V Up With Clap
V Up With Clap is an intermediate bodyweight exercise for the primary: rectus abdominis secondary: hip flexors. Most lifters train it for 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps.
Folding your body into a V shape and clapping your hands to your feet at the top adds a coordination challenge to the standard V-up. It's a fast way to gauge whether your ab strength and hip flexibility are keeping pace with each other.
How to Do the V Up With Clap
- Lie flat on your back with legs straight and arms extended overhead on the floor.
- Brace the abs and press the lower back lightly into the floor.
- Lift the legs and torso together, reaching the hands toward the feet.
- At the top, clap the hands against the shins or feet while balancing on the tailbone.
- Lower the arms and legs together under control without letting the heels slam the floor.
- Stop just short of the floor to keep tension and begin the next rep.
Common Mistakes
- Arching back at the bottom: Letting the legs and arms drop with no tension pulls the lower back into an arch. Stop a few centimetres above the floor.
- Using arm swing for momentum: Throwing the arms makes the clap easy but takes the abs out of it. Lead with the chest and legs, with the arms following.
- Bending knees to reach clap: Tight hamstrings cause the knees to bend. Accept a clap at the shins rather than cheating with bent knees.
Programming Tips
Do 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps. Put it near the end of a session as a dynamic ab finisher or in a conditioning circuit. It builds full range ab strength with a touch of speed and coordination.
Start with arms overhead, legs long and the lower back pressed down. It is bodyweight only, so progress by slowing the lowering to three seconds, adding a 1 to 2 kg ankle weight, or holding a light plate. The most common fault is swinging the arms for momentum, fixed by pausing at the bottom and lifting the legs and chest at the same time.
Common Questions
What muscles do V ups with a clap work?
The rectus abdominis does most of the work, with the hip flexors lifting the legs and the obliques stabilizing. The clap adds balance and coordination at the top.
Are V ups bad for your lower back?
Not when the abs stay braced and the heels stop short of the floor. Pain usually means the range is too long for your current strength, so shorten it or do tuck ups first.
How many V ups should I do a day?
8 to 15 reps for 3 to 4 sets a few times a week is plenty. Daily high rep V ups mostly fatigue the hip flexors without building more muscle.
Track This Exercise in the App
Log your v up with clap sets in 1RM.fit and watch your estimated 1RM update automatically as you get stronger.