Strong shoulders are key to developing a well-rounded physique, but keeping them healthy is essential if you want to train for life. That means your workouts shouldn't consist solely of heavy presses or endless lateral raises. It's why coach Joe DeFranco prescribes the prone Y-hold.
He recognises that, while the exercise might look boring, it's hugely effective at keeping your shoulders and upper back strong and healthy. Better still, it can quickly highlight any weaknesses you might have. These are the sorts of exercises that help build a body capable of training for decades.
'Everybody wants to know the exercise for bigger, bolder shoulders, but barely anyone asks what exercises they should be doing to keep their shoulders healthy enough to continue training hard enough for the next 20 years – this is one of those exercises,' DeFranco says.
Having worked with professional athletes and SWAT officers throughout his career, DeFranco says many struggled to even reach 30 seconds in the hold when they first started training with him.
'Try holding this position for 60 seconds without letting your hands touch the floor – most lifters can't do it,' he adds.
Here's how to do the prone Y-hold, why you should be doing it, and the benchmarks you should aim for.
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How to Do the Prone Y-Hold
- Lie face down on the floor, with your head in a neutral position and your back flat.
- Extend your arms straight overhead at roughly a 45-degree angle. This creates the 'Y' position.
- Engage your upper back by squeezing your shoulder blades back and down.
- Lift your arms off the floor and hold the position for as long as possible – the exercise ends if any part of your arm or hand touches the ground.
- Record your time and try to beat it next time.
Prone Y-Hold Standards
If you start off 'shaking like a leaf', DeFranco says that's completely normal. But with practice, you should be able to hold the position for much longer.
His benchmarks are:
Minimum: 1 minute
Gold: 2 minutes
Benefits of the Prone Y-Hold
Stronger, Healthier Shoulders
'The boring stuff isn't sexy – no one's bragging about their prone Y-hold PR,' DeFranco says. 'But strong lower traps, rhomboids and external rotator cuffs can be the difference between shoulders that feel great at 50 and shoulders that feel garbage at 35.'
The prone Y-hold helps improve shoulder function by strengthening the muscles responsible for controlling the shoulder blades. If movement at the shoulder becomes limited, your ability to perform everyday tasks – and key lifts in the gym – can also suffer.
Greater Control
As DeFranco highlights, while the exercise primarily benefits the shoulders, it works by targeting the muscles of the upper back. Strengthening them creates a more stable upper body and improves your ability to control movement.
It can also improve posture by giving you the strength to resist rounded shoulders.
Transferability
Often, getting stronger at an exercise means practising that movement repeatedly. But accessory exercises can be just as valuable – and the prone Y-hold is no exception.
'The muscles being challenged here are some of the exact same muscles responsible for keeping your shoulders healthy and stable when you're benching, rowing, overhead pressing and doing chin-ups,' DeFranco adds.
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