Exercise of the Day: Swiss Ball Y Raise

Halfway through upper body week! Today's Exercise of the Day is the Swiss Ball Y Raise. This exercise really hits your shoulders and works your arms. By laying your torso on the Swiss ball, you also give yourself a core workout. You can do the Y raise laying on an inline bench, however, if you want to feel more stable or a Swiss ball is unavailable.



1-Lay your torso against a Swiss ball. The top edge of your pelvis should rest on the fitness ball. Contract your glutes and abs to maintain an even lower back. Your arms will be hanging straight down from your shoulders, and your palms face each other.

2-Raise your arms so that they are even with your shoulders and somewhere between 30-45 degrees away from your head so you form a Y-shape. Do not raise your arms too high past shoulder-level as this may cause over-extension.

3-Hold the Y-position for 1 to 2 breaths and then slowly and with control lower them down to the starting position.

4-Do 12-15 repetitions.

If you choose to do the exercise with weights, the same movement applies. However, if you want to use heavy weights, I recommend NOT using a Swiss ball, as the instability and heavy weights in combination further add to your chance of injury and strain.

ENJOY!