Hey I'm just wondering what exercises that I should be doing to build up my serratus muscles. (the muscles on the sides of the abs.) Not obliques! I'm not asking how can I get them to show more (I know, less BF%) but I want them to be more profound when I do cut for my show(s).
The only exercise that I have heard works them is decline pullovers. And I'm guessing most ab exercises work them to some degree.
So is there a best exercise for the serratus muscles and how many sets/reps? please and thanks,
Zac
|
Thread: Serratus Workout Help
-
03-20-2012, 08:37 PM #1
- Join Date: Mar 2012
- Location: Arizona, United States
- Age: 30
- Posts: 157
- Rep Power: 197
Serratus Workout Help
Last edited by LiveRipped; 03-20-2012 at 08:38 PM. Reason: clarify
--------------March 23th-----------------Goal--------Deadline
Weight--------168lb---------------------172lb-------April 1st
Biceps---------14.5in----------------------15in------July
Chest 1RM----225lb---------------------250lb------April 17th
Squat 1RM----285lb---------------------300lb------April 17th
DeadLift 1RM-300lb---------------------325lb------April 17th
I will review almost any supplement. Just PM me.
I rep back!!
-
03-20-2012, 08:45 PM #2
You can bench with your arms locked out. The serratus anterior is responsible for protracting the shoulders. So if you've ever done pushups where you just push with your shoulder blades sliding back and then you pushing them forward, that's the serratus anterior working.
Not sure what rep ranges to work with, but try 10-12 reps/set, and maybe just 2-3 sets. You're probably already hitting them pretty good during normal chest workouts.
-
03-20-2012, 08:52 PM #3
- Join Date: Mar 2012
- Location: Arizona, United States
- Age: 30
- Posts: 157
- Rep Power: 197
Hey thanks big truck guy i will try that.
Speaking of that, i wonder if they will get sore???--------------March 23th-----------------Goal--------Deadline
Weight--------168lb---------------------172lb-------April 1st
Biceps---------14.5in----------------------15in------July
Chest 1RM----225lb---------------------250lb------April 17th
Squat 1RM----285lb---------------------300lb------April 17th
DeadLift 1RM-300lb---------------------325lb------April 17th
I will review almost any supplement. Just PM me.
I rep back!!
-
03-20-2012, 09:04 PM #4
My serratus are nice, but until recently I never really took a lot of time out to "build them" directly per say.
Below are some moves that have silently built them up over time:
Machine Pullovers for Lats
Deadlifts
Kneeling Weighted Cable Crunches
Standing One Arm Cable Pulldowns for Lats
Another move that will hit the Serratus directly and hard is doing the kneeling weighted cable crunches with one arm and pulling the right elbow down the left knee and left elbow to right knee. I'm currently shedding a few lbs and I've found these nice for better definition.
-
-
03-20-2012, 09:30 PM #5
All those exercises are opposite of what the serratus' function does.
Movesment of Scapula
Abduction [1, 2]
Upward Rotation [2]
Elevation (Weak) [1]
http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/SerratusAnterior.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...lderRaise.html-Crohn's Disease crew
-Strict limited diet crew
-Gluten Free Crew
Starting weight 114.
My journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=140012233
Oil cleanse your face: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=156983633&pagenumber=
-
03-20-2012, 09:41 PM #6
I agree with Tillday. With the exercises k9pit listed, you might feel tension around the mid-upper thorax, but you're not actually hitting the serratus. The serratus anterior originates at the ribs, and attaches to the inner side of your shoulder blade. Fibers run essentially parallel to the ground, but not exactly. So you've got to do motions that work in the direction the fibers run, and that move the shoulder blades forward. That's a simple way of phrasing it, but I think you get the picture. Search youtube and I'm sure you'll see some good example (and I'm sure you'll see some bad examples as well).
-
03-20-2012, 09:57 PM #7
-
03-21-2012, 09:48 AM #8
- Join Date: Jul 2006
- Location: Bangkok, Thailand
- Age: 35
- Posts: 7,618
- Rep Power: 13933
I've found supersetting lat pulldowns and cable pullovers really work well. It took a little tweaking of my form to really feel it though.
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=180003183&p=1635918623#post1635918623
New Shanghai Log!
"225, 315, 405 whatever. Yeah these benchmark digits come to mean a lot to us, the few warriors in this arena. They are, however, just numbers. I'm guilty of that sh*t too, waiting for somebody to powder my nuts cuz I did 20 reps of whatever the **** on the bench. Big f*king deal. It is all relative." G Diesel
-
-
03-21-2012, 02:07 PM #9
Nope.
Probably not, there's rarely a best exercise for anything. Here's a list though: http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/Che...l#anchor682036
No idea, like with anything you can experiment to find what works best.
I doubt most people are hitting the SA with bench presses, because the powerlifter mentality of retracting the scapulae (pinching the shoulderblades together) is infectious. Even without it, I think people might do it instinctively to help stabilize their base. About the only time I could see people significantly hitting the muscle while lying supine on a bench is when they're doing a movement specifically for it like this one.
