How YTI Workout Will Strengthen Your Upper Back

Doing exercise in the right way is a must as workouts often lead to chronic strain, including back pain, and affecting the neck and shoulder posture. The trick is ...

Doing exercise in the right way is a must as workouts often lead to chronic strain, including back pain, and affecting the neck and shoulder posture. The trick is to keep the back straight and the abdominal muscles pulled in when performing back-strengthening exercises. It creates a firm central ‘core’ to work with.Having a strong poster ensures that the key muscles that helps pull one’s shoulder back and down remain strong, especially the lower parts of the trapezius muscle, which helps pull in the shoulder blades and stabilize the shoulder. Such a toned back is characterized by the ‘V’ shape comprising of strong, broad shoulders and a trimmed waistline. To maintain your back health and prevent the hunched over look where the upper back muscles are weak while the chest muscles are unnecessarily tight, the upper back muscles need to be exercised regularly. The focus should be on building the latissimus dorsi and the rhomboids, along with the trapezius muscles.

What is YTI workout?

You can consider practicing YTI workout to improve back strength. The Y-T-I raises target the muscles on the upper back that stabilise shoulder blades and strengthen shoulder muscles. It is one of a kind workout that consists of raises exercises that are easy to perform and can be done at home.

Interestingly, the Y-T-I is so called because while performing this upper back and rotator cuff workout, the arms form each of the three letters, Y, T and I. In fact, the Y-T-I can be performed in a couple of ways. All the three letters, Y-T-I can be performed one at a time, but the toughest challenge is to move from ‘Y’ to ‘T’ and then back to ‘I’ without lowering to the starting position. Many home workouts for women consist of mostly beginner workout at home, without the use of any equipment. Here is a guide to the Y-T-I exercises at home.

The YTI workout – Exercise For Your Upper Back

1. Y Raises

In order to do the Y raise, you need to follow these steps:

• Lie face down on the floor such that your arms are stretched straight at a 30-degree angle to your body, forming a Y shape.

• Your palms should be facing each other, so that your thumbs are pointing upwards.

• Now raise your arms as high as per your comfort.

• Remember to concentrate on your upper back instead of your arms.

Hold onto the stretch till the count of 10. Then bring your arms down slowly and relax.

• Repeat this pattern 20 times.

2. T Raises

Follow the particular steps in order to do the T raise:

• Lie face down on the floor.

• Stretch your arms out to your sides such that they are perpendicular to your body with the thumb-side of your hand pointing upwards.

• Raise your arms as per your comfort.

• Hold on till the count of 10 and then bring your arms down slowly and relax.

• Repeat it 20 times.

3. I Raises

Do the following steps in order to do the I raise:

• Lie down flat on your back such that your body forms a straight line from your feet to your fingertips. Maintain the shape of the letter ‘I’.

• Stretch your arms out in the front with your palms facing each other such that your thumbs are pointing upwards.

• Raise your arms high while keeping your feet on the floor.

• Hold onto the stretch till the count of 10. Then slowly relax.

All these three positions make up the Y-T-I workout. As you go about them, repeat each of these three positions 10 times, and after a 1 minute break, repeat them again 10 times.

A reduced calorie diet works as a best combination with the Y-T-I workout for losing fat not just from the back but from all over the body. Though the effects of the Y-T-I workout are not immediate as bad posture cannot be altered immediately, taking the first step towards change, in awareness, is a huge leap.