Training without Serratus Anterior

Hi Everybody!
I have got a problem designing my new Trainingsplan. Last week I was diagnosed neuralgic Shoulderamyotrophy. It means the nerve, that innervates the Serratus Anterior doesn’t do anything and needs months to years to recover. Until then I can’t use the muscle at all. Means I can’t do my normal job, I can’t train MMA and my normal training in the gym is also very limited. But I don’t want to end as a Scrawny :frowning:

Lately I have been training the Mainlifts, but the Press or the Bench Press are not possible anymore. Because of this I need a new concept and excercises for the deltoids, pecs, triceps and traps, that are possible without the function of the Serratus anterior.

Maybe you can help me! I would be thankful for any input!
best regards!

PS: Sorry for my english…

I don’t know much about that specific problem, but it sounds like a time when you ought to really take the doc’s recommendations seriously. I think the serratus is involved in any activity where you need to stabilize your shoulder girdle, but someone correct me if I am wrong. Unfortunately, that being the case, most multijoint upperbody exercises are out.

Obviously you could work arms in a machine, and you can work your legs pretty hard which will help you maintain muscle mass. Though I’m not sure of the extent of serratus involvement for squat and deadlift.

-Your english is actually better than a lot of the Americans posting. I didn’t even notice anything actually.

how did you do it? are you supposed to try to AVOID exercises that may attempt to recruit your serratus anterior? or is the condition actually limiting you?

Actually I didn’t do anything. The doctors told me, it is an inflammation of the motoric nerve without a special cause, ideopathic.
The condition is limiting me. I can’t lift my left arm above 90° and every pushing-movement is nearly impossible. It is ok if I try to recruit the serratus (although there is no reaction at all), but I should avoid to stretch the muscle. But most movements lead to a winged scapula and stretch the serratus.

Squats are possible, but deadlifts pull my shoulderblade away from the thorax. Seems like I need a new gym woth more isolation machines. Or any ideas for isolated dumbell excercises, that don’t need a fixed scapula?

There are some doc’s that actually do something about the nerve, or seek out an art practitioner to see if they can do anything about it. Myself my serratus is just plain weak so I have to do exercises to activate it or strengthen it, such as serratus crunches and serratus push ups.

I have already been to more than one neurologist, they have made a MRI and tried to stimulate the nerve with electric impulses, but they told me, there is nothing I can do about it. The books I have read say the same. The nerve is not trapped or mechanically damaged. It just can’t transfer any impulse, because of the damage due the inflammation.

I still would seek out an ART practitioners opinion on what they can do for your nerve after telling him what the doctors told you, as not being able to use your serratus is a huge setback, also look for ways to reduce inflamation, if it is the cause of your condition whether you need to be drinking water eating veggies, fish and meat, to whether the muscle surrounding the nerve is inflamed and in turn inflaming the nerve.