Core · Bodyweight
Mountain Climbers Shoulder Tap
How to do the mountain climbers 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
- time
- Movement
- Isometric
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Start in a high plank with hands under your shoulders. Drive your knees toward your chest one at a time as in mountain climbers, then pause to tap each hand to the opposite shoulder before continuing the cycle.
- 1Core and shoulders bracing to keep your hips steady
- 2Quads and hip flexors driving each knee toward your chest
- 3Balance shifting smoothly as you tap each shoulder
Common mistakes
- Letting your hips rock side to side on the taps
- Sagging through your shoulders or low back
- Rushing so fast you lose the plank position
Muscles worked
The mountain climbers shoulder tap mainly works the upper abs, with the lower abs, obliques, quads, hip flexors, glutes, hamstrings, and front delts assisting.
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- QuadsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- TricepsMinor
- ForearmsMinor
- Mid ChestMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- CalvesMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the mountain climbers 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.