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Strength·Shoulders

Supine Dumbbell Serratus Punch

Supine Dumbbell Serratus PunchSupine Dumbbell Serratus Punch
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At a glance

Equipment
Pair of light dumbbells
Suggested reps
3 sets of 12–20 reps

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Common mistakes

  • You bend and re-straighten the elbows, which turns the punch into a mini press and skips the shoulder blades.

  • You shrug the shoulders toward the ears as you punch instead of reaching the blades forward off the floor.

  • You rush through with a bigger weight and the reach shrinks to nothing.

What to focus on

  • Lock the elbows out first and keep them locked; the only thing that moves is the shoulder blade sliding forward.

  • Reach the dumbbells straight up toward the ceiling as if trying to touch it, then let the blades settle back down slowly.

  • Keep the weight light enough that you can feel the muscle along the side of your ribs doing the work.

Related strength moves

Sources & further reading

  1. 1.Serratus punches are among the exercises verified by EMG to target the serratus anterior — the muscle whose favorable moment arm drives scapular upward rotation during overhead work — Int. J. Sports Physical Therapy (2019), kinesiologic review