale until it is a little above shoulder level. Hold the contraction for a second. As you inhale, slowly lower the plate back down to the starting position.

Step 4. - Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.