# Chest Tap Push-Up

A plyometric push-up where both hands leave the floor and tap the chest before you land. Builds explosive pressing power in the chest and triceps, and is a harder step than the clap push-up.

- Advanced · Plyometric
- Equipment: 
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/chest-tap-push-up/video/male.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/chest-tap-push-up/

## Muscles worked

- Mid chest: 9/10
- Triceps: 8/10
- Front delts: 7/10
- Serratus anterior: 4/10
- Traps: 3/10

## How to do the Chest Tap Push-Up

1. Get into a plank position with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
2. Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor.
3. Push up explosively so both hands leave the floor.
4. Tap your chest with both hands, then land with bent elbows.

### Full technique — 6 steps

1. Set up in a high plank with hands slightly wider than shoulder width and feet together or apart.
2. Tighten your stomach, squeeze your glutes, and keep your neck neutral with eyes slightly ahead.
3. Bend your elbows and lower your body as one unit until your chest nears the floor.
4. Press explosively through your palms so both hands leave the floor.
5. Tap your chest with both hands, then bring them back under your shoulders.
6. Land with a slight elbow bend and lower straight into the next rep.

## Common mistakes

- Hips sagging below the shoulders
- Piking hips on the way up
- Failing to leave the floor
- Landing with straight elbows
- Stopping short of full depth

## Form cues

- Explode off the floor
- Body moves as one
- Hands back under shoulders
- Land with bent elbows

## How much to do

- **Strength**: 3–5 sets of 3–5 reps · rest 2 min · 2 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift explosively
- **Muscle growth**: 3–4 sets of 6–10 reps · rest 1 min 30 s · 2–3 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift explosively
- **Endurance**: 2–3 sets of 10–15 reps · rest 1 min · 3 reps in reserve · lower 1 s, lift explosively

Reps in reserve: how many more you could still do when you end the set.

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Chest Tap Push-Up work?

Primary: Mid chest 9/10, Triceps 8/10. Also works: Front delts 7/10, Serratus anterior 4/10, Traps 3/10.

### When should I do the Chest Tap Push-Up in a workout?

Second big lift. Goes after the main lift, while there is still energy for heavy work. ≈ 8 min with rest.

### How many sets and reps of the Chest Tap Push-Up?

Strength: 3–5 sets of 3–5 reps, rest 2 min, 2 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 3–4 sets of 6–10 reps, rest 1 min 30 s, 2–3 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 10–15 reps, rest 1 min, 3 reps in reserve.

How we rate exercises: https://seto.fit/guides/methodology/

---
seto — Fast, simple, clever workout tracking — offline-first by design. https://seto.fit/

Video licensed for playback on seto only — copying, downloading, or redistribution is prohibited. https://seto.fit/terms/