Kneeling Forearm Plank Shoulder Tap

Secondary muscles
Delts, Triceps
Body part
Core
Position
Kneeling
Laterality
Bilateral (both sides together)
Category
Strength

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Taking the plank onto your knees shortens the lever enough that lifting a hand to tap the opposite shoulder becomes manageable, which is the skill this drill teaches: hips staying dead still while support drops to one arm. Master quiet hips here before trying taps from a full plank, where the rotational forces are much larger.

How to do the Kneeling Forearm Plank Shoulder Tap

  1. Start in a kneeling position with your hands on the ground, shoulder-width apart.
  2. Extend your legs behind you, resting on your toes, and lift your body into a plank position.
  3. Keeping your core engaged and your hips stable, lift one hand off the ground and tap the opposite shoulder.
  4. Return the hand to the ground and repeat with the other hand.
  5. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

Tip: Pull the elbows toward the toes and the toes toward the elbows without moving either to fire the whole core.

Muscles worked

Primary

Abs · Core

The abs resist the hips from sagging and should feel like they are tightening more with every exhale.

Secondary

  • Delts — The shoulders hold the upper body up and get more work on shoulder tap variations.
  • Triceps

Common mistakes

  • Hips sagging — squeeze the glutes and tuck the pelvis slightly so the lower back stays flat; a plank with an arched back trains nothing useful.
  • Hips too high — the body should be a straight line from head to heels, so check in a mirror or have someone lay a bar along your back.
  • Time over tension — a two minute plank with a loose core is worse than 30 seconds with everything braced; shorten the hold and squeeze harder.
  • Holding the breath — breathe normally through the hold and keep the abs braced through each exhale.

Where it fits in a workout

Planks go at the end of a session or in the warm-up to switch the core on before squats and deadlifts. Superset a front plank with a side plank each way.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

Similar exercises

Without bodyweight

Easier and harder

When to talk to someone

  • Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
  • Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
  • Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.

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More exercises

Sources

  1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
  2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
  3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
  4. CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)

Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.

Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.