Prone Y-Raise
Make a Y, shoulders away from the ears. The prone Y-raise lies you face down and lifts both arms overhead into a Y, which trains the lower traps that hold the shoulder blade down. Lead with the thumbs. Use enough weight and the upper traps shrug instead, which is the exact muscle you were trying to avoid. Almost everyone who presses is weak here.
Setup
- Lie face down on a flat or slightly inclined bench, arms hanging, thumbs up.
- Forehead off the pad, neck neutral.
How To Do It
- Raise both arms overhead into a Y, leading with the thumbs.
- Stop when the arms are in line with the torso.
- Lower slowly and completely.
Breathing
Exhale as the arms rise.
Common Mistakes
- Using enough weight that the traps shrug instead of the lower traps working.
- Lifting the chest off the bench to gain height.
Programming It
Two to three sets of 10-20. Bodyweight is genuinely enough.
Why This Exercise Works
Lying face down removes momentum completely, so the lower trap has to lift the arm on its own. The lower trap is what holds the shoulder blade down when you press overhead, and it is weak in almost everyone who lifts.
Where You Should Feel It
A small burn low between the shoulder blades. Lying face down removes all momentum, so the lower trap has to lift the arm alone. Feeling the upper traps means the weight is too heavy.
Where It Fits in a Program
The lower traps are the muscle nobody trains and everybody needs. It belongs after the heavy work, when precision matters more than load.
Progressing and Regressing It
To progress the prone y-raise: hold each rep for three seconds before adding any weight. To regress it: reduce the range, and keep the thumbs up.
Who It's For
Anyone who presses overhead. The lower trap holds the shoulder blade down and it is weak in almost everyone who lifts. Bodyweight is enough.
Equipment and Substitutions
The version shown uses a bench and light dumbbells. No dumbbells? A kettlebell of similar weight works for almost all of this, and the cable and machine versions below cover the rest.
Related Exercises
- Chest-Supported Y-Raise · Rear Delts, Lower Traps
- Renegade Row · Back, Core, Shoulders
- Bent-Over Lateral Raise · Rear Delts, Traps
- Seal Row · Back, Rear Delts
- Chest-Supported Row · Back, Lats, Rear Delts
- Half-Kneeling Face Pull · Rear Delts, Upper Back
- Face Pull · Rear Delts, Upper Back
- Band Pull-Apart · Rear Delts, Upper Back
Common Questions
What muscles does the prone y-raise work?
The prone y-raise primarily trains the lower traps, rear delts.
How many sets and reps should I do?
Two to three sets of 10-20. Bodyweight is genuinely enough.
What are the most common prone y-raise mistakes?
Most often: using enough weight that the traps shrug instead of the lower traps working; lifting the chest off the bench to gain height.
Do I need a bench and light dumbbells to do this?
This version uses a bench and light dumbbells, and it trains the lower traps, rear delts. No dumbbells? A kettlebell of similar weight works for almost all of this, and the cable and machine versions below cover the rest.
Is this safe if I have an existing injury?
The prone y-raise puts the shoulder and elbow under load through a range many people have lost, so a cranky shoulder usually objects here before anything else does. Pain that pinches at a specific point is worth assessing; ordinary training discomfort is not. Not medical advice.