Seated W Raises

Both Repertoire Beginner Upper Body & Arms 📦 Sitting Box

The short box version of W Raises: seated on the box in the short box position with a strap in each hand, the elbows draw up and back into a W and the shoulder blades squeeze together — scapular retraction from a taller, less supported seat.

Body
Reformer
Strap
Equipment
Movement

Schematic — Seated W Raises Reformer · 1 medium or 1 light spring · Footbar Down · Headrest Down

⚠️ Clinical Contraindications

Shoulder Impingement: Drawing the elbows up and back can compress the subacromial space; keep the elbows below shoulder height, shorten the pull, and stop on any pinching.

Apparatus Setup

Reformer

Spring Tension 1 medium or 1 light spring

Footbar Position Down What this means →

Headrest Down

Target Muscles

Transverse Abdominis (Secondary)Deltoids (Secondary)Rhomboids (Primary)Trapezius (Secondary)

Setup Instructions

Set the short box transversely on the carriage and sit tall on it in the short box position, the feet anchored under the foot strap and the footbar down. Take a strap in each hand with the elbows bent to roughly 90 degrees and the upper arms just below shoulder height, the shoulder blades settled down the back and the ribs stacked over the pelvis. The carriage stays still — the springs are only the anchor for the arms, never the resistance.

Execution Instructions

Inhale to grow tall through the crown and let the shoulder blades settle down the back.
Exhale to draw the elbows up and back into a W, squeezing the shoulder blades together without letting the elbows rise above shoulder height, and pause for a beat at the end of the range.
Inhale to release the blades and lower the arms with control to the starting position.
Only the arms and the shoulder blades travel — the trunk stays tall, the ribs stay down, and the carriage never moves.

Teaching Cues

Breath

"Exhale to lift into the W, inhale to lower with control."

Integration

"Squeeze the shoulder blades together as the elbows draw back into the W."

Form

"Keep the elbows at roughly 90 degrees and no higher than shoulder height — the arms stay in the W, not up by the ears."

Alignment

"Stay tall on the box with the ribs stacked over the pelvis; the trunk stays still while the arms move."

Modifications & Progressions

Lighter Spring, Smaller Pull (Regression)

Take the lightest spring that still gives tension and shorten the pull, keeping the elbows well below shoulder height until the shoulder blades connect.

Longer Hold (Progression)

Hold the W position for two full breaths before releasing, keeping the shoulder blades squeezed and the ribs stacked over the pelvis.

Shoulder Impingement (Injury Modification)

Keep the elbows below shoulder height with the palms facing down, work in a shortened range, and skip the drill if lifting the arms reproduces the pinch.