Beast Shoulder Tap
Once you own the beast hold, the shoulder tap adds an anti-rotation demand that the obliques must shut down every rep. Lifting one hand shifts your base onto three points, so the trunk works overtime to keep the hips from twisting. It is a superb bridge between a static plank and moving crawls, and it teaches the exact stability you need to carry load on one arm.
- Equipment
- Body Weight
- Type
- Balance, Functional
- Browse by muscle
- Abdominal External Oblique, Deltoid Anterior
- Browse by movement
- Anti-Rotation
- Target
- Abdominal External Oblique, Deltoid Anterior
- Secondary
- Upper Rectus Abdominals, Lower Rectus Abdominals, Triceps Brachii Lateral Head, Gluteus Maximus
- Tertiary
- Erector Spinae, Pectoralis Major Sternocostal
How to do it
- 1
Set up in a beast hold with the knees hovering just off the floor.
- 2
Brace the abs and squeeze the glutes to lock the torso rigid.
- 3
Shift your weight subtly onto one hand without letting the hips rotate.
- 4
Lift the free hand and tap the opposite shoulder.
- 5
Return the hand to the floor with control and reset your brace.
- 6
Alternate hands each rep, keeping the hips as still and level as possible.
Tips
- Widen your feet slightly for a more stable base while you learn.
- The goal is a motionless torso; if the hips rock, slow down.
- Keep the hovering knees low throughout so you stay grounded.
- Exhale as you tap and reach, keeping the ribs pulled down.
Variations
Common mistakes
- The knees settle onto the floor for the split second of the tap, which is exactly the moment the hover was there to test; keep them an inch up, tap included.
- The pelvis slides sideways over the supporting hand to buy balance, which is a shift rather than a hold; the hips should stay put and the trunk should absorb the change in load.
- The head turns to watch the tapping hand, which rotates the upper spine and starts the twist the whole drill is meant to shut down.
- Toes shift and re-plant themselves between taps to steal a wider base, which is the exercise quietly making itself easier from the floor up.
- Sets get counted as ten taps in total, so each shoulder only gets five and the side that struggles is never really trained; count taps per hand instead.
Frequently asked
- How many beast shoulder taps should you do when you are new to the exercise?
- Three sets of 8 to 10 taps per hand at roughly one tap every two seconds, or three rounds of 30 seconds if you prefer the clock. End the set when the hips start rocking rather than when the count runs out. Progress by slowing the tap down and bringing the feet closer together before you add reps, and two or three sessions a week is enough.
- How do I make the beast shoulder tap easier or harder?
- Easier: drop the knees to the floor and tap from there, widen the feet, or simply shift weight from hand to hand in the hover without lifting either one. A plank shoulder tap with the knees straight is another step down. Harder: bring the feet together, hold the hand on the shoulder for a two-count, put the feet on a low box, or rest a light plate on your lower back.
- What is the beast shoulder tap good for, and when should I use something else?
- It trains the obliques to stop rotation while one shoulder carries more load, which is the exact quality you need for crawling, single-arm carries, and pressing on one side. Use something else if your wrists hurt in extension, unless fists or push-up handles fix it. If you want core work you can load and measure, a suitcase carry or a Pallof press lets you add weight week to week.
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