- EquipmentBodyweight
- PatternIsolation
- Reps10 to 20 reps
- Joint loadNone flagged
Lie face down on the floor or on an incline bench with your arms overhead in a Y shape, thumbs pointing up.
First cueKeep the neck long.
How to do the Prone Y-Raise
Set up. Lie face down on the floor or on an incline bench with your arms overhead in a Y shape, thumbs pointing up.
- Lift your arms a little way off the floor or bench.
- Hold for a moment.
- Lower slowly.
Form cues
- Keep the neck long.
- Draw the shoulder blades down as you lift.
- Small, slow lifts are enough.
Common mistakes
- Lifting the chest high so the back takes over.
- Shrugging.
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: Traps and Upper back.
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 Y-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 Y-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 Y-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
Band Face Pull
Band
Gym or cable swap
Face Pull
Cable
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: Prone T-Raise.
Do before it: Band Pull-Apart (shoulder blades).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Prone Y-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 Y-Raise?
Set up: Lie face down on the floor or on an incline bench with your arms overhead in a Y shape, thumbs pointing up. Steps: 1. Lift your arms a little way off the floor or bench. 2. Hold for a moment. 3. Lower slowly. Form cues: Keep the neck long. Draw the shoulder blades down as you lift. Small, slow lifts are enough. Common mistakes: Lifting the chest high so the back takes over. Shrugging.
What muscles does the Prone Y-Raise work?
It trains the rear delts as its main target and works the traps and upper back on the way.
What can I do instead of the Prone Y-Raise?
At home: Band Face Pull. In a gym: Face Pull. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Prone Y-Raise with?
Good partners in the same workout are Front Raise, Pull-Up and Barbell Curl.