Prone T-Raise

Lifting straight arms out to the sides while face down works the mid-back and rear delts.

How to do it

Lie face down, lift your forehead slightly off the floor and keep your neck neutral.
Reach your straight arms out to the sides at shoulder height with your thumbs pointing up.
Draw your shoulders down, away from your ears.
Raise your arms off the floor while squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Pause for a second at the top without lifting your chest.
Lower your arms slowly and repeat.

Key technique cue

Lying face down, raise straight arms out to the sides level with the shoulders, squeezing the shoulder blades.

Common mistakes

Lifting with the lower back and chest
Shoulders shrugged toward the ears
Bending the elbows or jerking the arms up
Moving too fast to control the shoulder blades

Benefits

Stronger muscles between the shoulder blades
Better endurance in the rear delts
Improved control of shoulder blade position

Progression: from easier to harder

Step 1 You are here
- Prone T-Raise
- Prone W-Raise
Step 2
- Prone Y-Raise
- Prone Y-T Raises

Full “Prone raise” progression

About the exercise

In this exercise your arms form a T, and the work comes from the rhomboids between the shoulder blades and the rear delts. It teaches you to pull the shoulder blades together without help from the lower back. It suits beginners and anyone who spends long hours at a desk.

Updated October 15, 2026