Overhead Plate Raise

An anterior deltoid isolation exercise where a weight plate is held with both hands and raised overhead in a smooth arc, arms staying relatively straight throughout the full range of motion.

Instructions

1. Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and your core engaged.
2. Hold a weight plate with both hands at your sides, gripping the edges at the 10 and 2 o’clock positions.
3. Let your arms hang naturally with a slight bend in the elbows; the plate rests in front of your thighs.
4. Inhale to prepare and brace your core to keep your torso stable.
5. Exhale and raise the plate upward in a smooth, controlled arc, keeping your arms relatively straight.
6. Continue the arc until the plate is fully overhead with your arms extended above your head.
7. Pause briefly at the top, feeling the contraction in your anterior deltoids.
8. Inhale and lower the plate back down along the same arc in a controlled manner.
9. Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

Tips

• Keep your arms relatively straight throughout — a slight elbow bend is fine, but avoid significantly bending them.
• Do not swing or use momentum; the movement should be slow and controlled in both directions.
• Maintain an upright torso and avoid leaning back as the plate rises overhead.
• Engage your core throughout to protect your lower back and keep the movement strict.
• This exercise differs from the Plate Front Raise: the arc continues all the way overhead rather than stopping at shoulder height.
• Use a lighter plate than you think you need — the extended range of motion increases the lever arm significantly.
• Breathe steadily; exhale on the way up, inhale on the way down.