clap push up: technique and muscles worked

How to do this exercise

Step:1 Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Step:2 Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping your core engaged.
Step:3 Push through your palms explosively to propel your body off the ground.
Step:4 While in mid-air, clap your hands together before landing back in the starting position.
Step:5 Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Equipment: Body weight
Body part: Arms Shoulders Chest Cardio
Target muscle: Triceps Anterior deltoid Sternal pectoralis (mid chest)
Secondary muscle: Clavicular pectoralis (upper chest)Rectus abdominis Transverse abdominis External obliques

Hypertrophy grade

Low4 / 10

Nemeo’s take

Although this exercise is exceptional for power and fast fiber recruitment, it is not the ideal tool for pure hypertrophy (mass gain). The reason is simple: hypertrophy requires time under tension and control of the eccentric phase (the descent). In slam push-ups, the movement is so fast that time under tension is reduced, and the impact on landing can be traumatic on the joints if you're looking to pack on a lot of volume.

This catalog score reflects Nemeo’s assessment of the exercise’s muscle-building potential. It is not a standardized scientific rating or a personalized recommendation.

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clap push up

How to do this exercise

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