Shoulder Pizza Presses

Weight Plate Pizza Presses for Shoulders

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, dumbbell 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 dumbbells 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 shot putter 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 dumbbell 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 dumbbells, 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 dumbbells on the dumbbell 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 dumbbell 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:
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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 dumbbell shoulder pressing. See pictures and video of this exercise.

Article from ~ Nick Nilsson 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. He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

For more information send an email: weightworkout@yahoo.ca

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New Boot Camp In Atlanta

Boot Camp Atlanta

Starting in January 09 I will be hosting a boot camp in the Midtown North Atlanta area.

Start your new year off on the right path. Get fit and healthy with a workout that will help you get stronger and trim the waistline. A mix of strength exercises and high intensity interval work will get your heart pounding and change your body for the better.

The Atlanta boot camp is structured so that you can choose an appropriate intensity that fits your fitness level. All workouts are designed for individual and personal flexibility giving everyone the ability to adjust the exercise to a level that pushes them, but still allows them to finish. Both beginners and more advanced participants are able to get a quality workout working side by side. So, bring a friend, have some fun and improve your health and fitness.

For more information send an email: weightworkout@yahoo.ca

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8 Week Cardio Interval Training Blast

Get Increased Fat Loss AND Take Your Cardio Fitness To A Whole New Level

This detailed cardio program will take you from an interval-
training beginner to interval-training pro in only 8 weeks!
This step-by-step progression guides you through the most
effective types of intervals to maximize your results.

Interval training is one of THE most effective ways to burn fat while preserving muscle. When using cardio training for fat loss, I recommend it almost exclusively in my programs! This nice thing is, interval training is also one of THE most effective ways to improve your overall cardiovascular capacity as well.

There is a LOT of good information available on what intervals are and how to perform them. But what often seems to be missing is a detailed plan that helps you progress from Point A (just starting out with interval training) to Point B (performing the more challenging interval training techniques).

The trick is knowing where to start and how to progress from there. You can't just jump in and start sprinting up hills without knowing what you're doing and building yourself up to it. That's a good way to not only hurt yourself but exhaust yourself as well!

So in response to this, I've designed an interval training progression plan that gets you started with the more introductory-level types of interval training then gradually moves you into the more intense and challenging interval training techniques.

I'll lay out how many intervals to do, which style of interval training to do and how long to do it for. This progression plan will also give you good variety in your cardio training, which I'm sure you know can get VERY dull if you keep doing it the same way over and over.

You see, just like with weight training, you need to constantly challenge and even shock your body in order to continue making progress. Otherwise, your body simply has no reason to adapt and get better. This plan will do it for you!

The overall goals with this cardio program are fat loss and improving cardiovascular capacity. This type of training is NOT a plan I would recommend if you're trying to build muscle. When training to build muscle, you want to keep cardio training down to a lower maintenance level (once or twice a week at most) and this is not a program that does that.

The program is based on doing cardio training 3 times per week and can be applied to basically any method or apparatus of cardio training, be it running, cycling, elliptical machine, stair machine, etc. Any cardio based sports activity will work as well (e.g. swimming, rollerblading).

Choose whatever cardio activity works best for you, that you enjoy the most or that you'd most like to improve your performance in, e.g. if you're a runner, using running as the activity for your interval training.

You can certainly utilize different cardio activities as you go through the program, e.g. use treadmill running one day then the elliptical machine the next. The real key lies in the intensity with which you do the activities!

Before you start in on the program, I would encourage you to read through the following two articles. They'll help you understand what interval training is all about and introduce you to the different types of interval training.

What Do You Mean Low-Intensity Training Isn't The Best For Fat Burning?

The Insider Secrets of Interval Training - Learn How Now!

Now it's time to have a look at the program!

The following link will take you to a page from the Trial Membership area of my site "Powerful Training Secrets." Scroll to bottom for program.

The program starts with a technique known as Aerobic Interval Training - basically, a way to begin learning how to increase training intensity without burning yourself out. Over the next two weeks, your intensity will gradually be increased within the context of Aerobic Intervals.

As you continue through the program, you'll notice how the intervals are continually getting just a bit more challenging - rest times are changing as are work times.

By the time you get to the final few weeks of the program, you'll be in great shape and ready for anything!

