The Hindu push-up is aย traditional Indian-style exerciseย practiced by wrestlers and Indian martial artists. For centuries, traditional Indian wrestlers have been performing Hindu push-ups to strengthen their upper bodies.
Each repetition involvesย going from a downward dog position to a cobra pose and swooping by holding the head and body close to the ground.
Bruce Lee also incorporated Hindu pushups in his training regime. I also perform that during my chest workout.
The Hindu push-up improves muscle strength and endurance. It is a complete exercise that has a compound effect, improving flexibility and posture.
Hindu Push-ups can be performed regardless of where you are, and best of all, they are completely freeโno expensive gym equipment or annual gym fees are required.
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- Hindu Push-Ups Muscled Worked
- Benefits of Hindu Push-Ups
- 1. Improves mobility and flexibility
- 2. Excellent Full-Body Exercise
- 3. Strength
- 4. Increase Metabolism
- 5. Endurance
- 6. Improve Posture
- How To Do Hindu Push Up
- Form and Techniques
- Beginner Hindu Knee Push-Up
- How To Do
- Hindu Pushups Vs Regular Pushups
- FAQs
- How Many Hindu Push-Ups A Day
- Are Hindu pushups harder than regular pushups?
- Can Hindu pushups build muscle?
Hindu Push-Ups Muscled Worked
Hindu Push-ups can be an excellent exercise forย improving muscle strength and endurance. Adequate knowledge of push-up, anatomy, biomechanics, and variations helps target the desired muscle.
The Hindu push-up has survived the test of time and is the single most efficient exercise to simultaneously strengthen the following muscles:
- Chest muscles,
- Shoulders, or Anterior deltoid and Posterior deltoid
- Back muscles,
- Triceps
However, Hindu push-ups require manyย other muscles to keep the body in a position. These muscles may include:
- Lower back muscles
- Abs, or core muscles
- Gluteus maximus and medius, which are the buttocks muscles
- Leg muscles, including the hamstrings, quadriceps, calf, and shin muscles
Unlike conventional push-up, Hindu pushups arenโt concentrating majorly on the pectoral muscle. Instead, Hindu push-up is an incredible exercise to develop stronger shoulders, pectoral, arms, core, and spine.
Benefits of Hindu Push-Ups
There are numerous benefits of Hindu push-ups that one can try to experience. Let’s explore the details of These Benefits.
1. Improves mobility and flexibility
The Hindu push-up is aย combination of two strong yoga poses:ย upward-facing dog positionย andย downward dog position,ย which give remarkable results inย spine mobility and flexibility.
You will experience a stronger and more flexible spine, hip joint, and shoulder rotator blades.ย
2. Excellent Full-Body Exercise
The Hindu push-up works your whole body, from your upper to your lower body; it works from your front to your back.ย
Hindu push-ups work the following muscles duringย eccentric and concentric range of motion:ย chest, deltoids, Lats, erector spine, triceps, Serratus anterior, abs, glutes,ย andย hamstrings.
Your core muscles must be engaged constantly to keep your body stable as you switch positions. This makes your core stronger and more stable over time.
3. Strength
In a Hindu Push-up, you areย working on multiple joints and muscle groups simultaneously,ย which helps to strengthen the body.
Thatโs whyย ancient wrestlers and professional fighters used to perform thousands of Hindu pushups to strengthen themselves.
4. Increase Metabolism
Hindu push-ups can be a powerful full-body workout.ย They improve metabolism and help burn more calories. They use up a lot of energy quickly because the movements require large muscle groups to lift and hold much of the bodyโs weight.
5. Endurance
Improving endurance is challenging yourself daily and making you better than you were before.
Hindu push-up has a strong characteristic of improving your endurance through working on different muscle groups simultaneously.
6. Improve Posture
Hindu push-ups can be aย great exercise for posture problems. Regular use of them has also reduced back pain.
Its downward dog posture and upward dog posture will correct your body with better posture and stronger spine.ย
How To Do Hindu Push Up
- Take a standard push-up position; place your hands shoulder-width apart and your feet hip-width apart. Keep your core tight and straight back.
