The serratus anterior is best worked through exercises that push the shoulder blade forward and away from the spine, a movement called protraction. The push-up plus, wall slides, and punching variations are the most effective options, and they can be scaled from beginner to advanced by changing your body angle, adding resistance, or introducing instability.
What the Serratus Anterior Does
The serratus anterior is a fan-shaped muscle that wraps from the front of your rib cage (ribs one through eight or nine) around to the inside edge of your shoulder blade. It has three functional sections. The upper fibers anchor the shoulder blade and act as its axis of rotation. The middle fibers pull the shoulder blade forward around the rib cage. The lower fibers rotate the shoulder blade upward, tipping it so the socket faces the ceiling when you raise your arm overhead.
These three jobs, protraction, upward rotation, and pinning the shoulder blade flat against your ribs, make the serratus anterior essential for any pushing or overhead movement. Without it working properly, your shoulder blade drifts away from the rib cage, the rotator cuff takes on extra stress, and your ability to press or reach overhead stalls out around 120 degrees of shoulder flexion.
Why a Weak Serratus Causes Problems
When the serratus anterior is weak or inhibited, the most visible sign is scapular winging: the inner border of your shoulder blade pokes out from your back instead of sitting flat. You can test this yourself by doing a wall push-up and watching (or having someone watch) your shoulder blades. If one side lifts off your rib cage, especially after several reps as the muscle fatigues, your serratus is likely underperforming on that side.
A weak serratus forces other muscles to compensate. The upper trapezius starts hiking your shoulder toward your ear during overhead work, and the pectoralis minor gets chronically tight pulling the shoulder blade forward and down. This altered motion puts extra stress on the rotator cuff tendons and is a common contributor to shoulder impingement, the pinching sensation you feel at the top of overhead presses or lateral raises. Stretching the pec minor with a unilateral corner stretch can help prevent tightness from setting in while you rebuild serratus strength.
The Push-Up Plus
The push-up plus is the most studied serratus anterior exercise. It’s a standard push-up with one addition: at the top of each rep, you push further, spreading your shoulder blades apart and rounding your upper back slightly. That extra “plus” phase is where the serratus fires hardest.
EMG research measuring serratus activation during the push-up plus shows it consistently produces strong muscle engagement, with studies reporting anywhere from 25% to nearly 80% of maximum voluntary contraction depending on technique and body position. Interestingly, a systematic review in the Journal of Athletic Training found no meaningful difference in serratus activation between stable and unstable surfaces. So doing push-up plus variations on a BOSU ball or Swiss ball won’t necessarily light up your serratus more than doing them on the floor. That said, unstable surfaces do challenge overall shoulder control, which can be useful later in a training progression.
If a full push-up plus is too demanding, start from your knees or against a wall. The key is the protraction at the top. Think about pushing the floor (or wall) as far away from you as possible while keeping your core braced.
Wall Slides
Wall slides are a go-to exercise for building serratus control through its upward rotation function. Stand facing a wall with a small medicine ball pressed into the wall at chest height with one hand. Slide the ball upward along the wall while actively pushing it into the surface the entire time. The arm shouldn’t need to go above about 140 to 150 degrees, and most people benefit from stopping well short of that.
A few technique cues that make the difference between a useful exercise and a wasted set:
- Stay stacked. Don’t let your lower back arch or your head jut forward. A slight forward lean from the ankles is fine.
- Think “wrap to armpit.” As your arm slides up, imagine pulling the bottom corner of your shoulder blade around toward your armpit. This cue helps engage the lower fibers of the serratus.
- Monitor the blade. If your range of motion allows, reach your free hand behind your back and feel the inside edge of the working shoulder blade. It should stay snug against the rib cage, not wing off.
- Exhale at the top. A full exhale at the highest point of each rep helps lock in the pattern by engaging your core and ribcage position.
Program wall slides for 6 to 8 reps per side, performed slowly and with control. This is a motor control exercise, not a strength grinder.
Punching and Reaching Variations
Any movement that drives the arm forward against resistance trains serratus protraction. A banded punch, sometimes called a “dynamic hug” or forward punch, is simple and effective. Wrap a resistance band around your back, hold the ends at chest height with elbows bent, then punch both hands straight forward until your arms are fully extended and your shoulder blades have spread apart. Pause for a beat at full protraction, then return slowly.
You can also do this one arm at a time with a cable machine, lying on your back pressing a dumbbell toward the ceiling (letting the shoulder blade come off the bench at the top), or using a landmine press where the barbell’s arc naturally encourages protraction at lockout.
How to Progress Over Time
Serratus anterior training follows the same progression framework used in scapular rehabilitation: start with cognitive, controlled movements, then build toward more automatic, loaded patterns.
Phase 1: Control and awareness. Wall slides, band punches from a seated position, and knee push-up plus variations. Use light resistance or body weight only. Focus on feeling the shoulder blade move correctly. Isometric holds at end range (pushing into the wall for 5 to 10 seconds) are useful here.
Phase 2: Loaded protraction. Full push-up plus, banded punches with heavier resistance, single-arm cable punches, and dumbbell floor presses with deliberate protraction at the top. Begin combining serratus work with other shoulder movements, like following a protraction hold with an external rotation against a band.
Phase 3: Integrated overhead work. Overhead pressing, landmine presses, and loaded carries (like a waiter’s carry with a kettlebell overhead). At this stage, the serratus should fire automatically to upwardly rotate and stabilize the scapula during compound lifts. If your shoulder blade still wings during a push-up or you feel pinching overhead, drop back to phase 2.
The serratus anterior is an endurance-oriented stabilizer, so it responds well to moderate rep ranges (8 to 15 reps) and multiple sets. Two to three sessions per week is enough stimulus for most people, and improvements in scapular control typically become noticeable within three to four weeks of consistent work.
Programming It Into Your Training
The simplest approach is to use one or two serratus exercises as part of your warm-up before any pressing or overhead session. Two sets of wall slides followed by two sets of push-up plus takes under five minutes and primes the scapular stabilizers before heavier work. If you’re rehabbing a winging issue or shoulder impingement, dedicate a separate block of 10 to 15 minutes to serratus-focused work three times per week.
Once your serratus is firing well, you don’t need to isolate it forever. Compound pushing and overhead movements will maintain its strength as long as the movement pattern stays clean. The isolation work is most valuable when you’re building the initial connection, recovering from an injury, or noticing that your shoulder blade control has slipped during heavy lifts.