Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

Chest Tap Push-Up (Male): How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The chest tap push-up is a challenging bodyweight exercise that targets the pectorals while also engaging the triceps and shoulders. It requires strength, coordination, and balance as you momentarily support your body with one hand while tapping your chest with the other.

Primary muscles
Chest
Secondary muscles
Shoulders , Triceps
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Advanced · Compound
Demonstration of the chest tap push-up (male)
Front view: muscles worked by the chest tap push-up (male). Primary: chest. Secondary: shoulders and triceps.
Back view: muscles worked by the chest tap push-up (male). Primary: chest. Secondary: shoulders and triceps.
Primary Secondary

How to do the chest tap push-up (male)

  1. Step 1: Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your body in a straight line.
  2. Step 2: Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
  3. Step 3: As you lower yourself, tap your chest with your right hand.
  4. Step 4: Push yourself back up to the starting position.
  5. Step 5: Repeat the movement, this time tapping your chest with your left hand.
  6. Step 6: Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the chest tap push-up (male) by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Chest Tap Push-Up (Male) alternatives

More exercises that train the chest as their main target:

More chest exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.