Lying Prone W
Strengthen your upper back, rear deltoids, and improve shoulder stability with the Lying Prone W.
Description
A strength exercise that targets the upper body. The user lies face down on the floor and moves their arms in a 'W' motion.
How to Do Lying Prone W
- 1Setup
Lie face down on the floor with your body fully extended, forehead resting gently on the ground, and arms extended straight out in front of you.
- 2Setup
Rotate your shoulders externally and bend your elbows to form a 'W' shape with your arms, ensuring your palms face each other or slightly down.
- 3
Inhale, then exhale as you simultaneously lift your chest, arms, and hands off the floor by squeezing your shoulder blades together and down.
- 4
Keep your elbows bent and maintain the 'W' shape, focusing on contracting your rhomboids and rear deltoids at the top of the movement.
- 5
Slowly and with control, lower your chest, arms, and hands back to the starting position as you inhale, releasing the scapular contraction.
Tips
- Initiate the movement by actively pulling your shoulder blades together and down, rather than just lifting your arms, to maximize upper back engagement.
- Keep your neck in a neutral position by looking straight down at the floor throughout the exercise to avoid strain and promote proper spinal alignment.
- Engage your glutes and core lightly to stabilize your lower back and prevent excessive arching of the lumbar spine as you lift.
- Focus on a slow, controlled eccentric (lowering) phase to maximize muscle time under tension and further improve shoulder stability.
Common Mistakes
- ×Arching the lower back excessively instead of engaging the upper back indicates a lack of core stability; fix this by gently bracing your core and squeezing your glutes.
- ×Shrugging your shoulders towards your ears reduces upper back engagement and can cause neck tension; correct this by actively depressing your shoulders away from your ears.
- ×Using momentum to lift your arms rather than controlled muscle contraction diminishes effectiveness; ensure a slow, deliberate lift and lower to maintain tension in the target muscles.
Variations
Lying Prone W to Y
Strengthen your upper back and shoulder stabilizers with the Lying Prone W to Y. Improve posture and shoulder health by engaging rhomboids and lower traps.
Lying Prone W to T
Strengthen your upper back and shoulders with the Lying Prone W to T. This bodyweight exercise improves posture and scapular stability.
Lying Prone A
Strengthen your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings with the Lying Prone A. This effective bodyweight exercise improves spinal erector strength and posture.
Lying Prone T
Strengthen your upper back, shoulders, and core with the Lying Prone T. This effective bodyweight exercise targets postural muscles to improve stability
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