Hi Irish, I guess I realized that barbell benching might be too problematic for my shoulders but felt so weird about leaving it out that I decided to consult the T-Nation community on their thoughts. So yea, I guess I was more talking just as a general strength question.
Irish: I’m a reasonable guy. I’m not going to tell everyone they should bench/they’re doing it wrong if it hurts, etc. My advice was more directed at IF he’s going to bench, and to compare it to push ups, rather than to express my opinion on the value of either.
Heroic: Ah, I gotcha. One letter makes a big difference 
I think you’re underestimating my comprehension of what you mean by a clapping push up. I understand that you want to express to us how forceful you perform this, but it is NOT THE SAME as pressing a heavy load. It just means that you’re producing a high peak force. You can produce high force on a heavy weight and a light weight (potentially the same peak force, depending on speed). That does not mean that the training effect is the same, because force is not the single determinant for muscular development. It’s just part of the equation, one of many variables you can manipulate. For your purposes, it may be the most important factor, but understand the training effects of heavier bench pressing and plyometric push ups are not the same.
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Irish: I’m a reasonable guy. I’m not going to tell everyone they should bench/they’re doing it wrong if it hurts, etc. My advice was more directed at IF he’s going to bench, and to compare it to push ups, rather than to express my opinion on the value of either.
Heroic: Ah, I gotcha. One letter makes a big difference I think you’re underestimating my comprehension of what you mean by a clapping push up. I understand that you want to express to us how forceful you perform this, but it is NOT THE SAME as pressing a heavy load. It just means that you’re producing a high peak force. You can produce high force on a heavy weight and a light weight (potentially the same peak force, depending on speed). That does not mean that the training effect is the same, because force is not the single determinant for muscular development. It’s just part of the equation, one of many variables you can manipulate. For your purposes, it may be the most important factor, but understand the training effects of heavier bench pressing and plyometric push ups are not the same.[/quote]
Absolutely.
[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
And if you’re a fighter, benching don’t matter for shit. But I think Heroic was talking more just as a general strength question.[/quote]
Benching matters as part of an overall program if you are trying to add mass and/or strength. BUT, outside of bodybuilding, powerlifting, and olympic lifting it is nothing more than one component of GPP for any sport. Which I think is what Irish is getting at.
My question to the OP is what are you trying to accomplish in the weight room? If it is adding mass or strength then clapping push ups are a waste. If you are training to compliment fighting then it’s a completely different scenario.
[quote]ryno76 wrote:
[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
And if you’re a fighter, benching don’t matter for shit. But I think Heroic was talking more just as a general strength question.[/quote]
Benching matters as part of an overall program if you are trying to add mass and/or strength. BUT, outside of bodybuilding, powerlifting, and olympic lifting it is nothing more than one component of GPP for any sport. Which I think is what Irish is getting at.
My question to the OP is what are you trying to accomplish in the weight room? If it is adding mass or strength then clapping push ups are a waste. If you are training to compliment fighting then it’s a completely different scenario.[/quote]
See, blanket statements like that piss me off to no end. Once you learn the exercise and what it actually does, it has a place. If all you do is clap pushups, then yeah, you will not gain much mass and strength. But, incorporate it in an intelligent program, and it’s a different story. Look up shredded in 6 weeks, for example. I also use it as a neural charge (which will help you grow in the long run), etc.
You can discount the clap push when done alone, but you cannot discount it completely as part of a program. There is a reason why 5/31 has accessory work.
/off my soap box, continue with regular programming.
[quote]JFG wrote:
See, blanket statements like that piss me off to no end. Once you learn the exercise and what it actually does, it has a place. If all you do is clap pushups, then yeah, you will not gain much mass and strength. But, incorporate it in an intelligent program, and it’s a different story. Look up shredded in 6 weeks, for example. I also use it as a neural charge (which will help you grow in the long run), etc.
You can discount the clap push when done alone, but you cannot discount it completely as part of a program. There is a reason why 5/31 has accessory work.
/off my soap box, continue with regular programming.[/quote]
JFG, I usually try to avoid blanket statements myself. I was not meaning to discount the clapping push up altogether, but making reference to the OP’s statement that he was using them as his only form of horizontal pressing. Explosive movements can definitely have a place in hypertrophy and/or strength programs, but alone are probably not the best method for hypertrophy. The lack of an eccentric portion coupled with the difficulty in progressive loading would make it a less than optimal movement for hypertrophy, I would think.
Holy shit, that last sentence made me sound a lot smarter than I am. Anyway, not sure the OP’s overall goal, but if he was looking to gain mass I didn’t want him to throw out all forms of bench pressing for the push ups.