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I’m doing pushing exercises to strengthen my serratus anterior. I understand it is worked when protracting one’s shoulder blades.

During a pushing exercise, which should come first: shoulder protraction or elbow extension? Or should they happen simultaneously?

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It sounds like you may have it the wrong way around. Scapular protraction does use the serratus anterior but protraction is done by moving the shoulder blades apart or pushing the shoulder forward. This is not standard form for pressing movements. The serratus antior is a stabilising muscle that is used slightly in most pressing movements but it takes some less conventional exercises to isolate them. planks use the serratus anterior. Others are push up plus, scapula push ups, dumbell pullover and scapula shrugs.

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  • To be clear, at the end of the positive movement of a bench press, say, I should not protract my shoulder blades?
    – Dennis Hackethal
    Commented Feb 21 at 5:08
  • There may be be some variation of a bench press out there that uses scapula protraction to better target the serratus anterior but not that I've heard of so i cant really speak to the safety of it. Generally safe form for bench press is retracted and depressed scapula. This takes the stress off your shoulders during the bench press.
    – Ethan
    Commented Feb 21 at 12:53

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