Any exercises for the serratus muscles?

[Lumberg]

The only one I know of is DB pullovers--not a huge fan, I already do plenty of stuff for my lats and chest.

But I would like to see those serrations

JC

 

[MidwestJ]

trunk twisters

Stand holding a 10lb plate in front of you and then twist side to side. Works your obliques and serratus. I can tell REAL good results from only a few weeks of doing these. It takes just a little bit to get the feel of doing these but just concentrate on *flexing* your stomach when you do em. Trust me.

 

[Exodus]

v-bar pull downs and v-bar pull ups as well.

X

 

[bigguns7]

Arnold used to grab onto the pullup bar with a wide grip, and then use his seratus muscles to pull his body to one side, then the other (kind of in a very slight swaying motion). I've tried it, it got me sore as hell.

 

[Lumberg]

OK, what exactly do the serratus muscles do?

Anyone know one of those websites that has all the picures with the muscles and stuff?

JC

 

[justice]

Try this one:
http://www.shockfamily.net/skeleton/muscles.html

 

[bignate73]

dbell pullovers

 

[louden_swain]

Pulley Crunches

 

[Bong Hog]

This is a question that's bothered me for a while now. According to exrx and a couple books I've read, the serratus is responsible only for protraction of the scapulae, and other similar motions. Therefore, movements of the spine could not be influenced at all by the serratus muscles. And pullovers and chins would only work the serratus in an antagonistic mannor.

Exrx has "incline shoulder raises" listed as the only isolation movement for the serratus muscles. Overhead compound movements such as overhead presses and upright rows, etc (any movement that would retract the shoulder blades), would effecivey hit the serratus muscles. Also, strangely enough, the lower traps are also very misunderstood muscles in the same respect.

Now I'm no kinesiologist, this is just my educated response. If I'm wrong here, someone please chime in here and let me know why.

 

[bignate73]

shoulder protraction is basically when the shoulders "roll forward" or whent he scapula move away from midline. upright rows tend to retract the scapula.

i dont see how incline shoulder raises would do the trick. ill have to poke around a bit.

 

[bignate73]

i ran across some old rehab exercises for weakened serratus, ill have to find them. that will let me know specifically.

 

[Bong Hog]

Cool, bro.. I was hoping to get a respose from you, Nate, as you obviously know your shit.

You're on it in regard to upright rows, however with a very narrow grip, the inferior angle of the scapulae are what's protraced in the motion, causing superior rotation of the shoulder blades. This, I believe, is how the serratus is activated.

 

[bigguns7]

This may be "incline shoulder raises" but,

Sit on an incline bench with a barbell with a moderate weight, fully extend your arms, and then basically just reach for the ceiling. The movement has about a four inch range of motion, but it defintely works.

 

[bignate73]

This may be "incline shoulder raises" but,

Sit on an incline bench with a barbell with a moderate weight, fully extend your arms, and then basically just reach for the ceiling. The movement has about a four inch range of motion, but it defintely works.

mostly pec minor though. its an exercise thats used to strengthen that muscle specifically, though the serratus is used as well.

 

[Lumberg]

Well it looks like DB pullovers it is.

 

[Bong Hog]

"Well it looks like DB pullovers it is."

 

[coolcolj]

Mine seem to be getting bigger, from what I don't know

I think any sort of overhead stuff will build em up

 

[wildonsquats]

Close grip lat pulldown (I use the seated row handle and attach it to the lat pull station) or to make it even harder, just wrap the handle around a chinning bar and do it (no space in the middle of the chinning bar at my gym so I have to move my head to the left or right as i pull myself up. And of course pullovers.

 

[Bong Hog]

"Overhead compound movements such as overhead presses and upright rows, etc (any movement that would retract the shoulder blades)"

Oops, it's "protract", not "retract"..

See, the theory is that the rhomboids and the serratus are opposing muscles. One works to pull the scapula in towards the spine (rhomboids), while the other works to pull them out away from the spine (serratus). Basically, movements like cable rows, chins, and even pullovers to an extent will retract the scapuae, taking the serratus from a flexed position to a stretched one. The serratus muscles would be worked effectively trough overhead pressing, and for isolation work, the movement bigguns described would work well.

For additional info, check out http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/SerratusAnterior.html

Now why is it that pullovers working serrauts is an accepted fact in body building? I would like to hear "why" pullovers and chins work the serratus...

 

[bignate73]

[B
Now why is it that pullovers working serrauts is an accepted fact in body building? I would like to hear "why" pullovers and chins work the serratus... [/B]

the reason for pullovers is this, you are overloading the muscle in its peak contracted position by holding it at arms length similar to the exercise that was described. when bringing the dbell overhead, the inferior border of the scapula move away from midline with the serratus, when the dbell is being pulled over, the serratus have to act eccentrically to maintain the scapula's position along the ribcage, as the lats pull.

 

[Bong Hog]

Mmm, eccentric strength.. Good reply, Nate. I can see the usefuless of pullovers for functional strength of the serratus (holding the scapula to the ribcage against a load), however, it's still an antagonist in the motion. Saying that you can cause hypertropy in a muscle using an antagonist motion is saying barbell curls are excellent tricep buiders, am I wrong?