Prone Y Raises: Benefits, Muscles Worked, and More - Inspire US (2024)

Last Updated:

November 3, 2023

Whether for targeting the upper back or as a rehabilitative tool, the classic Y raise is made only more effective when in a prone position.

The prone Y raise builds the trapezius muscles, improves overall shoulder and scapula function and can even be turned into a deltoid isolation exercise by elevating the torso off the ground. To learn how to perform this rather multifaceted exercise, continue reading.

What are Prone Y Raises?

Prone Y raises are an open chain compound exercise performed either unweighted as a rehabilitation tool or with the use of free weights as a strength training exercise.

For the purposes of safety and simplicity, this article will revolve around using the prone Y raise as a strength and conditioning tool by healthy individuals. Do not attempt to self-rehabilitate injuries with the prone Y raise, as doing so without approval from a physical therapist can result in further injury.

Prone Y raises are occasionally confused with prone incline Y raises, where the lifter lies chest-down atop an incline bench for a greater range of motion. This is an entirely separate exercise.

Are Prone Y Raises the Right Exercise for You?

Prone Y raises are simple, end-range and very low impact. As such, they are appropriate for the vast majority of individuals, regardless of exercise experience or current level of physical conditioning.

However, if you have a history of issues relating to your shoulders, scapula or have been advised not to lie on your chest – avoid the prone Y raise.

How to do Prone Y Raises

To perform a repetition of the prone Y raise, the exerciser will lie flat on their stomach with their legs straightened close together.

The arms should be raised out parallel to the shoulders at a 45 degree angle, palms facing one another and forming a letter “Y” shape with the upper body.

From this stance, the exerciser then pulls their scapula together and squeezes their posterior deltoids – raising their arms off the floor while still in the same “Y” shape until a full range of motion has been reached.

Now at the limit of their range of motion, the exerciser slowly releases the tension in their scapula and lowers their arms back down to the floor, still in the same stance.

At this point, the repetition is considered to be complete.

Certain versions of the prone Y raise may involve lifting the entire upper chest off the floor, not just the arms. This is more difficult and comes with a slightly greater risk of upper spine injury, but will further target the lower trapezius and other upper back muscles.

What Muscles are Worked by Prone Y Raises?

Although prone Y raises are a compound movement, they target only a select few muscles.

These muscles are differentiated according to the type of contraction they exhibit, with dynamic contraction marking them “mobilizers” and static contraction “stabilizers”.

Mobilizer Muscles

When performed correctly, prone Y raises primarily work the upper and lower trapezius muscles – alongside the posterior deltoid head.

Each of these muscle groups is responsible for movement of the shoulder or shoulder blades, hence the fact that they are the main focus of the exercise.

Stabilizer Muscles

Alongside the aforementioned mobilizer muscles are the levator scapulae, the serratus anterior, the medial deltoid head and the various muscles of the deep upper back and rotator cuff. This includes, the teres muscles, rhomboideus major and the supraspinatus.

What are the Benefits of Doing Prone Y Raises?

Apart from its rehabilitative uses, prone Y raises are great for achieving the following benefits.

Strengthens, Mobilizes and Stabilizes the Upper Back Muscles

Outside of physical rehabilitation, prone Y raises are used to strengthen, stretch and improve the static capacity of the upper back muscles.

These benefits are especially pronounced in the lower trapezius and posterior deltoid head – both of which will be able to exert more force, maintain isometric contraction for longer and achieve a larger range of motion.

Excellent for Reinforcing Scapula and Shoulder Joint Movement

Individuals seeking to further improve the stability and force of movements related to their shoulder and scapula can use prone Y raises to do just that – all without increasing their risk of injury or any sort of equipment.

Low Joint Impact, Accessible and Easy to Master

For generally healthy individuals, the prone Y raise is entirely unlikely to result in injury and has the added benefit of requiring no advanced exercise familiarity or equipment.

These aspects make the prone Y raise one of the most accessible movements to even the most inexperienced athletes, allowing an entry to general training and a useful tool for those who wish to strengthen their general shoulder girdle structure.

Can be Modified for Range of Motion, Intensity or Assistance

While the prone Y raise is the most accessible variation of the Y raise itself, there are many other modifications that further intensity the exercise, allow for an even larger range of motion or assist the performer if they are unable to complete the exercise.

The prone Y raise may allow for greater scapular protraction at the start of the repetition by elevating the performer atop an incline bench.

Likewise, the movement may be performed gripping dumbbells or kettlebells so as to better induce muscular hypertrophy.