Your amazing serrati were probably built by other movements you're doing, like overhead pressing. SA tension would inhibit performance in these moves you listed.
This.
If you're feeling a scapular protractor while doing this, it's the pec minor or major, not the serratus anterior.
Why do people think they have such awesome muscle awareness of such a deep and hard to feel muscle that's so easy to confuse with other muscles?
-
03-21-2012, 02:29 PM #10
-
03-21-2012, 06:19 PM #11
-
03-21-2012, 06:29 PM #12
-
-
03-21-2012, 06:35 PM #13
-
03-21-2012, 11:14 PM #14
- Join Date: Mar 2012
- Location: Arizona, United States
- Age: 30
- Posts: 157
- Rep Power: 197
Thanks guys. I think these muscles look really good when BF% is really low (then again so do all muscles haha). Thanks
--------------March 23th-----------------Goal--------Deadline
Weight--------168lb---------------------172lb-------April 1st
Biceps---------14.5in----------------------15in------July
Chest 1RM----225lb---------------------250lb------April 17th
Squat 1RM----285lb---------------------300lb------April 17th
DeadLift 1RM-300lb---------------------325lb------April 17th
I will review almost any supplement. Just PM me.
I rep back!!
-
03-22-2012, 12:25 PM #15
- Join Date: Jul 2006
- Location: Bangkok, Thailand
- Age: 35
- Posts: 7,618
- Rep Power: 13933
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=180003183&p=1635918623#post1635918623
New Shanghai Log!
"225, 315, 405 whatever. Yeah these benchmark digits come to mean a lot to us, the few warriors in this arena. They are, however, just numbers. I'm guilty of that sh*t too, waiting for somebody to powder my nuts cuz I did 20 reps of whatever the **** on the bench. Big f*king deal. It is all relative." G Diesel
-
03-23-2012, 01:14 PM #16
Pullover Works Serratus Anterior?
Originally Posted by I would appreciate your feedback about putting the serratus anterior muscles as primary muscles in the bent arm pullover part of the demo site as i think this is important, what do you think?
Both those movements would hit the SA, so this makes sense. That said, your muscle awareness is better than mine. I just feel "chest" or whatever. The soreness is so widespread I couldn't tell you what was serratus or whatever, lol.
I do my best bro, but when you do compound movements that work multiple muscle groups which are adjacent to one another, trying to tell them apart is tough. So sorry if I can't tell if I'm working my vastus intermedius vs. my lateralis/medialis. I may know the terms for them but I honestly don't give a **** at this point. Focusing on small **** like that is for pros, it's a waste of time for beginners.
The point here is: based on what science
has determined about what muscles do, and what the serratus anterior does, it should not be active during pullovers and pulldowns like you've alleged. It's easier to believe you're feeling some other muscle than to believe your SA works differently than everyone else's.
-
-
12-03-2014, 05:03 PM #17
-
12-10-2014, 01:03 AM #18
-
12-10-2014, 01:55 PM #19
Tillday was on the right track for exact movements that the serratus provides and assists with, and it's all at the scapula. When you translate this into actual exercises, to get scapular "abduction" which is the same thing as protraction, that is when your arms are straight, such as at the top point of a bench press, then that extra inch you can move from the shoulder is done by your serratus and pec minor. So this is why pullovers "help" is because at the top motion, you are holding that weight that "extra inch", via serratus.
This is the same with upward rotation, which is hard to see in a movement. Another action it does is scapular depression which occurs at the end of a dip if you push that extra inch or two from the shoulder girdle. I've done it directly, but not only does it look awkward, I haven't seen direct results.
I say just go heavy on presses such as bench and overhead press. Holding the weight past the normal range with the shoulder/scapular movement seems to build the serratus over time. This I've seen with the crossfitters who do lots of overhead presses and overhead squats, they have insane serratus.Everybody wanna get big, but nobody wanna do legs!!
-
12-10-2014, 01:58 PM #20
-
-
12-10-2014, 02:15 PM #21
-
12-10-2014, 02:59 PM #22
pushups. also maybe have fun and do some boxing on a bag. Boxers have very well developed serratus muscles
The mind always fail first, not the body. The secret is to make your mind work for you, not against you. -Arnold Schwarzenegger
Starting at 145 lb, aiming for 180 lb before cutting. 15 lb more to go!
-
12-10-2014, 05:46 PM #23
Similar Threads
-
Couple of winged scapula related questions - serratus and rhomboids!
By tehmac in forum Injury Recovery And PreventionReplies: 4Last Post: 08-31-2018, 03:05 AM -
Seratus Workout Excersizes
By Goody908 in forum ExercisesReplies: 9Last Post: 12-16-2011, 01:25 PM -
chest/tri workout help with possible RC problem
By bneale09 in forum Workout ProgramsReplies: 0Last Post: 02-17-2011, 08:20 AM -
Extreme Abdominal Workout - Help me tweak it!
By Dracoy in forum ExercisesReplies: 16Last Post: 04-05-2008, 08:32 AM -
Ab Workout Help-Supplement
By patshea098 in forum Workout ProgramsReplies: 8Last Post: 01-09-2007, 07:32 PM
Bookmarks