Explosive Pushup Variations

Occasionally when boredom strikes, we will play around with some clapping pushups in warm-up. The added intensity from the plyometric motion makes these a challenging exercise. Plus it is alot of fun to see who can come up with the hardest variation.

Clapping Pushups:

The standard clap in front of the chest and the slightly harder clap behind the back are fun, although there are several harder variations that you might enjoy exploring:

1) Clap behind and then clap in front before catching on the ground.

2) The best that I have seen from my athletes is a clap in front, clap behind and then clap in front again before catching. Lots of fun and a lot of good crashes when playing around with this one.

Other Fun Variations:

1) Hop your feet as well as your hands up off the ground

2) Hop your body up off the ground, while in the air tuck your feet through your hands and land in a reverse pushup position.

3) Hop your body up off the ground, while in the air tuck your feet through your hands with a half twist and land back in a regular push-up position.

4) Another version that is fun is to pushup (but plan on EXPLODING up) and then add a full twist before catching once more on the ground. This may be done while leaving the feet on the ground or hopping the entire body up into the air. Do it somewhere that landing on your side or belly will be somewhat comfortable as you will spend quite a bit of time laughing & crashing while learning this variation.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

What do you think of pliometric pushups for strength gains. I was thinking about pseudo planche pushups vs sctrict pseudo planche pushups or even sctrict pseudo planche pushups with stops across the movement.

i tried the first one and landed on my elbow (i didnt even make it to the clap in front). i'll start those they're good fun and a good way to show off. coach i'm sure these plyometric style push ups have carryover effects for skills and such but what specific sorts of things will they help with, rebounding off your hands in handsprings and flips and such but what else?

also can your gymnasts (i'm sure they can) do clapping handstand push ups?

Wouldn't like to think of the result if they didn't come off!! :shock:

Wouldn't like to think of the result if they didn't come off!!

Actually if you have chosen an appropriate area (grass, gym floor, mats) to train them, missing most of these variations entails nothing more than falling on your side.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Coach Sommer said:

Actually if you have chosen an appropriate area (grass, gym floor, mats) to train them, missing most of these variations entails nothing more than falling on your side.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Yes, but some of us stupid enough to try these indoors on a wooden floor :roll:

but some of us are stupid enough to try these indoors on a wooden floor

The old saying continues to ring true, you can lead a horse to water but .... In the long run, I simply consider it evolution in action. I stress to my athletes that there are old gymnasts and that there are dumb gymnasts; there are however no old dumb gymnasts.  

Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer