Bus Driver Exercise

The bus driver exercise is a standing core rotation in which you hold a weight plate at chest height and turn it from side to side like a steering wheel. The movement trains the obliques and the deep trunk muscles that both produce and resist rotation, which carries over to throwing, swinging and any sport built on transferring force from the hips to the shoulders. It doubles as a shoulder endurance drill, since the arms stay extended under load for the whole set. A plate of 5 to 10 kilos is plenty for most people: straight arms make a light plate feel heavy within a few reps, and going heavier usually turns the drill into a swing driven by the lower back. Beginners and experienced lifters alike use it as a warm up or as a finisher at the end of a training session.