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Exercise library · Shoulders

Dumbbell Y raise

Rear delt work for the shoulders with dumbbells.

How to do it

1 of 3

Hinge forward, weights under shoulders

  1. Starting position

    Stand hip-width apart, lean your torso forward and hold the dumbbells below your shoulders with slightly bent arms.

  2. The movement

    Raise your arms forward and outward into a Y, then lower the dumbbells with control.

Most common mistake

Don't jerk the dumbbells up or shrug, move with control and keep your shoulders down.

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Muscle group
Shoulders
Equipment
Dumbbells
Where
Home or gym
Logged as
Weight × reps

Muscles worked

The Y raise is mostly used to train the lower and middle trapezius, which pull your shoulder blades back and down and rotate them upwards as your arms rise. The rear and side delts lift your arms, the rotator cuff keeps the shoulder joint steady, and your back extensors and hamstrings hold the forward lean. Many programmes include it as a counterweight to lots of pressing. With your thumbs pointing up, the raise usually feels more comfortable on the shoulder.

Common mistakes

  • Dumbbells that are too heavy. Most people need far lighter weights than for a lateral raise, often just a couple of kilos. If your arms cannot reach the line of your torso, go lighter.
  • Your torso rises during the set. As it gets hard, many people straighten up, and the lift turns into more of a front raise. Keep the same forward lean for the whole set, or do the exercise chest down on an incline bench to lock the angle.
  • Cranking your neck back. Keep your eyes on the floor a little in front of your feet rather than following your hands, so your neck stays in line with your back.

Variations and alternatives

  • Prone YTW raises do the same Y lying on the floor without weights, a good start if even the lightest dumbbells are too heavy.
  • The rear delt fly lifts the arms straight out to the sides instead, putting more of the work on the rear delts.
  • The face pull trains the rear delts and upper back on a cable, with a little more weight.

Sets and reps

Y raises call for light weights and controlled reps: 10 to 15 over two to three sets, ideally with a short pause at the top. Stop each set with two or three reps in reserve, because once the reps need momentum, other muscles take over. The guide to sets and reps has more on structuring your sets.

Light dumbbells often go up in steps of one or two kilos, a large step for such a small movement. So add reps and a longer pause at the top first, and go heavier only when every set reaches 15 controlled reps. That is what progressive overload looks like when the weight is small to begin with.

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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