WhatWorksWhat.
Rear delts

Prone T Raise

Rear delts and the middle of the upper back working as a unit.

Complexity · Lowstabilitybeginner+Bodyweight
  • Rear delts
  • Rear delts - Rear delts
  • Rhomboids
  • Traps
  • Rear delts

PrimarySecondary

What it hits

Parts of the target muscle.

  • Rear delts

    Hit

    Pulls arm back/horizontal abduction.

The movement

Get it right, not roughly right.

Optimal form

2:30· Physique Development

How to Perform Dumbbell Y Raise | Strengthen Your Lower Traps

Hands together

Open and squeezed

Face down. Arms out straight to the sides in a T, thumbs up. Lift the arms toward the ceiling. Hold 2s at the top.

Common mistakes

  • Bending the elbows.
  • Shrugging the traps at the top.

Where you should feel it

Rear delts and the middle of the upper back working as a unit.

Injury risk · 1/10

Variations

Same movement, moved emphasis.

Ranked by how directly each variation still trains rear delts. 80%+ means the target barely changes. Below 60%, the emphasis has meaningfully shifted — useful for variety, but less precise for the specific part. The label calls it at a glance.

  • Light dumbbell prone T

    1–5lb dumbbells.

    100% on target

    On target

    Same target, minor adjustment.

Compare with another exercise

Cool-down

Worked it. Walk it back down.

A couple of minutes here pays back in soreness avoided tomorrow. Browse the full library.

  • Lat Hang

    Dead hang from a bar, fully relaxed shoulders. 30–60s. Decompresses everything pulling-related.

    LatsRhomboids

  • Child's Pose

    Knees wide, big toes together. Sit hips back to the heels, arms long overhead, forehead to the floor. 60s. Walk the hands one direction to bias one side.

    LatsLower backRhomboids

  • Cross-body Shoulder Stretch

    Pull one arm across the body with the opposite hand at the elbow. Shoulder stays down - don't let it shrug. 30s per side.

    Rear deltsSide delts

Coach note

Cheapest postural exercise that exists. 2 sets of 15 every other day for shoulder health.