Clap Pullups?

Everyone knows about clap pushups -- that is, performing a clap with your hands as you elevate off the ground in plyometric fashion -- but has anyone here attempted clap pullups?

Same idea: explode up past the bar, perform a clap, then catch the bar on the way down. It's a dangerous exercise (I tried this on a whim today and fell awkwardly), so I don't advocate people trying this out unless they are capable.

I know Oly lifts are much superior in terms of building explosiveness... I'm just throwing an idea out there and seeing if any of you have tried it.

 

I think I saw marunde do this... was it marunde? there's a video of some 250+ lb guy doing claping pullups floating around on the net somewhere. Myself, I liken it to most dynamic versions of regular exercises: you need a good level strength for it to be useful. I'd say you should be able to do a pullup + 2/3 bodyweight before you start implimenting these seriously in a routine. "Why 2/3?" you ask, well because that puts you up to 166.7% bodyweight, which makes 100% (no added weight) 60%, which means it's perfect for a de/ME type split. Bare in mind I can't do a clapping pullup or a loaded pullup with 2/3 of my weight hanging off me. this is strictly hypothetical to me.

 

*sigh* F'ing pullups. Why have I neglected these all these years? Only now at the ripe age of 21 have I been incorporating these into my workout. I'm getting better, but it's embarassing not to be able to pound these things out for 20 reps.

 

I know I can't do one of these, at least the way I envision them to be properly done: clap and then catch the bar when you are still at the top of the pullup.

By the time I finished the clap, my feet would be more than half way to the ground, and then I'd just be catching myself falling...yanking the heck out of the shoulder. This is because I don't have any "extra" bounce at the top of the pullup. Probably due to my strength/weight ratio not being as high as it is for smaller dudes.

Maybe if you can really explode up and have some great inertia, and if you are rather small, lightweight, and strong, you could do these right.

 

I finally broke my 12 rep max barrier and now someone brings up "claping pullups"...Christ, will you let me feel good for five minutes before you knock me down again? *slams garage door, grabs rafters furiously...*

 

the marunde video: http://www.marunde-muscle.com/videos/407x20.mpg

 

I'm sure it's doable, but I sincerely doubt I could do one of those.

 

Lol!
Yes its Marunde who does them. I think its in the vid where he does the 20 rep squats with 405 lbs. It looks pretty hard on the shoulders and like with clap push ups (or even more) coordination plays a big role.

 

That's hardly a full pullup even by loose definition. But it is pretty impressive. I pulled last night, but I'll try one of these when I get home. If I don't logon tomorrow its because I succeeded, but broke my rafters in the process thus caving in my garage and dieing a slow death under al the crap I have stored up there.....wish me luck..

 

wow thats just crazy talk, but yeah totaly possible. makes me wish i had i pullup bar somewhere around here.

 

I only have a doorframebar available at the moment. And i dont think its good idea to try it on one of those.

 

These are words of wisdom.

 

Jesus I hadn't even thought of the possibility of doing a clap pullup. That's crazy! I struggle to do 10 wide grip chinups as it is let alone thinking of being able to clap in between. I would love to see someone do it in the flesh.

 

See post #6. Not exactly "in the flesh", but it's quite a sight.

 

Wow, I was beaten to the punch about 20 times by people listing Murande. Yes, that is quite an impressive video if you ask me.

 

It is impressive, especially since he is pretty much a heavyweight.

Damn.

You know what I liked more in that video though? When he was going for the 20 rep squats, if you look down on the floor near the extra plates, there is a nice empty steel bowl on the ground.

My guess: for emergency puking.

 

For speed strength cycles....I like to do "changing grip pullups", were you pull up with pronated hands, then switch to supinated in the air.

 

check out dudes website

 

i'm not trying to brag, but i have been doing them for about a year now. i started doing them to learn how to do muscle-ups (power-thoughs) on a bar (rather than rings). i was having trouble exploding past the point where you transistion from pull-up to dip, and adding the clapping pull-ups really helped me. granted the clap is more of a measuring tool of how much "air" you're getting. it takes a certain amount of "air" to be able to pull off a full clap and grab the bar again, much like clapping push-ups and the ground.

thing is, what really helps is to get a rhythm going. you can rock or "kip" to get the idea, but after awhile you'll just start firing yourself off the bar consistantly without rocking or "kipping". granted you can rock/kip if you like, but if you want to concentrate more on the upperbody explosiveness, just don't rock/kip.

once you master clapping pull-ups, a fun one to try are "dyno pulls". not usre if that's the correct name, but that's what my [rock]climber friend calls them. you pull yourself up, explode off the pull-up bar and grab a bar higher up. you can do this on the cage with a bar mounted at the highest setting, but on the backside of the front section of the squat rack (like if you were squatting inside the cage, how you would set the moveable mounts), so you can go straight up without having to worry too much about hitting the bar. after you explode up to the higher bar, drop down to the lower bar and repeat. it's tons of fun. but one warning, this might seriously active tendonitis in the elbows. i'm fighting a losing battle with it right now because of heavily weightd pull-ups and most likely these. i over did it and now i'm paying the price. it doesn't always bother me, but if i work chin-ups(palms facing me), it flares up sometimes. i don't know if it's because of the rotation of the arm during the chins or what, but it's a pain in the ass.

good luck and have fun.

 

are you dude in teh movie