Unlock your serratus anterior with this exclusive video, featuring three distinct exercises targeting isolated and deep muscle activation. Improve your physique and learn proper form now!
Serratus Anterior Isolated Activation (Arm Elevation with Scapular Depression):
Have your client/patient assume a supine position on the floor, with knees up (hook-lying position).
Ensure that the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine exhibit optimal curvature.
This may require cueing a head back/chin tucked position (cervical retraction), "chest up" (thoracic extension), and "tucking the pelvis under" (posterior pelvic tilt to reduce an excessive lordosis).
Cue your patient to hold their scapula down and back (scapular depression and retraction).
Have your patient raise their arms in the scapular plane while maintaining a depressed scapula.
The challenge is to lift the arms without allowing excessive elevation, relying solely on upward rotation of the scapula (serratus anterior strength and neuromuscular control).
The goal it to achieve 180° of shoulder flexion, with the dorsal surface of the forearms and hands flat against the floor, elbows locked, and little if any scapular elevation.
Without losing pressure on the wall or scapular position have the client return to the starting position.
Regressions: For those with limited shoulder, scapular, and thoracic mobility you can set goals at the end of their range by using the thumb. For example, reaching the tip of an extended thumb with forearms in neutral shortens the range of this exercise by several inches. This can be progressed by reaching the first knuckle with the interphalangeal joint flexed, then the base of the thumb with the thumb tucked, followed by the back of the hand.
Progressions: Doing this same progression in standing requires more neuromuscular control, core stability, and strength as the individual has to overcome gravity to achieve arms overhead. Have your patient stand with their back against a wall and their feet a few inches from the wall (in a mini squat position) to limit compensation via thoracic or lumbar extension. Further, the wall becomes the goal for the outstretched thumb or back of the hand.
Floor or Wall Angels:
The body position is identical to the progression above.
In this progression, the client/patient will start in a position that looks similar to the beginning of an "overhead shoulder press" - with the forearms and back of hands flat against the floor or wall, with the hands roughly shoulder height.
Maintaining a depressed scapula and the dorsal surface of the forearms and hands against the wall, press the arms upward (shoulder abduction, elbow extension) as if trying to reach overhead.
Cue your client/patient to rub the floor or wall with the dorsal surface of the forearms and hands as if attempting to make a "snow angel" while maintaining scapular depression.
Without losing pressure on the wall or scapular position have the client return to the starting position.
Achieving 180º of shoulder flexion, with elbows fully extended, dorsal surface of forearms and hands pressed against the wall while maintaining scapular depression requires near-optimal mobility of the shoulder, scapula, and thoracic spine and significant strength and neuromuscular control of the serratus anterior.