If, at any time in the program you feel you need to take a bit more time to adapt to it, feel free to perform another week of the same type of interval training you just did. This program isn't written in stone and you DO need to listen to your body.

So check out the program and if you have any questions about it as you're reading or as you're doing it, please feel free to drop me an email at betteru@fitstep.com!

Here's the link to the interval training program page once again:

INTERVAL EQUIPMENT NOTE:

If you need a good timer for your intervals, check out the GymBoss timer. I've been using one recently and it really works like a charm. Unlike a lot of other timers, it actually has a vibrate feature that means you don't have to experience loud beeping to know when your time is up (great if you train with headphones on!).

You can set the timer to time different work and rest intervals (e.g. 2 minutes work, 1 minute rest can be programmed in), which is very nice. It's also not too expensive (about 20 US dollars). The timer clips on and is a neat little piece of equipment - very useful for intervals and also for timing your rest periods when weight training.

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BY Nick Nilsson 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," "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. He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

Atlanta area
Strength and Conditioning
plus
Personal Training
jason@inthegym.info

Send me your questions.

Email: weightworkout@yahoo.ca

Put a Little Pep in Your Step

Fartlek Training

For all the distance runners out there if you have not done so lately give fartleks a go.

Translated from Swedish, as "speed play," a Fartlek is simply the addition of a burst into your run. Now instead of a long slow boring run you have transformed your workout into a form of interval training. If you race you will be well aware of surges used to break other runners, well a fartlek is the same thing.

You can start by jogging for 5 minutes then walk for 30 seconds then sprint for 30 seconds then walk again then run fast for 2 minutes and so on. The idea is to train at a wide variety of speeds, distances and times in order to hit the widest variety of training parameters.

This type of training is a great way to keep your cardio sessions interesting. It will help burn a few more calories. It adds variety to your runs, never having to do the same thing twice! This workout can last anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes, depending on the intensity at which you are working. If this is the first time doing a fartllek do not be surprised when the aches and stiffness sets in the next day.

Atlanta area personal trainer that comes to you.
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Golf Specific Conditioning and Personal Training

Weight Training For Golf

Over the years there has been great technological improvements in golf equipment, but the average handicap for both male and female golfers has remained fairly constant.

It is important for golfers to remember that they still have to swing the club, the best clubs on the market do not swing themselves. A better club may make a slight difference but a better conditioned golfer will make an even bigger difference.

A new set of clubs and instruction from the golf pro will benefit you game but you are still missing something. A golf specific exercise specialist can help improve performance in your game by addressing golf-specific conditioning needs. It has been reported that 53% of male and 45% of female golfers suffer from low back pain. Pain and injury on the links is not limited to the recreational golfer. At any given time approximately 30% of professionals on the tour are playing injured. So, in addition to lower scores a golf specific exercise specialist can help reduce the incidence of injury.

Keep yourself healthy and you can keep yourself on the greens.

Golf Specific Conditioning and Personal Training

Atlanta area Strength and Conditioning Specialist
jason@inthegym.info

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Email: jason@inthegym.info

The CURE For Stubborn Shoulders

The Two-Phase Barbell Shoulder Press

If you've got stubborn shoulders, this simple but extremely
powerful technique is EXACTLY what you need. Standard
dumbbelland barbell pressing don't work the WHOLE range
of motion equally - you're leaving results on the table if
you're just doing straight shoulder presses!

If you've ever had a hard time developing your shoulders, this exercise is going to be a lifesaver for you! Personally, shoulders are one of my WORST body parts. It's tough to keep them strong...tough to get them bigger...and tough to really feel them working when I'm actually doing shoulder exercises!

But the first time I used this technique, it absolutely blew my mind. As soon as I finished the set, my shoulders felt like they were inflating! The blood was came rushing in and I knew I was on to something special...that RARELY happens to me with ANY shoulder exercises.

So what makes THIS exercise so special? You're going to reach muscular failure TWICE within the same set. AND you're going to do it with NO REST in between the two phases of the exercise. BAM BAM...one part right into the next.

But here's the twist...it's not a typical drop set in which you reduce the weight to achieve this! You're going to use the SAME weight for both phases of the exercise.

The REAL key lies in the range of motion of each part of the exercise...

