Core · Bodyweight
Decline Shoulder Tap
How to do the decline shoulder tap, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Isometric
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Get into a push-up plank with your feet elevated on a box or bench and hands under your shoulders. Keeping your hips level, lift one hand to tap the opposite shoulder, then return it and alternate sides.
- 1Feel your core resist the urge to rotate as each hand lifts
- 2Keep your hips square and your weight evenly split
- 3Brace your abs and press the floor away with the down arm
Common mistakes
- Avoid swaying your hips side to side as you tap
- Don't let your lower back sag in the decline position
- Don't rush; control each tap
Muscles worked
The decline shoulder tap mainly works the lower abs and obliques, with the upper abs, front delts, triceps, and glutes assisting.
- Lower AbsPrimary
- ObliquesPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- TricepsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Upper ChestMinor
- Mid ChestMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- QuadsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the decline shoulder tap for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.