Ever heard of Hindu Pushups?
Hindu Pushups are not some new exercise that was created as a fad, but rather has been around for decades, if not centuries. The name comes from the use of this exercise by the Desi Indian wrestlers, who popularized it by having tremendous strength and performance while competing.
The benefits of Hindu Pushups far exceed the basic pushup exercise that everyone knows. Often referred to as Dive bomber pushups, this exercise helps improve the body as a whole for both strength and mobility.
It is also known as a dand. It is quite common in the Indian physical culture and Indian martial arts. Dand is a very common exercise in a specific form of wrestling in India which is known as Pehlwani.
According to Wikipedia, Bruce Lee also used Hindu Pushups in his training regime and he often referred to it as a ‘cat stretch’.
This exercise is definitely one that will provide a difference if you are looking to change up your workout routine. Most can perform this exercise as it utilizes the upper and abdominal muscles entirely opposed to just chest strength like standard pushup.
Hindu Pushups Vs Normal Pushups
Standard pushups are popular amongst fitness enthusiasts because it is a test of your upper body strength, and the fact that it is widely known. The Hindu Pushup does not have the same popularity, but could be better suited for all being a compound lift. This means you use multiple muscle groups to move instead of isolating one or two.
A more effective movement would incorporate the lower body with the upper body. This variation includes your chest, back, shoulders, glutes, hips, core, and spine.
Which muscle groups gets worked by doing Hindu Pushups?
- Triceps Brachii
- Deltoids
- Core
- Pectoralis Mejor
- Serratus Anterior
- Subscapularis
- Hip and Spine Flexor
- Erector spine
Muscle worked during Hindu Pushups
The following benefits are what you would expect to receive from performing Hindu Pushups
- Improved strength, flexibility, and mobility
- Muscular endurance and growth
- Ability to balance the use of your body
All this from one exercise that you perform without any equipment or need of a gym membership. Instead of focusing only on the concentric phase like standard Pushups, you can start focusing more on the eccentric phase from an exercise that requires more control.
Improved Strength and Mobility
The strength of your joints and bones is quite important, especially as you start to get over the age of 30. This is when strength begins to naturally decrease from lack of producing enough hormones to support your body without any active movements.
If you are already actively exercising, you will see that it is not the easiest exercise to execute. The development of muscle without balanced core strength and mobility make the body stiff, which will make it slightly difficult at first.
Mobility and flexibility both come from how Hindu Pushups are performed. You do a movement much like a yoga stretch, but instead repeat the motion keeping constant tension on all the muscles being incorporated to this exercise.
The increased movement requires to joints to move fluidly, which increases the production of synovial fluid helping joint health with everyday movement.
Increased Muscular Endurance and Growth
Aside from strength and mobility, you also increase the endurance of your muscles and their growth. Muscular endurance is the muscles ability to last longer during activities such as sports and even walking your dog around the neighborhood.
This makes the Hindu Pushups an effective tool for both athletes and overall health benefits. Muscles being primed and used also help them develop and grow in size. An excess in calories would be needed for muscle mass, but even on a calorie deficit diet you will see lean muscle definition.
Balance the Use of Your Body
Balance is a common issue with those older in age, and if you have a weak core regardless of age. The use of your spine, hips, and core requires a lot of physical balance and knowledge of how your body moves to certain positions.
The use of your spine also helps makes this top the benefits chart for use. Posture is a serious concern for many now since daily use of electronics is high. Hindu Pushups help assist with posture correction when utilized properly.
How to do Hindu Pushups
Standard Pushups are quite easy to learn without much discussion, but follow closely with how to do Hindu Pushups.
- Lay prone on the floor and space your feet shoulder width apart to assume the normal Pushup position.
- Form an inverted V with your body by maintaining a flat back and pushing your hips back to point your glutes into the air. In yoga this is also referred to as the downward dog position.
- Keeping your glutes in the air, you initiate the first part of the movement by bending at the elbows and lowering your chest to the floor.
- From this point, your will simultaneously lower your hips down while also extending your arms out. The movement will appear as if a carnival ride that sways the boat back and forth.
- Chest will be up as your shoulders are pushed back in the upward dog position keeping your legs tight.
- Trace your movement back by bending at the elbows, lowering your chest, and pressing your glutes back into the air.
That would make this one repetition. You want to try hard not to allow your body to touch the floor. This will stop the movement and cause pain in your sternum if it hits too hard.
How Many Hindu Pushups Per Day?
As mentioned, you can do the Hindu Pushups daily with no need to have a rest day away from them. Exercises using external resistance tear the muscles more microscopically, which is why the infamous rest day has always been noted. However, using your body weight does not put as much resistance on the body.
The amount to perform per day varies person to person.
So you can start with 3-4 sets of 5-10 Hindu Pushups per day if not very active. Those that exercise daily would execute 15-25 at first and go from there for repetitions.
Constant use of this exercise has made it to where you could reach into the hundreds of repetitions daily. Basically, go off of how difficult it feels for your body, but don’t make it easy either.
Summary
Everyone can utilize Hindu Pushups in their daily routine unless medically told you can’t perform this movement.
Follow the steps that we mentioned above, and you will be well on your way to noticing how much stronger and healthier your body feels. Make this a lifestyle choice and not just something that you have to do.
Relax and enjoy the resistance your body naturally brings.