The Hindu push-up is a push-up variation focused on the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. It’s an effective strength training exercise for wrestlers and martial artists. In addition, because so much motion is in Hindu push-ups, people going through physical therapy and rehab also benefit from the exercise.
The arm and shoulder muscles hold your body in the standard push-up position until you move into the downward dog yoga position. From there, pivot to upward dog, which works your joints and improves flexibility.
Push your chest forward while in the upward dog position. Holding this pose strengthens the chest, delts, and triceps. The longer you can hold the pose without needing release, the stronger your spine will get. Keep your shoulder blades pulled back and your legs tight to strengthen the pose.
One common mistake when doing Hindu push-ups is not smoothly transitioning from position to position. Jerky movements can harm your joints, and not fully entering a pose won’t benefit your muscles as much as the exercise should.
Tips to increase the efficiency of Hindu push-ups include anything that affects your flexibility. Since the exercise itself uses the downward dog yoga pose, trying other poses can help. While yoga doesn’t use explosive motion, holding your body weight in one pose for a minute or longer still helps build muscles.
If you don’t feel capable of doing Hindu push-ups quickly to build a sweat, take your time with the motions. Like yoga practice, going slowly still uses your muscles to hold your body weight in specific poses. You can use it as a cool-down exercise when doing Hindu push-ups at a slower pace.
Hindu push-ups aren’t too tricky at the base level. There are ways to slow down the routine and modify it to meet you where you are. However, if you’re a more advanced athlete, you can still use these push-ups to strengthen different muscle groups.