Authors Update: It’s been a year since I filmed this video. My respect for the plate curl as one of the best arm exercises has only increased.
Update #2: My video vanished from Youtube. I must have accidentally deleted it. I’ll put another one in from another lifter in the post below:
Many feats of strength require enormous wrist strength. Your wrist must be able to move with great force through it’s entire range of motion, and also be capable of holding a rigid position against great resistance. For example, you can’t tear a deck of cards in half without being able to hold your wrists locked into position while your hands twist the deck. If your wrists lose tension during the tear, you won’t be able to create the shearing force necessary to halve the deck.
I’m a kettlebell nut, as you know, and while most kettlebell work will improve wrist strength, some focused, intense plate curls will make you stronger still (and improve your grip for more kettlebell work at the same time).
Here’s Adam T. Glass performing the plate curl with a whopping 45 lb plate!
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Josh, do you find any difference between plate curls and curls using the strongergrip pinch block? I ask because my gym only has plates riddled with holes.
I think the pinch blocks can be harder just because the weight can be so far away from you. I think they both have merit and I do them both. Also, I’m competitive and a lot of people brag about how much then can plate curl: not so many are blagging about pinch block records.
Where do you insert plate curl into your routine? I have some ideas where I could fit them into my routine, but I would like to know what others have done.
Greg, I usually do my grip work either on its own day, or after my kettlebell workouts. I find that if I do them first, my wrists are just little noodles for the rest of the training session. The only thing I would add is to make sure that you also do some extensor work (opening your hands against resistance like a bunch of rubber bands).
I don’t see the video =/ ?
What on Earth? It’s not there. I have no idea how that happened. I’ll see if it’s still on youtube.