- Push your torso backward and raise your butt up in the air. Keep your arms, back, and legs in a straight position. In this position, your body will form an inverted V (downward dog)
- Bend your elbows to lower your upper chest close to the ground while still keeping your butt up.
- While your chest closes towards the floor, scoop your head upwards, while arching the upper and lower back.
- Straighten your arms and push your chest upward, forming an Upward-Facing Dog Position in yoga.
- Keep your chest forward and shoulders blades pulled together, with legs staying tight and active.
- Return to the starting position, and repeat the desired number of reps.
Form and Techniques
No exercise is important if not performed with proper technique, so focus on proper form and movement during your workout.
- Beginners should focus on mastering each posture before increasing repetitions or speed. Aim for 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions.
- Engage your core, relax the spine and neck, open the shoulders and keep the movement smooth.
- Keep your elbows at a 45-degree angle from your torso. This reduces strain on the shoulders and increases chest engagement.
- Remember to breathe correctly as you do the push-ups. Inhale as you slowly move from the downward dog position to the upward dog position.
- Choose your sets and reps based on your fitness level and ability to keep good technique throughout all sets and repetitions.
- To prevent injury, stretch before performing this exercise. Stretching will help loosen your muscles and enable you to perform this exercise more fluidly.
- For a comprehensive workout, it is recommended to combine Hindu push-ups with other bodyweight exercises, such as squats or lunges, to effectively target various muscle groups.
Beginner Hindu Knee Push-Up
Starting with the Hindu knee push-up is a great way to build the foundational strength and flexibility needed for the full version.
It allows beginners to practice the movement pattern and get used to the transition between the downward dog and the upward-facing positions without the added challenge of supporting their full body weight.
Keeping yourย knees on the floor reduces the weight you need to lift to complete the motion while retaining many Hindu push-up benefits.
How To Do
- Take the starting position on your knees. Start in a downward dog pose, with your hands shoulder-width apart and your knees hip-width apart.
- Bend your elbows and lower your chest until itโs just above the floor, going into low plank pose.
- In a scooping motion, scoop your head upward while arching your lower and upper back and go into cobra pose.
- To return to the starting position, you do not need to reverse back through the sweeping, arching motion.
- Simply push back into the starting position.
Hindu Pushups Vs Regular Pushups
Regular Push-ups are a compound strength-training exercise that involves raising and lowering the body using the arms while facing down in a prone, horizontal position.
The regular push-up has survived the test of time and is the single most efficient exercise for simultaneously strengthening the chest, arms, deltoid, lower back, abs, and glutes.
Hindu push-ups are harder than normal because they require a more complicated move involving multiple parts.
Similar to a regular push-up, the Hindu push-up strengthens the triceps, pectorals, and deltoids, as well as the hamstrings, abdomen, back muscles, and glutes.
FAQs
How Many Hindu Push-Ups A Day
Thereโs no limit to how many Hindu push-ups you can do daily.ย The number of Hindu push-ups you do daily depends on your fitness level.ย If you are a beginner, you should start by doingย Hindu push-ups on your knees. I recommend doing 8-20 Hindu push-ups a day. But do not stick to this number. It is essential to keep increasing the number to challenge your body.
Are Hindu pushups harder than regular pushups?
Hindu push-ups are harder than regular push-ups because they require good form, slow and controlled movements, and a lot of flexibility and coordination.
Can Hindu pushups build muscle?
The Hindu press-up is a highly effective way to strengthen the shoulders, legs, back, hips, and chest muscles. It also strengthens your coreย and helps build up the muscles in your upper body.
Manish is a NASM-certified fitness and nutrition coach with over 10 years of experience in weight lifting and fat loss fitness coaching. He specializes in gym-based training and has a lot of knowledge about exercise, lifting technique, biomechanics, and more.
Through โFit Life Regime,โ he generously shares the insights heโs gained over a decade in the field. His goal is to equip others with the knowledge to start their own fitness journey.