In the prone T raise you lie face down and lift straight arms out to the sides, so your body makes a T. The work goes into the muscles between your shoulder blades (middle trapezius and rhomboids) and the back of the shoulders. Physios often use it to train shoulder blade control in shoulder and upper back rehab.

How to do the prone t raise

Start on your stomach with a small towel under your forehead and your legs relaxed.
Stretch your arms straight out to the sides at shoulder level, so your arms and body make a T.
Roll your arms so the thumbs face the ceiling.
Pull your shoulder blades toward each other and raise both arms, elbows straight, while your chest and head stay down.
Hold briefly at the top. Lower slowly and let the arms go loose before the next one.

What you should feel

A working feeling in the middle of your upper back, between the shoulder blades, and at the back of each shoulder. Your neck should stay quiet.

Common mistakes

Shrugging toward your ears as you lift. Think of the shoulder blades moving toward each other, not up.
Peeling your forehead or chest off the towel to chase height.
Letting the arms drift down toward your hips as they tire, so the T turns into a different shape.

How often

A common starting point is 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12, with a hold of 3 to 5 seconds at the top, once a day. If that is too much, your physio may start you lower.

Stop and check with your physio if

The shoulder catches or hurts sharply as your arms rise.
Your arm starts to tingle, or pain spreads down it.
Pins and needles in your arm or hand that do not go away after you stop, or part of your arm or hand goes numb. Get medical advice the same day. If one side of your face or body suddenly goes numb or weak, or your speech becomes slurred or muddled, call emergency services, even if it goes away.
Your neck gets more painful as the set goes on.
A sudden pop or tearing feeling in the shoulder that brings sharp pain, new weakness or trouble lifting the arm. Stop and contact your surgical team the same day, or get medical advice the same day if you have not had surgery.
The shoulder feels as if it has slipped out of place, looks a different shape or suddenly locks so you cannot move the arm, or your hand turns cold, pale or blue. Go to an emergency department straight away, without driving yourself, and do not try to put the shoulder back in yourself.

From the clinic

Height is not the goal. A lift of a couple of centimeters with the shoulder blades doing the work is enough. A big swing usually means your neck or lower back has joined in.

The T is often the first of these face-down lifts people learn. If both arms at once is too much, some programs lift one arm at a time. The prone Y raise is a common next step.

If you are pregnant, lying on your stomach usually stops being comfortable somewhere in the middle months. Your physio can give you a version done sitting or leaning forward instead.

After shoulder surgery, including a rotator cuff repair, or after a shoulder fracture or dislocation, follow your surgeon's or physio's plan, and do only the movements and range they have cleared. Many plans allow only passive movement at first, where the arm is moved for you and its muscles stay relaxed. Lifting the arms against gravity like this usually comes later in rehab.

Reviewed by the PocketPhysio by VirtueLife expert physiotherapy team. Last reviewed 2026-09-25.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Prone T raise