You see, when you do a normal barbell shoulder press, as you push the barbell up, you go through what is called a strength curve. In basic terms, it means at the bottom of the movement you are fairly strong. But as you press further (normally about 3 to 5 inches up in the movement) you hit a point where the leverage in your shoulders changes. The exercise gets a lot tougher.

This is called a sticking point - it's basically the weakest point in the exercise. Another example of a sticking point is commonly seen in the bench press. If you were doing a bench press using a heavy weight, lowered the weight to your chest then started to press but couldn't get past a certain point (a few inches above your chest), THAT is also a sticking point.

Bottom line, you can only lift as much weight as you can move through that WEAKEST point in the range of motion of an exercise. But OUTSIDE that sticking point, your muscles are stronger and can lift more weight!

The question becomes, how do we still do full range-of-motion lifting while putting greater tension on the muscles to maximize their strength in OTHER phases of the movement?

We're going to break the movement into two distinct phases. On the first phase, you're going to do FULL reps of the shoulder press. When you can't do any more full reps, you're going to do partial reps in ONLY the top, stronger half of the range of motion.

It's a powerful technique and it'll get your shoulders burning like crazy!

The key to getting the most out of this exercise is the setup...

How to Do It:
First, you'll be doing this exercise in the power rack. While there IS a way to do it without being the rack (and it is still effective that way), the rack is going to allow you to really push your shoulders to the maximum.

Set the safety rails in the rack to just below shoulder height. You're going to be doing a standing military barbell press for your shoulders, bringing to the front, of course! I NEVER recommend doing any behind-the-head shoulder pressing - it can cause shoulder damage.

For this exercise, start with a weight you can get at least 8 to 10 reps for. I would suggest doing 3 or 4 sets of this exercise in total for your shoulder workout.

Grip the bar with your pinkies or fourth fingers on the smooth rings of the Olympic bar. You need to take a narrower grip on the bar than with the bench press. The rails should be set so you have to bend your knees a bit to get under the bar. The bar should be held across your extreme upper chest.

Next, begin the pressing movement. Press the barbell up in front of your face then lockout at the top. When you do a military press, your knees should be slightly bent and abs tight to keep stress off the lower back.

Because of the path of the bar, you will be leaning back a little bit - it has to go in front of your face. But as soon as the bar clears your head, shift your torso forward so that the bar is DIRECTLY over your head. It almost resembles a bobbing-forward motion. This is a key point that a lot of people miss with the shoulder press. If you keep leaning back, it keep tension on the front delts and takes it off the rear delts.

Lower the weight slowly back to your chest then press again. Keep going until you can't get the weight past the sticking point. Try and get it past the sticking point, though! We want to be sure you're right at the limit.

When you're done, set the bar back on the safety rails. And here's the trick that's going to set your shoulders on fire...keeping your hands locked onto the bar, drop down onto your knees under the bar. Now keep pressing in the partial top range of motion of the press!

Because the bar is now ABOVE the sticking point, your shoulders have better leverage and can continue with the exercise! Do as many reps as you can until you can't even budge the bar. I prefer to set the weight down on the rails in between reps here but you can keep a continuous movement, if you want. Do it whichever way feels best to you.

By exploiting the top range of motion after fatiguing the muscles in the full range of motion, you're going to finally be working the shoulders with FULL resistance in the whole range of motion.

When you're done, stand up. Your shoulders will be swelling up any second now!

As I mentioned previously, there IS a way to perform this technique without a power rack.

First, perform the barbell shoulder press, just like above. Now, instead of doing reps until you can't get past the sticking point, you're going to have to stop a rep or two SHORT of that point of failure.

Basically, you're going to have to complete that last rep to the TOP. When you're at the top, now lower the bar only halfway down (just above where your sticking point normally is) then press it back up to the top.

Keep doing reps in this shortened range of motion until you can't hold the bar up anymore!

Conclusion:
Give this exercise a try in your next shoulder workout. If you've got good shoulders, this will blow them up even more. If you've got poor shoulders, you're going to be in for a treat!

To view pictures and videos of this technique in action, please click

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," "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. He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

Atlanta area
Strength and Conditioning
plus
Personal Training
jason@inthegym.info

Send me your questions.

Email: weightworkout@yahoo.ca

Contact me here