Name: Serratus Anterior Activation Progressions
Uploaded: 2023-04-26T01:02:06.000Z
Duration: 8 min 28 s

English captions

https://stream.mux.com/7RnAL1UdV9uNfCvVo21feAY7Fk873tnLTt019OheXLY8.m3u8

Learn how to properly perform serratus anterior activation progressions in this comprehensive step-by-step instructional video from the Brookbush Institute. This evidence-based video provides expert coaching on setup, positioning, alignment, and exercise modifications to improve serratus anterior activation and scapular stability. Enhance scapular protraction and upward rotation while supporting optimal shoulder mechanics and postural alignment with this targeted activation progression. Perfect for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and rehabilitation clients seeking to reduce shoulder and upper back discomfort, improve stability, and restore optimal movement mechanics while reducing injury risk.

Introduction to Serratus Anterior Activation Progressions

Demonstrating the Sahrmann Technique

Identifying Limitations and Enhancements

Progressing with Foam Roll Activation

Utilizing Resistance Bands for Precision

Incorporating Stability Balls for Advanced Variations

Key Cues for Effective Activation

Serratus Anterior Activation Progressions

This is Brent coming at you with our serratus anterior activation progressions video. I'm excited about this video because it's one of our first collaborative videos. I have to get my friend Rob Fluegel a shout out. He's one of the faculty for the Maitland Manual Therapy courses that I had gone through a few months ago and he came through one of my workshops, which was awesome. One of the advancements and exercise selection courses. We started talking about how to progress this particular exercise, being serratus anterior activation, and here's what we kind of came up with. It started with some stuff he knew. We took some of the overactive synergist stuff that I've talked about in previous videos, and what we came up with I think is an exercise you guys are going to love, especially for some of your more advanced individuals with a history of upper body dysfunction. All of my athletic trainers with overhead athletes. All of my physical therapists looking to progress their individuals outside of that rehab, kind of acute rehab program, and of course all of my personal trainers who are working on postural dysfunction with their clients. I'm going to have my friend Yvette come out. She's going to show the Sahrmann technique that this kind of all started from first. I'm gonna have you go ahead and put your forearms against the wall, parallel, just wider than shoulder width. All right now what we're going to do is we're going to use the friction from the wall to resist upward rotation of the scapula, to start activating the serratus anterior. Now the hard part is of course, keeping tucked under, and drawn in. So let's go ahead and see that she's going to slide her arms against the wall. It's actually her body weight against the wall that's creating some friction. Good, let's see that again. Alright so this is not a bad exercise. I do have my little issues with it. I think it kind of limits how much flexion we can get. Of course, if we limit flexion, we're not getting all the upward rotation we can. From my math, from my refinements of the upper body dysfunction model, I think the subscapularis has a propensity to get overactive for serratus anterior, the way levator scapulae has a propensity to get overactive to stabilize the scapula. Of course, we have pec minor as well, so I would like to find methods of reciprocally inhibiting those muscles and I think we can do that fairly effectively on this exercise. As well as the friction against the wall, to me, is kind of bothersome. It usually doesn't end up being very even. You'll find people kind of get stuck at different points in the wall as you kind of go up the wall, higher and higher. Some people's arms will come away from the wall and there will be less friction. It's just not very even resistance throughout. So first things first, let's figure out how to fix the friction thing, because I think that we can work on the reciprocal inhibition thing, and get this completely straightened out, and we can show you guys some really hard progressions. So all we're going to do is we're going to have Yvette put a foam roll against the wall, and then she's going to start with her hands against that. Now this alone is a progression, guys, it takes a lot more to stabilize this foam roll against the wall than it does to have the forearms against the wall, but as I mentioned before this is progressions from our other video. If you guys want to go back to serratus anterior activation you guys will see some of the beginning exercises I use. I'm going to Yvette to draw in glutes tight, tuck under. All right the biggest cue you're going to have to give here is people want to start with the foam roll in the middle of their forearm. You need to make sure they start with the form roll on their hands, and probably their hands a little higher than they normally would to start, otherwise you will run out of foam roll.  Drawing in, now go ahead and push up. You guys can see we have nice, smooth flexion. We have all the upward rotation we can get because of that Yvette can actually lean forward. Her face doesn't get in the way of the wall. All right, back down. Go ahead and this time I want you to really concentrate as you're lifting your arms. I want you to depress your scapula. So depressing her scapula reciprocally inhibits her levator scapulae. It happens a lot easier when we have a foam roll, because it's nice and smooth start, we don't get that initial elevation. Let's go ahead and come back down. There's also not as much resistance on the way back down, which I appreciate, because the pec minor is definitely one of those muscles that has a propensity to get really overactive for an  inhibited serratus anterior. The way we had it done before, there was a lot of friction pulling the arms back down. Remember, downward rotation and depression is what the pec minor does and we're already protracting to get more serratus anterior activity. So that just pulling the arms down might reinforce that overactivity of the pec minor. Let's see one more before I make this even tougher. Now the kind of paradoxical, weird muscle, that comes into play a lot with serratus anterior inhibition is the subscapularis will often try to take over to stabilize the the shoulder and the scapulothoracic shoulder girdle stability. It doesn't work out very well obviously for the human body, and creates a lot of postural dysfunction so we need to find a way to inhibit that muscle as well. All we have to do is external rotation, so what we're going to have Yvette do is she's actually going to take a very weak, this is a light, light, light, fit loop. She's going to put it around her forearms. This is a little tricky to get set up on your own, just so you know guys. It'll take a little bit of practice. Now, what I've done is if she has a fit loop around her forearms, and I cue her to make sure that she stays parallel here, as in elbows don't flare out, and hands can't collapse inward. She has to then work to keep an external rotation of the shoulders which is going to reciprocally inhibit subscapularis, and ensures that this stays totally serratus anterior. We don't have subscapularis coming in to try to stabilize the shoulder. So let's go ahead and try this. How does that feel? All right this time, I want to try to not elevate. All the way out. This is actually a pretty good progression right here. This is very challenging for Yvette. I can see her having a real hard time maintaining external rotation, so I would probably let her work on this. I'm going to go ahead take this a little further, just so you guys see the other option. So if I take this foam roll from her, I can go a little further. I can go a little further by using a stability ball. Guys, this is tough. This is super, super, tough. Right, so she's got to now keep parallel here, and so keep those wrists pressing outward, elbows stay tucked in. Draw in, now try to press up, keeping the scapulae depressed. Keep your wrists straight. Like I said, this might be a step beyond where I would have Yvette go if she was training with me, but I wanted to show you guys this progression. You can make this incredibly tough, just by backing somebody's feet up. Go ahead and back your feet up a little bit. That creates more resistance under the ball. Go ahead and push up. It makes it harder and harder to maintain that scapular stability, that scapular depression, maintain tucked under, and maintained external rotation. How are you feeling?  Starting to feel it in your serratus anterior? I remember the first time I did this particular variation, I got to 8, which maybe not all that impressive. It took me a little while to get to 3 sets of 20 within a warm-up circuit. I think you guys are going to find this incredibly challenging. I think you guys are going to get some great results. Pay very, very, careful attention to your cues on this exercise, guys. Make sure that people aren't dragging down their arms, recruiting a lot of pec minor. You're keeping scapulae depressed and of course, forearms parallel, pressing out with their wrists to keep external rotators activated. Make sure you keep them drawn in and tucked under.  If somebody can do all of this, I think you guys will find that the strengthening that you get, the reinforcement of the mobility you guys have been working on, will stick around a lot longer. I hope you guys have a lot of fun with this technique. I will talk with you soon.

