The serratus anterior: an essential, but often forgotten, shoulder muscle

The serrated anterior... This is an important muscle for athletes, but one that is all too often neglected. Located between the scapula and the pectoralis major, it plays a vital role in stabilizer ⚖️ and is involved in pushing movements. And if it's so important to work it, it's because it plays an active role in the health of your muscles. shoulders. Discover the best exercises to strengthen it and optimize your performance.

What is serrated anterior?

Anatomy of the serratus anterior

A reminder anatomical.

The serratus anterior muscle, formerly known as the large serratedis part of the shoulder joint.¹

This is a large muscle located under the arm, on the lateral side of the rib cage. It inserts at the level of the first 9 or 10 ribs and the scapula (scapula).

The dentelé is composed of 3 beams main : 

• The upper beam
• The medium beam
• The lower beam

Taking the form of a fan, it may be visible (in part) in people with low body fatin the tradition of oblique muscles of the abdomen. 🍫

What's the purpose of this muscle?

The serratus anterior is a stabilizing muscle of the scapula. It facilitates abduction movement.

To carry out its duties, it works in synergy with the rhomboids (the small and large rhomboid) and the trapezius. 🤝

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In concrete terms, this muscle in the upper part of the body is called upon every time your arms are stretched forwards or upwards, and particularly when you exert a push. This is referred to as an arm protraction situation.

Imagine you had to push a car that had broken down. In this situation, your anterior serrations would be intensely stressed. 🚗

And on the strength exercises ?

The serratus anterior comes into play every time you push a load with your arms stretched forward. This is the case when you're doing push-ups bench press or bench press.

Should the serratus anterior be strengthened?

The reinforcement of the serratus anterior is essential for bodybuilders, and more generally for all athletes. 💪

In fact, a healthy serratus anterior plays an active role in preserving the shoulder, while a healthy serratus posterior plays an important role in preserving the shoulder. joint often painful and subject to various pathologies (tendonitis, dislocation, osteoarthritis, ruptured the rotator cuffetc.).

Joint trauma of this kind, however severe, is both painful and disabling. Shoulder injuries are often synonymous with long periods of downtime, hindering the athlete in his or her progress.

All athletes who use their arms are therefore well advised to strengthen the serratus. This applies, for example, to handball, volleyball, swimming, tennis and combat sports.

The serration is often well-developed and visible. among boxersbecause it increases the force and the power of the punches. 🥊

Strengthening this muscle also has benefits in terms of aesthetic. Apart from the fact that it can be visible, to a certain extent it helps to improve posture. This is especially true for people who spend a lot of time sitting at work, and whose shoulders "drop" forward.

5 exercises to target this muscle

Add these simple exercises to your weight-training program to target the serratus anterior. 🏋️

Opt for long series (15 to 20 repetitions) and use rather light loads to emphasize execution technique.

The pullover

The pullover (and its variants) is certainly the best exercise for the serratus anterior.

This movement can be performed with a dumbbellIt's a great way to work your back, pectoral muscles and certain arm muscles (triceps in particular). While it's great for working the lats, pectorals and certain arm muscles (triceps in particular), it's also an excellent way of getting in shape. stretch serrated.

Scapula push-ups

Overall, all push-up exercises directly engage the serration.²

The pumps are excellent for strengthening the serratus anterior.

But you can recruit it even more effectively by adjusting the movement slightly.

One possibility is to make scapula push-ups. This variation is similar to the hollow back, round back yoga posture. 🧘 It consists of placing yourself in a plank position, arms almost straight (keep a very slight bend in the elbow). Depending on your level, you can also kneel.

While sheathing your abdominal strapThe aim is to alternate between scapular retraction and protraction. In other words, for the first part of the movement, push your torso forward and bring your shoulder blades inwards, as if you were trying to suck them in. Then perform the opposite movement, pushing your scapulae upwards.

Pumps with instability

If your level of fitness allows it, do push-ups on a flat surface. unstable is another effective method for strengthening the serrated area.^{3 4}

To do this, simply use a swiss ball, a BOSU or a TRX.

Another interesting option is to elevate your feet to add weight to your forearms and shoulders.

Working with a swiss ball

For this exercise, you'll need a swiss ball and a wall.

Press the ball against the wall with the palm of your right hand, arm outstretched. The aim is to make small circles with the ball. Do about ten repetitions to the right, then another ten to the left. 

The wall ball

The wall ball is ideal for building fitness and improving cardio. But did you know that this muscle-strengthening exercise also stimulates the serrated muscles?

Stand facing a wall and grasp a medicine ball, not too heavy to start with, in your hands. With your feet shoulder-width apart, position the ball in front of your chest and bend your knees.

Come back up by throwing the ball towards the wall, as high as you can, in a powerful and controlled manner. explosive. 💥 At the end of the throw, your arms should be stretched above your head. Catch the ball in flight and perform around ten repetitions.

Conclusion

Muscling your serratus anterior is crucial to maintaining the good health of your upper bodyespecially your shoulders. Taking care of yourself is the best way to ensure that you gain longevity in your practice, whether you're doing strength training or another sporting activity. To do this, include some of the exercises presented above in your training plan and devote a few minutes to them each week.

Notes and references

1. Lung K, St Lucia K, Lui F. Anatomy, Thorax, Serratus Anterior Muscles. 2024 Feb 1. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. PMID: 30285352. ↩︎
2. Leslie Leanne Lear & Michael T. Gross. An Electromyographical Analysis of the Scapular Stabilizing synergists During a Push-up progression. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (1998). ↩︎
3. Park SY, Yoo WG. Differential activation of parts of the serratus anterior muscle during push-up variations on stable and unstable bases of support. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2011 Oct;21(5):861-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2011.07.001. Epub 2011 Jul 31. PMID: 21807535. ↩︎
4. Sandhu JS, Mahajan S, Shenoy S. An electromyographic analysis of shoulder muscle activation during push-up variations on stable and labile surfaces. Int J Shoulder Surg. 2008 Apr;2(2):30-5. doi: 10.4103/0973-6042.40456. PMID: 20300308; PMCID: PMC2840817. ↩︎