Back-to-Back Weight Plate Twist Pass | Friends

Quick Intro

The Back-to-Back Weight Plate Twist Pass, sometimes called the Partner Plate Twist Pass, is the harder step from the Back-to-Back Medicine Ball Twist Pass. Two partners sit back to back on the floor. One holds a weight plate by its edges with both hands. Both rotate toward the same side of the room and the plate changes hands. Both rotate to the other side and it changes hands again. The loop continues for the set.

A plate is a different object from a ball. It is usually heavier and it is flat and hard. It also has to be held by the rim with the fingers, so it asks a lot more of the grip. The rotation is that of a Russian Twist, now with a load that is awkward to hand over.

What You’ll Need

A weight plate with a rim you can grip securely. Rubber bumper plates or plates with built-in handle cut-outs are easiest. Five kilograms is a sensible start for most pairs.
A mat or soft floor.
Clear space beside and behind both partners.

When to Use It

Move to the plate once the medicine ball version feels easy for both partners: steady hand-offs, a full turn each side and no rush. If either partner is still fumbling the ball, stay with the ball.

What It Works

The side stomach muscles (obliques) turn the trunk with the extra load and bring it back.
The front stomach muscles (rectus abdominis) keep the seated position from collapsing.
The deep stomach muscle (transverse abdominis) braces the waist so the hips stay still.
Hip flexors (iliopsoas) hold the seated V.
The front of the shoulder (anterior deltoid) holds the plate out from the body during each hand-off.
Forearm flexors pinch the rim of the plate. With a heavy plate the grip often tires before the stomach does.

The Technique

Setting up

Sit back to back, knees bent, feet flat and about hip-width apart.
Sit close enough that a turned upper body with bent elbows brings your hands to your partner’s.
The partner starting with the plate holds it upright in front of the chest, one hand on each side of the rim.

Grip and hand-off

The plate is easiest to pass when the two partners hold different parts of the rim.

The passer holds the plate at the sides, like the hands of a clock at three and nine.
The receiver takes hold at the top and bottom of the rim, at twelve and six. The two sets of hands never overlap, so no fingers get trapped.
The receiver says “got it” and the passer lets go.
On the next hand-off the roles of the grips swap naturally: the new passer is holding top and bottom, so the receiver takes the sides.

Turning together

Both rotate toward the same side of the room, which means one turns right and the other left. Rotate from the ribs with the hips planted. Keep the plate close to the body during the turn and extend it a little only for the hand-off.

Turn back through the middle together and repeat on the other side. One hand-off on each side counts as one rep. Change the starting side halfway through the set so both directions are trained equally.

Breathing

Exhale through the turn and the hand-off. Inhale as you come back to the middle.

How Many

Start with two sets of eight to ten reps. The plate is heavier than the ball, so do fewer reps than you would with the ball version and keep each one slow and deliberate.

Making It Easier or Harder

Easier:

Use a lighter plate.
Turn less far.
Go back to the medicine ball.

Harder:

Use a heavier plate, still within what both partners can hand over with control.
Pause for a second at each hand-off, with both partners holding the plate, before the passer lets go.
Lean back a little further from upright.

Staying Safe

Slow and deliberate hand-offs only. A dropped plate near the feet or legs can do real damage.
Never toss the plate.
Use a plate with a secure rim. A thin, smooth iron plate is hard to grip and easy to drop.
Keep the plate low, close to the lap, so that if it does slip it has little distance to fall.
Stop if the grip starts failing. A failing grip is the cue to end the set.

Common Mistakes

Overlapping hands at the hand-off. Use the clock grip so fingers stay clear.
Letting go before the receiver has it. Wait for “got it”.
Holding the plate far out from the body. It strains the shoulders. Keep it close until the hand-off.
Rushing. A plate loop should look slower than a ball loop.

Fitting It Into a Session

Use it as the core exercise in a strength session, after the main lifts. Because the grip is tested too, do not place it right before heavy pulling or carrying work.

Back-to-Back Medicine Ball Twist Pass is the lighter starting version.
Standing Back-to-Back Medicine Ball Twist Pass moves the loop onto the feet.
Standing Overhead Weight Plate Pass passes a plate overhead between partners facing each other.

FAQ

What weight should we start with?

Five kilograms is a good start for most pairs. Go lighter if either partner has a weaker grip. Choose a weight both partners can control.

Can we use a kettlebell instead?

A kettlebell handle is easier to grip and harder to hand over cleanly, since there is only one handle for two pairs of hands. Plates and balls suit this exercise better.

My forearms are tired before my stomach. Is that normal?

Yes. Pinching a plate rim is hard work for the grip. If the grip limits the set, a lighter plate lets the stomach do more of the work.