How many reps of the serratus wall slide should a beginner do?

Two to three sets of eight to twelve slow slides is a good starting dose, done before overhead pressing or as a standalone drill on cranky-shoulder days. Progress not by adding reps but by holding the top reach for two to three seconds once the pattern feels smooth throughout.

How do you make the serratus wall slide easier or harder?

To make it easier, stand a little closer to the wall so less of your body weight presses into the forearms. To make it harder, step back to increase the lean, or do the same slide on all fours with hands under shoulders and let the chest sink and rise between the shoulder blades instead of sliding along a wall.

What is the serratus wall slide for, and when should you skip it?

It trains the shoulder blade to glide smoothly overhead, protecting the shoulder during pressing and handstand work, and suits daily use on cranky shoulders. Skip it if there is sharp pain or a pinch when the arms go overhead at all, since that needs a look at the shoulder itself rather than a mobility drill.

Beginner

Serratus Wall Slide

This drill teaches the shoulder blade to glide smoothly around the ribcage as the arms travel overhead, a pattern that protects the shoulder during pressing and handstand work. Pressing the forearms into the wall and reaching tall at the top emphasizes the serratus and lower trap working together. Use it before overhead sessions or daily for cranky shoulders.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Shoulder, Traps
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Trapezius Lower, Deltoid Anterior
Browse by movement: Mobility Drill

How to do it

1
Stand facing a wall and place both forearms on it with elbows about shoulder height and width.
2
Press your forearms firmly into the wall so your shoulder blades wrap around your ribs.
3
Slide the forearms upward along the wall, keeping the pressure constant.
4
At the top, reach a little taller through the hands to protract the shoulder blades.
5
Slide back down under control without letting the shoulder blades pinch together.
6
Breathe steadily and keep the ribs down throughout.

Tips

Maintain constant push into the wall; losing pressure defeats the drill.
Do not arch the low back to reach higher; let the shoulder blades do the work.
Keep the upper traps quiet by reaching rather than shrugging.

Variations

Common mistakes

The ribs flare up and forward as the arms reach the top, arching through the mid-back instead of letting the shoulder blades do the traveling.
The slide happens in one quick shove up and down instead of a steady glide, so the ribcage never gets the chance to settle around the moving blades.
The head juts forward to peek at the wall, pulling the neck out of the tall, stacked position the drill is supposed to build.
Sliding back down faster than sliding up skips the controlled lowering that trains the muscles eccentrically.
The hands lose contact with the wall near the top while the forearms stay pressed, spreading the load unevenly across the arm.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the serratus wall slide should a beginner do?: Two to three sets of eight to twelve slow slides is a good starting dose, done before overhead pressing or as a standalone drill on cranky-shoulder days. Progress not by adding reps but by holding the top reach for two to three seconds once the pattern feels smooth throughout.
How do you make the serratus wall slide easier or harder?: To make it easier, stand a little closer to the wall so less of your body weight presses into the forearms. To make it harder, step back to increase the lean, or do the same slide on all fours with hands under shoulders and let the chest sink and rise between the shoulder blades instead of sliding along a wall.
What is the serratus wall slide for, and when should you skip it?: It trains the shoulder blade to glide smoothly overhead, protecting the shoulder during pressing and handstand work, and suits daily use on cranky shoulders. Skip it if there is sharp pain or a pinch when the arms go overhead at all, since that needs a look at the shoulder itself rather than a mobility drill.

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