Building serratus anterior muscles

Abaddon75

Abaddon75

New member
The only exercise that seems to make these muscles sore are pushups. Is there any other exercise that works them?
 
I heard pullovers were good for them too, though I never had any next day soreness from doing it. Never saw any results either.
 
There's really not much there. Not meant to be a big bulky muscle. It's main purpose is protection. It does help in moving the scapula but minimally. Anything to move the scapula up would also hit it. Pull overs, shrugs, overhead pressing, pushups etc.
 
jason2459 said:
There's really not much there. Not meant to be a big bulky muscle. It's main purpose to protection. It does help in moving the scapula but minimally. Anything to move the scapula up would also hit it. Pull overs, shrugs, overhead pressing, etc.
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I've done all those but I'm still pretty boney around the ribs there.

I'm wondering what it is about pushups that's so different from benches and other chest exercises when it comes to this.
 
It could have something to do with genetics as well. I know even back before I started working out, before I knew what the hell a serratus was lol, mine were always very prominent. I have a wider build though too, so that might have something to do with it. Just some food for thought. Lying pullovers, and standing cable pulldowns always seemed to work well for me. And I rarely had any next day soreness of the serratus muscles.
 
I'll put some cash on genetics there.

I just find it interesting how I always have soreness there the day after a lot of pushups. That's the only time I feel like I worked them.
 
Abaddon75 said:
I'll put some cash on genetics there.

I just find it interesting how I always have soreness there the day after a lot of pushups. That's the only time I feel like I worked them.
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Why are you noting soreness as your main indicator of how hard they were hit? If something isnt neccessarily really sore it doesnt mean it hasnt been worked adequately or sufficiently.

Anytime there is scapular abduction, the serratus is being worked. My guess is you experience it the most with push ups because at the top of the motion you continue in abduction of the scapula after the actual push up has been finished and thats what hits them.

Jason 2549's post explains it well. Ive also found that when I do heavy DB Rows with a little english, the side of the body that is stabilizing me on the bench as the other arm is doing the Row, involves a lot of oblique and serratus recruitment.
 
NovaZ said:
Why are you noting soreness as your main indicator of how hard they were hit? If something isnt neccessarily really sore it doesnt mean it hasnt been worked adequately or sufficiently.

Anytime there is scapular abduction, the serratus is being worked. My guess is you experience it the most with push ups because at the top of the motion you continue in abduction of the scapula after the actual push up has been finished and thats what hits them.

Jason 2549's post explains it well. Ive also found that when I do heavy DB Rows with a little english, the side of the body that is stabilizing me on the bench as the other arm is doing the Row, involves a lot of oblique and serratus recruitment.
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Scapular ABduction....exactly the term I was thinking of but couldn't dig it out of my brain lol. Well put my friend. And you are spot on about the DB rows and the stabilizing arm.

While doing pushups, and the standing cable pull downs, try to focus on abducting the scapula as much as you can and you'll really hit the Serratus. And as someone stated above, don't read too much into it if you're not noticing DOMS in the Serratus.
 
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