A standing serratus punch trains the muscle along the side of your ribs that slides the shoulder blade forward around the chest (serratus anterior). You stand tall, raise one straight arm in front of you to shoulder height, then push the hand a little further forward so the shoulder blade travels with it, and let it glide back. Because the arm is held out in front against gravity the whole time, the front of the shoulder works as well.

How to do the standing serratus punch

Stand tall, feet roughly hip width apart, with both arms hanging loosely at your sides.
Raise the arm you are working straight out in front of you to shoulder height, with the elbow straight and the hand in a loose fist.
Reach the hand further forward, like a slow punch, so the shoulder blade slides forward around your ribs. The elbow stays straight.
Keep your chest and hips facing straight ahead. Only the shoulder blade moves, not your trunk.
Let the shoulder blade glide back while the arm stays up, then repeat at a steady, moderate pace. Lower the arm to your side at the end of the set.

What you should feel

Work along the side of your ribs below the armpit, and some effort at the front of the shoulder from holding the arm up.

Common mistakes

Turning your trunk so the shoulder swings forward instead of the shoulder blade sliding.
Letting the elbow bend so the arm does the pushing.
Hunching the shoulder toward your ear as you reach.
Letting the arm sink below shoulder height as it tires.

How often

Many programs use 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 slow reaches, once a day, with nothing in the hand to begin with. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

A sharp pain or catching feeling in the front or top of the shoulder as you reach.
Your shoulder starts to feel loose, as though it could slip out of place.
Pain, pins and needles or numbness spreading down your arm or into your hand.
Pins and needles in your arm or hand that do not go away after you stop, or part of your arm or hand goes numb. Get medical advice the same day. If one side of your face or body suddenly goes numb or weak, or your speech becomes slurred or muddled, call emergency services, even if it goes away.
A sudden pop or tearing feeling in the shoulder that brings sharp pain, new weakness or trouble lifting the arm. Stop and contact your surgical team the same day, or get medical advice the same day if you have not had surgery.
The shoulder feels as if it has slipped out of place, looks a different shape or suddenly locks so you cannot move the arm, or your hand turns cold, pale or blue. Go to an emergency department straight away, without driving yourself, and do not try to put the shoulder back in yourself.

From the clinic

The reach is short, often just a few centimeters, and all of it comes from the shoulder blade. To check that, rest your other hand on the side of your ribs just below the working armpit, where you should feel the muscle tighten as you punch. Once the plain version is easy, a light dumbbell or a full half-liter water bottle, about 0.5 kg (1 lb), makes it harder. A mirror to your side helps you spot your trunk turning.

With the arm straight out in front at shoulder height, a shoulder that has slipped out backward before tends to feel least secure, more so once you hold a weight. If your shoulder has ever slipped out, backward in particular, or often feels loose, ask your physio how far to reach before you begin. After shoulder surgery, including a rotator cuff repair, or after a shoulder fracture or dislocation, follow your surgeon's or physio's plan, and do only the movements and range they have cleared. Many plans allow only passive movement at first, where the arm is moved for you and its muscles stay relaxed.

The serratus punch lying on your back is the usual easier starting point, since the floor steadies your body and the arm points straight up. Wall push-ups and the wall push up plus load the same muscle through part of your body weight.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-28.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Standing serratus punch