- EquipmentBodyweight
- PatternIsolation
- Reps10 to 20 reps
- Joint loadNone flagged
Lie face down on the floor or an incline bench with your arms straight out to the sides in a T, thumbs pointing up.
First cueKeep the arms straight.
How to do the Prone T-Raise
Set up. Lie face down on the floor or an incline bench with your arms straight out to the sides in a T, thumbs pointing up.
- Lift your arms by squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Hold briefly at the top.
- Lower slowly.
Form cues
- Keep the arms straight.
- Keep the head down.
- Move slowly.
Common mistakes
- Lifting the head and chest.
- Shrugging toward the ears.
Muscles worked
Main target: Rear delts. The rear head of the deltoid covers the back of the shoulder. It draws the arm back and turns it outward, the opposite of a bench press.
On the way: Upper back and Traps.
Its other side: Chest, Front delts and Triceps, in the horizontal push and pull pattern.
Its other side: Front delts, in the front and rear shoulder pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Prone T-Raise, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Front Raise Superset partner: it trains the other side of the front and rear shoulder pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Pull-Up Same pull session: it trains the lats.
- Barbell Curl Same pull session: it trains the biceps.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Prone T-Raise first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Prone T-Raise 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Front Raise 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Pull-Up 3 × 3 to 15 reps
- Barbell Curl 3 × 6 to 15 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Rear Delt Fly
Dumbbell
Gym or cable swap
Reverse Pec Deck
Machine
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: Rear Delt Fly.
Other variations of the Rear Delt Fly: Reverse Pec Deck and Cable Rear Delt Fly.
Its variations: Prone Y-Raise.
Do before it: Band Pull-Apart (shoulder blades).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Prone T-Raise is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Prone T-Raise?
Set up: Lie face down on the floor or an incline bench with your arms straight out to the sides in a T, thumbs pointing up. Steps: 1. Lift your arms by squeezing your shoulder blades together. 2. Hold briefly at the top. 3. Lower slowly. Form cues: Keep the arms straight. Keep the head down. Move slowly. Common mistakes: Lifting the head and chest. Shrugging toward the ears.
What muscles does the Prone T-Raise work?
It trains the rear delts as its main target and works the upper back and traps on the way.
What can I do instead of the Prone T-Raise?
At home: Rear Delt Fly. In a gym: Reverse Pec Deck. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Prone T-Raise with?
Good partners in the same workout are Front Raise, Pull-Up and Barbell Curl.