Clap Pushups

Instructions

1. 1.Adopt the top position of a push up. Your hands should be directly underneath your shoulders with your arms straight. Your hands and toes should be the only points of contact with the floor, and your shoulders, hips and ankles should form a straight line angling slightly towards the floor. This is the starting position.
2. 2.Lower your body slowly towards the floor by flexing at the elbows, keeping them tucked in to the side of your torso.
3. 3.When your elbows are fully flexed and your chest is only just above the floor, push through the floor with the palms of your hands and extend explosively at the elbows. This should generate enough force in order for your hands to leave the floor. The only point of contact with the floor at this stage should be your toes.
4. 4.As you reach your peak distance from the floor, clap your hands together in front of your chest, before returning them to a normal push up position. As your hands return to the ground, soften at the elbows and drop immediately towards the bottom of the push up position again.
5. 5.The act of lowering your body towards the floor, exploding upwards by extending forcefully at the elbows, clapping, and then returning to the floor and softening to the bottom of the push up movement, is equal to one repetition. Repeat for as many reps as necessary.

Tips

• When you adopt the starting position, it can be common for people to allow their hips to sag towards the floor, creating extension in the lumbar spine. In order to avoid this, brace your core by trying to pull your belly buttons towards your spine.

Breathing Instructions

1. Inhale as you lower from the starting position to the bottom of the push up movement (eccentric phase). 2. Exhale as you push through your hands and forcefully extend at the elbows in order to leave the floor and clap your hands.

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