Next, you release the muscles but maintain the joint position before generating tension in the muscles that will help you exit the range. So why haven’t you heard about it? In order to achieve full overhead motion, you need to ensure that you have adequate mobility at the glenohumeral joint, scapulothoracic joint, and thoracic spine. The serratus anterior is stretched by retracting the scapula at the scapulocostal joint. Pain Science Part 2 of 3, Lunge Directions – Forwards, Backwards, Sideways, Rotational. Best Serratus Anterior Stretches 1. This connection to the medial undersurface of your scapulae makes the serratus anterior perfectly positioned to perform certain movements of the shoulder blades, but also makes it key for scapular stability.Your serratus anterior’s most basic function is to protract your scapulae (wrapping forward around your ribcage) which contributes to pushing movements of your arms like in a Pushup [2]. If you are looking for a comprehensive break down of EMG activity with the  Serratus Anterior based on different exercises,  check out this chart. Thanks! increase upper trapezius activation over the serratus anterior, the targeted muscle during this type of exercise.4 The final 4 exercises are high to very high in muscular activation levels. ASMR Pec (Active Self-Myosfacial Release), Relax your left arm and cross it over your body and use your right fingers to press into the muscle just below the collar bone, Lift your left arm and externally rotate it to reach behind you with the palm up as you sit up tall, As you’re lifting your left arm, use your right fingers to run down the length of your pec muscles, until you reach your sternum, Do this for 1-2 min per side. If you are looking to further challenge yourself, you can elevate your knees completely off the floor with this traditional push up plus! Your shoulder internal rotators, including subscapularis and pectoralis major, fire to rotate your arm in towards the midline. This pose strengthens and stretches the serratus anterior muscle. Step 1 is to Address Structural Limitations. This is accomplished by holding onto a stable object with the … Serratus Anterior Exercises with Weights Stretch the serratus anterior with help from an expert who is widely considered one of the leading health and fitness professionals in the state of Utah in this free video clip. Named for the serrated way the muscle connects to the rib cage similar to the shape of a knife blade, the serratus anterior muscle, also known as the “boxer muscle,” stretches from the upper eight or nine ribs to the … It's easy to visualize this muscle contracting and pulling your shoulder blades forward just based on its origin on your ribs and insertion underneath the scapulae.Because your serratus anterior helps forward arm movements and provides a few more inches of reach to your punches, the muscle is sometimes called the boxer’s muscle. These are described below (1): All in all, with all portions of this muscle working together, the serratus anterior’s MAIN action is to protract and upwardly rotate the scapula, keeping the shoulder blade close to the thoracic wall in addition to optimally positioning the glenoid for ultimate efficiency of the upper extremity during various overhead motions. This pose strengthens and stretches the serratus anterior muscle. This can happen in a couple of different ways.The scapulae may start to tilt forward if that serratus anterior weakness is paired with tight pecs and a tight deltoid. He’s been a trainer since 2004 and spent many years training professional combat athletes including 3 UFC fighters, so he’s had much experience dealing with injuries. Look for YouTube’s red play button. September 2012: 2408-2416. The horizontal abduction exercises target the lower trapezius muscles, whereas the upper cut and scaption above 120 degrees exercises primarily challenge the serra-tus anterior. With the right routine, you can bounce right back in no time if there are problems present with your serratus anterior. The serratus anterior muscle both spreads the shoulder blades and prevents the shoulder blades from being pushed together. This muscle works to stabilize your scapulae [4] and should work with your serratus anterior [5]. Horrible editing and total disregard for the viewer. I used to body build so my pecs and upper traps are more developed so they are usually. Learn more, Exercises #2 – Serratus Anterior Uppercut. People often compensate when performing wall slides with excessive scapular elevation. Origin: External surfaces of lateral aspect of 1st-8th ribs. This way your only resistance will be gravity. Not only does this muscle have a cool name, but it is also needed for a plethora of arm movements; whether it be an open chain movement (punching/grabbing something out of the cabinet) or a closed chain movement (pushups, planks, downward dogs, or handstands). Depending on your body type and how shredded (or not) you are, it may or may not be partially visible underneath your armpit during certain motions. If you do not have strength and/or control of this very important muscle, it can lead to scapular winging. When performing any exercise, make sure that it is in line with your intent! But if your pec minor is overactive, it can prevent the serratus anterior from functioning properly to move your scapula during key motions like taking your arm overhead. Moreover, increased upper trapezius and anterior deltoid muscle activity can cause reduced strength and coordination in the force couple between the lower trapezius and serratus anterior. Dec 6, 2020 - Explore Jack's board "serratus anterior workout" on Pinterest. Eric Wong (aka Coach E) holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo. There are excellent ways you can work on increasing the activation as well as the overall strength of this muscle, such as using the exercises we have demonstrated in this article! If you don’t have flexibility to passively achieve a range, you definitely won’t have the mobility to actively enter that range! Excessive upper trapezius and anterior deltoid muscle activity have also been linked to sub-acromial impingement. Difficulty: low. If you keep telling yourself “down and back,” you aren’t allowing the serratus to do what it needs to (aka rotate the scap up or protract it forward) to help you lift your arm overhead or punch that arm powerfully. Because I want the exercises in Step 4 to be functional for you, whether you like to hit the gym, golf course, dojo, pool, or wherever, I’ve made these exercises highly transferable to any activity. Stability Ball Back Stretch. This muscle also works in coordination with the lower and upper trapezius to rotate the scapulae upwards during shoulder flexion. Serratus Anterior Strengthening Exercises. It’s stretched throughout the first through eighth or ninth ribs (it can vary) and allows the person to move their scapula forward around the thorax. Your scapulohumeral rhythm will get a reset and your scapular control will be challenged. Long thoracic nerve injuries can occur if there is excess stretch or compression on the nerve between its origin in your neck and its path through your torso [3]. Say you’re doing an overhead press, or swimming laps, or throwing a punch. Its purpose is to protract or pull around the shoulder blade as we reach forward. We list serratus anterior plyometric, stretches, flexibility, and cardiovascular serratus anterior exercises with pictures showing how to do the exercises properly. Lie down on a bed with your back flat. Exercises to strengthen serratus anterior are important for those who wish to remain fit, who are involved in sports and athletics, those who have injuries causing weak serratus anterior or those with joint and muscle conditions. Keeping your elbows straight and reach overhead, focus on the extra scapula push-out when you are overhead, this will help with Serratus Anterior Activation! Thank you so much for sharing this. 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