Plank Shoulter Taps
Plank shoulder taps are a bodyweight exercise where you hold a high plank and alternately tap each shoulder with the opposite hand. The challenge is keeping your body still while one hand leaves the floor, which works your abs and glutes hard and keeps your shoulders busy supporting you. It suits beginners who can already hold a high plank for 20-30 seconds, and it is easy to scale up or down.
Muscles worked
The Plank Shoulter Taps mainly works your glutes, abs, anterior delts, lateral delts and posterior delts, with your lats helping.
Setting up
- Place your hands flat on the floor directly under your shoulders, fingers spread and pointing forwards. Use a mat if the floor is hard on your wrists.
- Set your feet wider than hip-width apart, toes tucked under and wearing trainers or flat grippy footwear. A wider stance makes the exercise easier to control.
- Make a straight line from the back of your head to your heels. Look at the floor just beyond your hands so your neck stays long.
How to do the Plank Shoulter Taps
- Start in a high plank with arms straight, hands under shoulders and feet wide.
- Brace your abs as if you are about to be nudged in the stomach, and squeeze your glutes to lock your hips in line with your shoulders.
- Press the floor away with both hands, then shift a little weight onto your left hand.
- Lift your right hand and tap your left shoulder lightly, keeping your hips and chest pointing at the floor.
- Place your right hand back down under your shoulder with control, and re-set your brace.
- Repeat with the left hand tapping your right shoulder. Count one tap on each side as one rep.
Form tips
- Imagine a glass of water balanced on your lower back. Your aim is to tap without spilling it, so your hips should barely move.
- Squeeze your glutes throughout. This stops your lower back sagging and helps keep your hips level.
- Keep pushing the floor away through the supporting hand so your upper back stays broad, not sinking between your shoulder blades. This also keeps your lats engaged.
- Go slowly. A deliberate tap with a short pause on the floor is harder and better than rapid, rocking taps.
- If your wrists, shoulders or back hurt, stop and get it checked.
Common mistakes
Hips rocking side to side
Widen your feet, slow down and brace your abs harder before each tap. Imagine your hips are a tray you are keeping level.
Lower back sagging
Squeeze your glutes and gently pull your ribs towards your hips. If you cannot hold this, drop to your knees or shorten your sets.
Shoulders sinking and head dropping
Push the floor away until your upper back feels slightly rounded and wide, and keep your neck in line with your spine. Look at a spot on the floor just ahead of your hands.
Rushing the taps
Treat each tap as a mini plank hold. Reach, touch, place the hand down, and only then move the other hand, taking around 2 seconds per rep.
Sets and reps
| Build strength | 3-4 sets of 6-10 slow taps per side with a short pause on each, feet at hip-width or slightly narrower if you can stay steady, 90 seconds rest. |
|---|---|
| Build muscle | 3 sets of 10-15 taps per side with controlled tempo, 60-90 seconds rest. Stop each set when your hips start to rock. |
| Fat loss and general fitness | 3-4 rounds of 30-40 seconds of steady taps, 30 seconds rest, ideally within a circuit alongside other exercises. Keep form tidy rather than racing. |
Pick a weight where the last rep or two of each set is hard but your form stays clean. When every set feels easy, it's time to go up.
Plank Shoulter Taps alternatives
Machine taken, or want some variety? These work the same main muscles.
Plank Shoulter Taps FAQs
What muscles do plank shoulder taps work?
They mainly work your abs and glutes, which hold your body steady, plus all three parts of your shoulders (front, side and rear delts) as they support your weight. Your lats help stabilise your upper body too.
How do I make plank shoulder taps easier?
Place your feet wider apart, as this makes the exercise much steadier. You can also do them from your knees, slow right down, or just lift your hand an inch off the floor before tapping.
How many plank shoulder taps should I do?
Beginners can start with 3 sets of 5-8 taps per side with good control. Build up to 10-15 per side, or work for 30-40 seconds at a time, once your hips stay still throughout.
Track your Plank Shoulter Taps progress
GymTracker builds your plan, pre-fills the weight from last time and tells you when to go up. Free.
Start free