Draw a Y, build bulletproof shoulders.
Keep arms long with thumbs up, go light, this is about control not load.
Lying chest-down on the incline takes momentum out of the equation and puts the dumbbells directly against gravity in the Y position, which is the line of pull of the lower traps. The rear delts and the muscles between the shoulder blades assist to lift and control the arms, making this one of the best drills for the small stabilisers that keep pressing shoulders healthy. It earns its place as a low-load builder for posture and overhead strength.
Much lighter than you think, often just a couple of kilos per hand. The lower traps are small muscles at a long lever, so if you need to jerk the weight up, it is too heavy.
A lateral raise lifts straight out to the sides and targets the side delts. The Y raise angles the arms up and out at roughly 45 degrees, which shifts the work to the lower traps and rear delts.
The thumbs-up grip rotates the shoulder outward, which gives the joint more room at the top of the movement and lines the arm up with the lower trap fibres you are trying to train.
