{"id":680790,"date":"2026-07-08T17:44:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T17:44:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/680790\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T17:44:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T17:44:11","slug":"this-simple-shoulder-hold-could-protect-your-lifting-strength-for-decades-here-are-the-standards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/680790\/","title":{"rendered":"This Simple Shoulder Hold Could Protect Your Lifting Strength for Decades \u2013\u00a0Here Are the Standards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Strong shoulders<\/a> 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<\/a> or endless lateral raises<\/a>. It’s why coach Joe DeFranco<\/a> prescribes the prone Y-hold.<\/p>\n

He recognises that, while the exercise might look boring, it’s hugely effective at keeping your shoulders and upper back<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

‘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 \u2013 this is one of those exercises,’ DeFranco says<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

‘Try holding this position for 60 seconds without letting your hands touch the floor \u2013 most lifters can’t do it,’ he adds.<\/p>\n

Here’s how to do the prone Y-hold, why you should be doing it, and the benchmarks you should aim for.<\/p>\n

How to Do the Prone Y-HoldLie face down on the floor, with your head in a neutral position and your back flat.Extend your arms<\/a> 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 \u2013 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<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

His benchmarks are:<\/p>\n

Minimum: 1 minute<\/p>\n

Gold: 2 minutes<\/p>\n

Benefits of the Prone Y-HoldStronger, Healthier Shoulders<\/p>\n

‘The boring stuff isn’t sexy \u2013 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.’<\/p>\n

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 \u2013 and key lifts in the gym \u2013 can also suffer.<\/p>\n

Greater Control<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

It can also improve posture<\/a> by giving you the strength to resist rounded shoulders.<\/p>\n

Transferability<\/p>\n

Often, getting stronger at an exercise means practising that movement repeatedly. But accessory exercises can be just as valuable \u2013 and the prone Y-hold is no exception.<\/p>\n

‘The muscles being challenged here are some of the exact same muscles responsible for keeping your shoulders healthy and stable when you’re benching<\/a>, rowing<\/a>, overhead pressing<\/a> and doing chin-ups<\/a>,’ DeFranco adds. <\/p>\n

\"fitness<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s one thing Kori Sampson knows, it\u2019s how to optimise your body composition for performance. To tap into his knowledge as an elite athlete and coach, we asked him to create a 4-week plan to help you move faster, recover quicker and keep pushing when the fatigue sets in \u2013 all while improving your muscle-to-fat ratio.<\/p>\n

Ready to build muscle, burn fat and come out the other side looking, feeling and performing better? Click here<\/a> to get 14 days of free access to the plan via the Men\u2019s Health app.
<\/p>\n