{"id":815079,"date":"2026-08-16T02:22:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T02:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/815079\/"},"modified":"2026-08-16T02:22:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T02:22:11","slug":"shoulder-taps-benefits-what-i-learned-from-a-31-day-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/815079\/","title":{"rendered":"Shoulder Taps Benefits: What I Learned From A 31-Day Challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated4 min read<\/p>\n

From hollow holds<\/a> to Copenhagen planks<\/a>, we’re always looking for ways to add new movements into our routine. As someone with especially weak abs\u2014who can’t seem to target them during workouts<\/a> because of overcompensation from other muscles\u2014I wanted to see if doing 50 shoulder taps a day for 31 days would help to engage my core, while also improving shoulder stability.<\/p>\n

A full-body movement, this plank variation also engages muscles in your glutes, quads and lower back. Here’s how it went.<\/p>\n

Meet the expert: Joseph Webb<\/a> is a chartered personal trainer, nutritionist and coach with over 20 years’ experience, with a client base ranging from doctors to celebrities.<\/p>\n

How I completed the shoulder tap challenge<\/p>\n

My weekly workout-class routine involves MetCons (workouts combining functional strength and cardio), barbell technique sessions, and a cycling session, though I was on leave for a lot of the 31 days. I usually did the taps last thing before bed, after a class, or first thing in the morning.<\/p>\n

How to do shoulder taps with proper form<\/p>\n

Think of shoulder taps as a moving plank, says chartered personal trainer and nutritionist, Joseph Webb<\/a>.<\/p>\n

a) Start in a strong push-up position hands under shoulders, body in a straight line, core switched on. Widen your feet slightly for balance.<\/p>\n

b) Lift one hand to tap your opposite shoulder and place it back down. Alternate sides.<\/p>\n

c) The trick? Don\u2019t let your hips swing side to side. Imagine you\u2019ve got a glass of water balanced on your back: the goal is not to spill it!<\/p>\n

What does a shoulder tap challenge measure?<\/p>\n

This move isn\u2019t just about arms; it\u2019s a full-body stability test, says Webb. \u201cShoulder taps fire up your deep core muscles, shoulders, chest, and even your glutes<\/a>. Over 31 days you\u2019ll notice your control improve, meaning less wobble and more strength through your midsection. That translates into better posture, stronger push-ups, and more stability in everyday life.\u201d<\/p>\n

4 things I learned during the shoulder-taps challenge1. I was able to engage my lower abs<\/p>\n

I have trouble feeling my abs at all during exercise, so it was nice to be reassured that they were there! Shoulder taps require core stabilization to keep your body from rotating or rocking from side to side as you raise your hands. Your ab muscles\u2014your rectus abdominis , transverse abdominis and obliques\u2014are activated to maintain spinal stability.<\/p>\n

I concentrated on staying in a plank position by keeping my hips level, pelvis slightly tucked, hands directly under my shoulders, and my back straight. (Though watching videos back, I was definitely not as still as I should’ve been.)<\/p>\n

When doing certain exercises in a workout, like renegade rows<\/a> or even a plank, my shoulders feel tension more than my abs when getting reps done as quickly as possible. That’s because I let my hands move in front of my shoulders, so I shift my body weight forward away from my core and stabilizers and onto my neck and traps.<\/p>\n

Doing the movement outside a workout meant I could focus on performing it deliberately. Though I sometimes still felt it in my shoulders and neck, it was a lot less than in other movements, a welcome way of engaging my core<\/a> when I usually don’t.<\/p>\n

2. I worked on muscular control <\/p>\n

I usually knocked out the reps in rushed sets of 20 to 30, or occasionally one big set of 50. While I didn\u2019t increase my total unbroken reps over the month \u2013 I wasn\u2019t doing more sets of 50 by the end \u2013 I could feel my control improving. My core, shoulders and back (even my glutes and legs) felt more stable, and my anti-rotational strength and coordination improved as I shifted my weight from one arm to the other without twisting.<\/p>\n

Thinking back on it now, though, I should’ve probably made the reps slower and held the tap for one second before switching sides, increasing the time under tension<\/a> and making sure my muscles stayed engaged isometrically for as long as possible.<\/p>\n

3. I didn’t feel a difference in my usual exercises<\/p>\n

Ultimately, while the taps may have improved my motor control and trunk stability, I didn\u2019t notice any tangible difference in how I moved during workouts\u2014no boost in balance, precision, finesse, or dexterity. Even the ab engagement they demanded didn\u2019t lead to lasting changes once the challenge ended, and I didn\u2019t see any noticeable gains in muscle<\/a> or strength<\/a>. Maybe I just didn\u2019t do them for long enough, or often enough. If I keep them in my routine, they\u2019ll stay as a warm-up move\u2014a quick activation drill to wake up my core before training.<\/p>\n

4. It’s highlighted a long-standing weakness <\/p>\n

I\u2019ve long known my core is a weak point, and this challenge only reinforced that it\u2019s something I need to address. The problem is, adding extra core work to my day still feels like a chore. If I do commit to another movement, it probably won\u2019t be shoulder taps\u2014the risk of shifting tension into my upper back and neck is still too high, and I didn\u2019t notice much benefit from the exercise itself. Instead, I\u2019ll likely turn to weighted lying leg raises<\/a> or GHD sit-ups\u2014moves that don\u2019t tax the shoulders and allow me to progressively increase resistance.<\/p>\n

Are shoulder taps better than push-ups?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt depends on what you want,\u201d Webb says. \u201cPush-ups are the gold standard for upper body strength, while shoulder taps shine when it comes to balance, stability, and core endurance. They\u2019re not better or worse, just different. Put them together and you\u2019ve got a combo that builds both power and control.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find the Perfect Women\u2019s Health Training Program for You\"Chevron\"Chevron\"Lettermark\"\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Joseph Webb FCIMSPA, FRSPH, is an award-winning trainer and author whose distinctions place him among the most highly accredited professionals in the UK health and fitness industry. With over 20 years of coaching experience, he has worked with a diverse range of clients including celebrities, corporate CEOs, orthopaedic surgeons and athletes, and is recognised for his commitment to evidence-based practice and delivering results. He has been featured by BBC, The Standard, GQ and Marie Claire. \u00a0Browse his site here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"4 min read From hollow holds to Copenhagen planks, we’re always looking for ways to add new movements…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":262741,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[337,97,304294],"class_list":["post-815079","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-uk-synd"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/815079","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=815079"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/815079\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/262741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=815079"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=815079"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=815079"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}