Improves Posture of the Upper Back

A major part of upper body posture is the position of the scapula – specifically the extent to which it is retracted.

Individuals with poor upper back posture will often have internally rotated shoulders, a curved cervical spine, a forward extended neck and occasionally a naturally protracted or “winged” scapula.

Apart from more severe cases or underlying medical conditions, one of the best ways to correct postural issues is to perform low impact resistance exercises – the prone Y raise being a perfect example.

If performing the exercise to correct postural issues, it is advisable to also seek out the advice of a medical professional so as to form a more comprehensive rehabilitation plan.

Common Prone Y Raise Mistakes to Avoid

Although the prone Y raise is quite safe to perform, avoid these common mistakes so as to get the most out of your training.

Insufficient Range of Motion

In order to ensure that the upper back is contracted to the greatest degree, the exercise should be performed in as full a range of motion as possible. This means beginning with the arms resting atop the floor and fully squeezing the shoulder blades together at the apex of the movement.

An insufficient range of motion can cause the muscles to be targeted to a far lesser intensity, and generally result in poor benefits overall.

Excessively Rapid Tempo

Much like an insufficient range of motion, performing the prone Y raise too quickly can make it less effective as an exercise.

In addition, the momentum that is inherent to performing the Y raise at an excessively rapid tempo can strain the shoulder joint and result in irritation – especially to the labrum.

Aim to perform each repetition of the exercise over the course of 2-3 seconds, stretching out each half of said repetition as you do so.

Arching the Lower Back

To help isolate the upper back and avoid unnecessary strain on the lower back, avoid arching as much as possible. Aim to keep the abs contracted but the lower back and pelvis in a neutral curvature.

Failing to Retract Shoulder Blades

Exercisers overly relying on their deltoids or even their abs may fail to properly utilize their shoulder blades – defeating the entire purpose of the exercise.

One good cue to use is to imagine pinching a small ball behind the back using the shoulder blades. This should properly retract them without necessarily involving muscles other than those located in the upper back.

Alternatives to the Y Raise

If the prone Y raise is too low impact or easy for you, try the following three alternatives out.

Dumbbell Face Pulls

Dumbbell face pulls are an excellent upper back strengthening movement that build upon the benefits already seen with prone Y raises.

Of course, with greater resistance comes a greater risk of injury, and as such dumbbell face pulls should be used as a progression once the unweighted prone Y raise is already mastered by the exerciser.

Weighted Incline Y Raises

For much the same movement but with a larger range of motion and greater intensity, performing Y raises on an incline bench with a pair of dumbbells is one possible option.

Weighted incline Y raises are simply a more intense variation of the unweighted prone variant, allowing for more advanced exercisers to continue progressing their training without the limitations of the latter movement.

Dumbbell High Elbow Rows

Although controversial, the dumbbell high elbow row is nonetheless a similar rotator cuff training tool that features similar benefits to the prone Y raise. In addition, the high elbow row will also target the biceps brachii and recruit the muscles of the upper back to a greater intensity.

The dumbbell high elbow row is nonetheless considered a high risk exercise that requires some level of training experience to execute correctly.

Avoid performing this particular exercise as a prone Y raise alternative if you have a history of shoulder, shoulder blade or elbow injuries.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are Prone Lateral Raises the Same as Prone Y Raises?

No – prone lateral raises are primarily a medial deltoid exercise involving the arms abducting while fully extended. Y raises adopt a more vertical arm positioning, and target the posterior deltoid head and upper back musculature instead.

What is a Standing Y Raise?

The standing Y raise is a variation of Y raise where the performer raises their arms up into the air in a diagonal direction.

The standing variation is most often performed with a pair of dumbbells – allowing for development of the trapezius and deltoids in a more isolated manner.

What is the Benefit of the Prone Position When Doing Y Raises?

Performing Y raises in a lying or prone position allows for true isolation of the upper back and shoulders.

Inexperienced exercisers may unconsciously “cheat” the repetition by generating momentum with the legs or moving the torso. Being in a prone position entirely eliminates this risk, and will also help the performer focus on consciously using their scapula.

References

1. Dr. Lai, Tiffany et. al. (2021) “Prone Y-Raise” RehabHero Retrieved from: https://www.rehabhero.ca/exercise/prone-y-raise

2. Kim, Eunkuk & Kim, Jinho & You, Jinyoung. (2020). Effects of Lower Trapezius Strengthening Exercise on Shoulder Pain, Function and Archery Performance in Elite Archers. The Korean Journal of Sports Medicine. 38. 171-181. 10.5763/kjsm.2020.38.3.171.