Exercise Tutorial: Y Raises
Table of Contents
What Are Y Raises
Y Raises are a great and easy-to-do shoulder stability exercise that targets both the rotator cuff muscles and your lower traps. Although the Y Raise is commonly performed on an incline bench it can be modified to suit your needs and performed in a variety of different ways: standing, on the floor, flat or incline bench, or even a swiss ball.
How to Do Y Raises
Lie chest down on the floor. Have your arms hang straight down towards the floor with your palms facing in and thumbs pointing up to the sky.
Engage your core, retract your shoulder blades and squeeze them together.
Raise your arms up at about a 30° angle from your torso as high as you can to form a “y” with your body. Briefly pause at the top position before slowly lowering them back down.
To perform one of the mentioned Y Raise variations, follow the above instructions and modify it accordingly as the basic movements are the same throughout whether on a bench or standing. For example, for Y Raises on a swiss ball, place your chest so it’s resting on the ball with your feet a solid stance against the floor, almost in a superman position, and perform the raise.
Y Raises Form
Keep arms straight with shoulders down and back. No shrugging
Maintain a neutral spine. No arching or extending the back
Squeeze those shoulder blades together
Thumbs to the sky throughout the movement
Perform this movement in a slow and controlled manner. Avoid using excess momentum.
Y Raises Benefits
There are numerous benefits to the Y Raise that will have you implementing them into your workout routine ASAP! Some benefits include:
Improves and balances shoulder girdle strength
Improves shoulder mobility
Reduces risk of injury
Can help improve your posture
Why Are Y Raises Useful
Y Raises can be a useful movement to implement into your routine as it targets the shoulders and chest as well as helps tone and strengthen your upper body. It is also useful as it can help retrain muscle and strength imbalances (push/pull) as a result of weak lower traps.
Y Raises are a great exercise because anyone can do them as they require little to no equipment. They can be performed as a body weight exercise to focus on your key features and mobility, with a band or even light dumbbells to build strength,
The Y Raise is a great rehabilitative exercise to improve your upper body strength and range of motion to strengthen the shoulder complex and prevent injuries.