Home

Videos

Integrated functional anatomy of the serratus anterior. Attachments, nerves, palpation, joint actions, arthrokinematics, fascia, triggerpoints, and behavior in postural dysfunction. Examples of common activation exercises, subsystems, and strength exercises for the serratus anterior.

Serratus Anterior

Serratus Anterior exercises for improving movement dysfunction, posture, shoulder pain, neck pain, scapulothoracic pain, winged scapula, and sports performance. Great scaptions, wall angles, and wall slide activations for the serratus anterior.

Serratus Anterior Exercises (Activation)

Sahrman/Brookbush/Fluegel (SBF) Activation:

Although this progression can be done with feet together, assuming a staggered stance does make optimal lower extremity and lumbopelvic hip position easier to maintain. The toes of the front foot (or both feet) should be roughly 18 inches from the wall.

Have your client/patient place the ulnar border of their hand against the wall, or press the ulnar border of their hand into a foam roll pressed into a wall at about shoulder height.

Cue your client/patient to raise their arms to end range shoulder flexion, with scapula depressed, while maintaining the blade of the hand against the wall, or forearms against the foam roll.

Assuming a slight forward lean to achieve terminal shoulder flexion is acceptable, providing the client/patient can maintain optimal scapular mechanics (upward rotation without elevation) and optimal lumbopelvic hip complex alignment.

Without losing pressure on the wall or scapular position have the client/patient return to the starting position.

Progression: To increase the difficulty and reciprocally inhibit the 

 , add a yellow mini-band (or very light resista-band tape) just distal to the elbows. Be careful, a little resistance goes a long way. Just moving a yellow mini-band (or very light resista-band tape) to mid-forearms is a challenge for even the most experienced exerciser.

Common mistakes: Rather than externally rotating the shoulder, and maintaining maximal external rotation while flexing the shoulder in the scapular plane, individuals will adopt a more internally rotated position as they compensate by using the deltoids to abduct. The patient should maintain a slight "V" shape with their forearms throughout the motion.

Serratus Anterior Activation Progressions

Combined Deep Cervical Flexor and External Rotator Activation

NASM Prone Ball Combo (Trapezius Activation)

Shoulder Internal Rotator (Subscapularis) Isolated Activation

Serratus Anterior Isolated Activation

Lewit Deep Neck Flexor Activation

Deep Cervical Flexor Progression for Range of Motion (ROM)

Deep Cervical Flexor Isolated Activation

Hardest Quadruped Progression Ever Challenge

Prone Floor Cobra (after chest-out/thumbs out)

Deep Cervical Flexor Activation and Progressions for Stabilization 1

Comments

Guest