Is the Seated Shoulder Tap the same as the plank shoulder tap?

No. Here you sit in a chair and bend both elbows to bring your fingertips to your own shoulders, which works the shoulders and arms. The Plank Shoulder Tap is a core exercise done from a plank, where one hand lifts off the floor to tap the opposite shoulder.

How many reps should I do?

Start with 10 to 15 slow, controlled taps, then lower your arms and rest before the next set. Build toward 2 or 3 sets, two or three days a week, as part of a chair routine.

What if I can't keep my arms up at shoulder height?

Hold them a little lower, work one arm at a time, or do a few reps and rest your hands on your thighs before continuing. Holding the arms up is the hard part, and it improves with practice.

Can I add weight to the Seated Shoulder Tap?

Yes, light wrist weights are the simplest way, since your hands stay free to touch your shoulders. Once that feels easy, the Dumbbell Seated Lateral Raise is a natural next step for the shoulders.

What kind of chair should I use?

A sturdy chair without wheels or armrests, such as a dining chair, that does not tilt or wobble. Armrests get in the way of your elbows, and a rolling chair can shift under you.

Seated Shoulder Tap

What Is the Seated Shoulder Tap?

Seated Shoulder Tap is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders and also engages the biceps and upper trapezius. It is a beginner-level movement done from a sturdy, armless chair: the arms reach straight out to the sides at shoulder height, then the elbows bend to bring the fingertips to the tops of the shoulders and straighten again. Apart from the chair, it needs no equipment. It is a different exercise from the Plank Shoulder Tap, where one hand taps the opposite shoulder from a plank to train the core.

The arms never come down during a set, so the real work is holding them up. That makes it a simple way to build endurance for tasks that keep the arms raised, such as reaching into a cupboard, hanging washing or brushing your hair. Seated arm drills like this one are a staple of chair-based exercise classes, and a review of 25 studies in adults aged 50 and over found that chair-based programs improved handgrip strength, the 30-second arm curl test and the 30-second chair stand. Those programs combined many seated movements, so the result speaks for the format rather than for this single drill.

The deltoid keeps the upper arm at shoulder height throughout, and the effort builds as the set goes on. The biceps and brachialis bend the elbow to lift the forearm toward the shoulder and control it on the way back out, while the upper trapezius and serratus anterior support the shoulder blade under the raised arm. Lowering the arms a little below shoulder height or working one arm at a time makes the hold easier; slowing the tempo, pausing at each end or adding light wrist weights makes it harder.

It suits older adults, people with limited mobility and anyone who cannot easily get down to the floor, and it pairs naturally with Seated Arm Circles and Seated Elbow Fly in a chair routine. If holding the arms out to the sides for a full set is not yet possible, start with a few reps at a time, resting the hands on the thighs in between. Once 15 slow taps feel easy, loaded options such as the Dumbbell Seated Lateral Raise and the Dumbbell Curl carry the same two jobs further.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Deltoid: Primary
Biceps Brachii: High
Brachialis: Medium
Upper Trapezius: Medium
Brachioradialis: Low
Infraspinatus: Low
Serratus Anterior: Low
Teres Minor: Low
Erector Spinae: Minimal

Instructions

Sit tall toward the front of a sturdy, armless chair with your back away from the backrest.
Place your feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart, with your knees bent at roughly a right angle.
Raise both arms straight out to the sides to shoulder height, palms facing up, and draw your shoulders down away from your ears.
Keeping your upper arms level and out to the sides, breathe out and slowly bend your elbows to bring your fingertips to the tops of your shoulders.
Pause briefly with your elbows still pointing out to the sides.
Breathe in and slowly straighten your elbows to return your arms to shoulder height, palms up.
Repeat for the desired number of reps, keeping your chest lifted and your head still.
Lower your arms to rest on your thighs at the end of the set.

Common Mistakes

Shrugging the shoulders
Letting the shoulders creep up toward the ears as the arms tire shifts the effort into the neck and upper trapezius instead of the shoulders.
Dropping the elbows
Letting the upper arms sag lower or drift forward as the elbows bend, instead of keeping them at the height you started at, takes away the hold that makes the exercise work.
Slumping in the chair
Leaning back against the backrest or rounding the upper back makes it harder to keep the arms level and the shoulders down.
Rushing the taps
Flinging the forearms in and out turns a controlled bend and straighten into a swing, so slow down and make each tap light.
Holding the breath
Holding your breath while the arms work can raise blood pressure, so breathe out as you bend the elbows and in as you straighten them.
Pushing through shoulder pain
Keeping the arms at shoulder height through a sharp or catching pain aggravates an irritable shoulder, so lower the arms to a comfortable height or stop.

Injuries

Seated Shoulder Tap is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The only load is the weight of your own arms, and the chair takes balance out of the picture. The shoulder is the joint to watch: holding the arms at shoulder height for a whole set can irritate a shoulder that is already sore, and shrugging as the arms tire moves the strain into the neck and upper trapezius.

Use a sturdy chair without wheels or armrests, so it cannot roll and nothing blocks your elbows. Keep your shoulders down away from your ears, move slowly, and breathe out as you bend the elbows and in as you straighten them rather than holding your breath. Lower your arms to your thighs and rest whenever they start to shake or your shoulders begin to rise.

To make it easier, hold the arms slightly below shoulder height, work one arm at a time, or do fewer reps per set. To make it harder, slow the tempo, pause for a second at each end, add light wrist weights, or move on to the Dumbbell Seated Lateral Raise.

Stop if you feel sharp or catching pain in the shoulder, pain that travels down the arm, numbness or tingling in the hands, or dizziness. Shoulder exercise should not make symptoms worse, so if raising the arm to shoulder height is painful, work only in the range that is comfortable and have a doctor or physical therapist check the shoulder before going further.

Overview

Primary Focus: Shoulders
Equipment: Body weight and other
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the Seated Shoulder Tap the same as the plank shoulder tap?: No. Here you sit in a chair and bend both elbows to bring your fingertips to your own shoulders, which works the shoulders and arms. The Plank Shoulder Tap is a core exercise done from a plank, where one hand lifts off the floor to tap the opposite shoulder.
Q: How many reps should I do?: Start with 10 to 15 slow, controlled taps, then lower your arms and rest before the next set. Build toward 2 or 3 sets, two or three days a week, as part of a chair routine.
Q: What if I can't keep my arms up at shoulder height?: Hold them a little lower, work one arm at a time, or do a few reps and rest your hands on your thighs before continuing. Holding the arms up is the hard part, and it improves with practice.
Q: Can I add weight to the Seated Shoulder Tap?: Yes, light wrist weights are the simplest way, since your hands stay free to touch your shoulders. Once that feels easy, the Dumbbell Seated Lateral Raise is a natural next step for the shoulders.
Q: What kind of chair should I use?: A sturdy chair without wheels or armrests, such as a dining chair, that does not tilt or wobble. Armrests get in the way of your elbows, and a rolling chair can shift under you.