# Lying Prone Y Raise - Canonical: https://fitwill.app/exercise/11228/lying-prone-y-raise/ - Media ID: 11228 - Primary muscle: Traps - Body part: Upper Back - Equipment: Body Weight - Video: https://fitwill.app/videos/11228/lying-prone-y-raise.mp4 ## Description The Lying Prone Y Raise is a bodyweight movement performed face down on the floor with your arms extended overhead so your body forms a wide Y shape. From that position, you lift your chest, head, and arms a few inches off the ground while keeping your thumbs pointed toward the ceiling, then lower back down under control. It looks simple, but the overhead Y angle makes it one of the most direct ways to train the lower and middle trapezius, the muscles that pull your shoulder blades down and together. Most people's training is heavy on pressing and pulling at chest height, which builds the front and top of the shoulder girdle while the lower traps and rear shoulder muscles lag behind. That imbalance often shows up as rounded shoulders or a shrugging posture. The Lying Prone Y Raise targets exactly that weak link, and because you do it lying down, your spine is supported and gravity pulls straight down on the arms, which keeps the demand honest and the range easy to control. Setup matters more here than in most floor exercises. Your arms need to be at roughly a 45-degree angle to your torso, not straight overhead like a superman and not out to the sides like a T raise. That Y position changes the line of pull on the shoulder blades and biases the lower fibers of the trapezius. Turning your thumbs toward the ceiling slightly rotates the upper arm outward, which encourages the shoulder blade to move correctly instead of letting the upper traps take over. To execute it well, think about lifting with your shoulder blades first rather than your hands. The arms stay long and mostly straight, the neck stays relaxed and in line with the spine, and the chest lifts just enough to clear the forearms and hands off the floor. A brief pause at the top, one or two seconds, does more for this movement than extra height. Lifting aggressively or cranking the upper body too high shifts the work into the lower back and neck, which is not the goal. This exercise fits well as a warm-up activation drill before upper-body training, as a strength endurance movement in back and posture-focused sessions, and as a low-load option for people rebuilding shoulder blade control after time away from training. It pairs naturally with prone T raises and W raises to cover the full range of shoulder blade positions. Perform it for higher reps, usually in the 10 to 15 range, and progress by adding pauses and more sets rather than rushing the tempo. The main safety points are modest: keep the lift small, keep the neck long, and stop if you feel pinching at the front of the shoulders or strain in the lower back. Because the load is your own body weight, most people can learn the movement safely, but control and precision matter far more than how high you raise. ## Instructions 1. Lie face down on the floor with your legs straight behind you and your feet about hip-width apart, toes pointing down. 2. Extend both arms overhead and out to the sides at roughly a 45-degree angle to your torso, forming a wide Y shape. 3. Rotate your arms so your thumbs point toward the ceiling and your palms face each other. 4. Rest your forehead lightly toward the floor or hover it just off the ground so your neck stays long and in line with your spine. 5. Gently brace your abdominals and squeeze your glutes to steady your hips before you start moving. 6. Exhale as you lift your chest, arms, and hands a few inches off the floor, leading the motion by drawing your shoulder blades down and together. 7. Hold the top position for one to two seconds with your arms long and your thumbs up, making sure your hands are higher than your elbows. 8. Inhale as you lower your arms and chest back to the floor slowly, keeping your arms in the Y path rather than letting them drift inward. 9. Reset your shoulder blades and hips at the bottom, take a breath, and begin the next rep. 10. Complete 10 to 15 controlled repetitions, keeping the lift height consistent from rep to rep. ## Tips & Tricks - If you feel the top of your shoulders doing most of the work, lower the weight of your effort and think about pushing your arms away from your ears instead of pulling them up toward your head. - A common mistake is jerking the upper body up quickly to make the arms lift; the momentum robs the lower traps of work, so start every rep slowly from a dead stop on the floor. - Keep your chin tucked slightly and your gaze at the floor. Craning the neck upward is one of the fastest ways to turn this into a neck exercise. - Do not chase height. If your chest is lifting so high that your lower back is arching hard, the movement has become a back extension, not a Y raise. - Check your arm angle between sets. Arms drifting toward a T position changes the target, and arms drifting toward an overhead I position reduces the lower trap emphasis. - If your hands cannot clear the floor at the top, the arms may be too low relative to your shoulders, or your range may simply need time. Lift only as high as your hands and forearms can clear cleanly. - Squeeze your glutes lightly throughout the set. This stabilizes the pelvis and keeps the lower back from arching to compensate. - For a greater challenge, add a three-second pause at the top rather than lifting higher or moving faster. - Breathe steadily and avoid holding your breath at the top; exhaling as you lift helps keep tension in the shoulder blades rather than the neck. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What muscles does the Lying Prone Y Raise work? The primary targets are the lower and middle trapezius in the upper back, which control the shoulder blades. The rear shoulders, rotator cuff, rhomboids, and the muscles along the spine assist during the lift. ### Why should my thumbs point toward the ceiling during the Lying Prone Y Raise? Turning the thumbs up externally rotates the upper arms, which places the shoulder blades in a better position and biases the lower trapezius. It also helps you avoid pinching at the front of the shoulder. ### Is the Lying Prone Y Raise suitable for beginners? Yes. Because it uses body weight while lying face down, the movement is easy to control and self-limiting. Beginners should focus on small, slow lifts with a brief pause at the top rather than height or speed. ### How high should I lift my arms and chest? Only a few inches. Your hands and forearms should clear the floor with your thumbs up, and your chest should lift just enough to accompany them. If you are arching hard through the lower back to go higher, you have gone too far. ### What is the difference between the Y raise and a superman exercise? A superman uses arms straight overhead or alongside the body and emphasizes the lower back erectors. The Y raise angles the arms out at 45 degrees and thumbs up, shifting the emphasis to the lower and middle trapezius and shoulder blade control. ### My upper traps fatigue before my upper back does. What should I change? You are likely shrugging toward your ears. Before each rep, gently reach your arms away from your head to settle the shoulder blades down, then lift. Reducing the height of the lift also helps keep the upper traps quiet. ### Can I do the Lying Prone Y Raise on a bench instead of the floor? Yes, lying face down on a bench with your arms hanging toward the floor in a Y position is a common variation. The floor version is more supported, while the bench version allows a slightly longer arm path. ### How many reps and sets should I do? For activation or posture work, 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 controlled reps with a one to two second pause at the top works well. Since the load is light, quality of each rep matters more than adding resistance. ### Is it safe if I have lower back discomfort? Keep the chest lift small, brace your abdominals, and squeeze your glutes to limit how much your lower back arches. If any movement causes pain rather than muscle effort, stop and consult a qualified professional before continuing. ### How does the Lying Prone Y Raise help with posture? It strengthens the muscles that pull the shoulder blades down and together, which counteracts the shrugged, rounded-forward position common from desk work and pressing exercises. Used consistently, it supports a more upright shoulder position.