Being physically fit is one of the best things that you can do for both your body and mind. Not only does it help you control and manage your weight, but it also strengthens your muscles and allows you to do day-to-day activities with a lot more ease. With that being said, leading an active lifestyle is easier said than done. That’s because it’s challenging to find the motivation to train. It happens to me all the time, I just don’t feel like getting up in the morning and doing my daily run or going to the gym. When that happens, it’s usually a sign to change things up and add a little spice to your workouts. One example of doing that is by performing a series of exercises that start with the same letter. Let’s take the example of the letter Y.
Here is a list of the best exercises that start with the letter Y:
- Y Incline Raise
- Y Standing Raise
- Y Stretch
- YTWL Exercise
- Y Dumbell Press
In this article, we’ll talk about how you can perform these exercises, as well as their benefits.
Table of Contents
How to Perform These Exercises That Start with Y:
Although these exercises don’t follow a particular routine when it comes to targeting muscles, you can still do them as a way to break off the typical workouts that you usually perform and to have a little bit of fun. Here’s how you can perform these exercises.
Y Incline Raise
- Start by grabbing a pair of dumbbells and putting them next to an incline bench
- lay chest down on an incline bench (the bench should be tilted 30 to 45 degrees)
- Let your arms hang down at arm’s length (your palms should be facing each other), this is the start of the exercise
- Grab one dumbbell in each hand and raise them straight out in front of your body at a 30-degree angle so they form a Y
- Hold that position for 2 or 3 seconds, then lower your arms slowly back to their starting position
- Repeat until failure or until rep goal
Muscles worked:
- Shoulders
- Traps
Y Standing Raise
- Start by grabbing a pair of dumbbells that match your fitness level (this can also be done using a cable)
- Get into a standing position (your back should be straight)
- Lift the dumbbells until they reach your shoulder height and your palms should be facing the ground, this is the starting position
- Raise both of your arms until they form a Y and make sure to contract your shoulders at the top of the motion
- Hold that position for 2 to 3 seconds then slowly bring your arms back down by reversing the movement
- Repeat until failure or until rep goal
Muscles worked:
- Traps
- Shoulders
- Middle back
- Triceps
- Lats
- Abs
Y Stretch
- Start in a standing position next to a wall (the wall should be behind you), your heels, glutes, shoulder, and back of the head should touch your wall
- Raise your arms while bending them slightly, your elbows and back of your hands should also touch the wall, this is the starting position
- Raise your arms until they form a Y shape
- Slowly lower your arms until they’re back to their starting position (All body parts should always touch the wall)
- Hold the position for 3 to 4 seconds
- Repeat until failure or until rep range
Muscles Worked:
This is more of a stretch so it works the shoulders and back slightly.
YTWL Exercise
- Just like the Y Incline Raise, grab a pair of dumbbells and put them next to an incline bench
- Start by laying down on the incline bench and grab a dumbbell on each hand
- Raise your arms until they form a Y shape, the dumbbells should be perpendicular to the ground, hold that position for 2 to 3 seconds, then slowly lower them. This is the Y portion of the exercise
- Laterally raise both the dumbbells out to the sides with palms facing behind you, hold that position for 2 to 3 seconds, then slowly lower them. This is the T portion of the exercise
- Raise your elbows up so that fists are pointed at the ground, hold this position for 2 to 3 seconds, then slowly lower the dumbbells. This is the W portion of the exercise
- Raise your elbows up, then raise the dumbbells up so that your forearms are parallel with the ground, hold for 1 to 2 seconds, then slowly lower the dumbbells. This is the L portion of the exercise
- Repeat until failure or until rep range
Muscles worked:
- Shoulders
- Traps
- Lats
Y Dumbell Press
- Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart
- Grab a pair of dumbbells in each hand
- Lift the dumbbells up to your shoulders with your elbows pointed out to your side
- Push the weight up until you form a Y shape with your arms
- Hold that position for 2 to 3 seconds
- Slowly lower the dumbbells back down to your shoulders
- Repeat until failure or until rep goal
Muscles worked:
- Traps
- Shoulders
- Biceps
- Middle Back
Conclusion:
As you can see, there are several exercises to choose from that start with the letter Y. If you want to change things up a little bit and have a fun unique little workout, you can always try the alphabet method where you train following a series of exercises that start with the same letter.