6 Best Serratus Anterior Exercises For Stable Core

Here are the best serratus anterior exercises! (Image via unsplash/Jonathan Borba)
Best serratus anterior exercises (Image via Unsplash/Jonathan Borba)

The serratus anterior muscle is a small but powerful muscle. It's one of the muscles that helps keep your posture stable and promotes healthy breathing.

The serratus anterior also plays an important role in protecting the ribs from injury. If you want to strengthen this muscle and make it more efficient, try the following serratus anterior exercises:


Serratus Anterior Exercises For Stable Core

Here's a look at six such exercises:

#1 Inverted Row

This is one of the best serratus anterior exercises, as it strengthens the upper back, which allows you to better support your core during movement.

To do an inverted row, hang from a bar with a supinated (palms facing up) grip. Proceed as follows:

  • Engage your core, and slowly pull yourself up till your chest touches the bar.
  • Slowly lower yourself back down till you feel a stretch in your lats and rhomboids (middle of the upper back) to complete one rep.

If you want to challenge yourself more, try holding some weight in your hands or wearing a weighted vest. Keep in mind that if this exercise becomes too easy for you, try adding another set after completing thisset without any modifications or weights.

youtube-cover

#2 Ab Rollout

This is a great serratus anterior exercise. In fact, it's one of the most important exercises for overall core stability.

To strengthen this muscle, try an ab rollout. Do it as follows:

  • It's easy to do this exercise at home or in the gym.
  • Just make sure you're using a mat so you don't fall off the floor!
  • Roll out till your feet are on there and back up again as if you were doing crunches.
  • Remember: Don't overdo it. You should be able to roll without difficulty and without feeling tired or sore afterwards.
youtube-cover

#3 Cable Chest Press

The cable chest press is a great serratus anterior exercise.

To do it, follow these steps:

  • Get into a bench press position, and hold onto the cable machine with your palms facing inward by your sides.
  • Pull the cable upward till your arms are extended above you, as if doing a chest fly movement with dumbbells or elastic resistance bands.

#4 Dumbbell Punch

The dumbbell punch is one of the more unconventional serratus anterior exercises.

To do it, follow these steps:

  • Hold two dumbbells at your sides, and raise your straight arms till they're parallel to the ground.
  • Punch forward with the weights for ten reps.
youtube-cover

#5 Bear Crawl

The bear crawl is a great serratus anterior exercise and targets the entire body.

To do it:

  • Start on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees directly under your hips.
  • Engage the core, and slowly walk forward with one arm and the opposite leg till you reach a plank position (i.e., straight line from head to heels).
  • Lower down into a push-up position before pressing back up into the plank to complete one rep.
  • Perform three sets of 8-10 reps each day for two weeks at least twice per week.

This exercise can help improve balance and stability throughout daily physical activities like running, lifting weights, or simply just standing up from a chair.

youtube-cover

#6 Dumbbell Pullover

A great serratus anterior exercise is the dumbbell pullover. This movement works the rhomboids and middle trapezius to stabilize the scapula, and it also targets the serratus anterior.

To do the exercise:

  • Hold two dumbbells at arm's length in front of you with straight arms and a flat back position (you can use a barbell if that's easier).
  • Lower both weights down behind you with an exhale, and raise them back up again to extend the arms back out.
  • Keep going for 8-12 reps total.

Takeaway

The serratus anterior is a difficult muscle group to work out, but the aforementioned exercises canhelp you get the results you want.

All these moves are effective, as they target parts of the body most people don’t normally focus on. For instance, inverted rows not only engage the arms and shoulders but also require stabilization from the trunk muscles (which include the serratus anterior).

That makes them an ideal way to strengthen all parts of the body while also toning up those hard-to-reach areas, like the underarms or hips

Quick Links

App download animated image Get the free App now