Exercise guide · Intermediate · Compound

Shoulder Tap Push-Up: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The shoulder tap push-up is a bodyweight exercise that combines a standard push-up with an alternating shoulder tap at the top of each rep. This movement challenges the chest, triceps, and core while also requiring balance and coordination to stabilize the body during the shoulder tap.

Primary muscles
Chest
Secondary muscles
Obliques , Triceps , Abs
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Intermediate · Compound
Demonstration of the shoulder tap push-up
Front view: muscles worked by the shoulder tap push-up. Primary: chest. Secondary: obliques, triceps and abs.
Back view: muscles worked by the shoulder tap push-up. Primary: chest. Secondary: obliques, triceps and abs.
Primary Secondary

How to do the shoulder tap push-up

  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 from head to heels.
  2. Step 2: Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
  3. Step 3: As you push back up, lift your right hand off the ground and tap your left shoulder.
  4. Step 4: Return your right hand to the ground and repeat the push-up, this time lifting your left hand and tapping your right shoulder.
  5. Step 5: Continue alternating shoulder taps with each push-up repetition.
  6. Step 6: Maintain a stable core and avoid excessive hip rotation throughout the exercise.
  7. Step 7: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the shoulder tap push-up 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.

Shoulder Tap Push-Up 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.