How to do Push-Up and Clap

Instructions

Start at the top of the push up position with your hands on the floor, arms straight and underneath your shoulders. Step your feet back behind you and lift your knees. Engage your glutes, tense your legs and brace your core to keep your body rigid.

Keeping your elbows in towards your ribs and your forearms vertical, bend at the elbows to lower your body towards the floor. Your head and shoulders should move forwards of your hands as you get closer to the floor. Use your full range of motion to lower your chest in between your hands, as close to the floor as you can, then explosively push your body away from the floor as fast as possible so that you have enough time at the top of the push up to quickly jump your hands off the floor and clap them together underneath your chest. Quickly return them to the floor at shoulder width and level with your chest, as you start to lower into your next push-up.

Watch out for elbows flaring out to the sides away from your ribs. They should always point back towards your feet. Another common mistake is to lower down without moving your head and shoulders forward of your hands. These mistakes can lead to injury so focus on quality of movement rather than quantity. If you can’t maintain quality in this movement, try some of the easier versions of this exercise to build up strength and technique first.