Tips for Performing Hindu Squats and Hindu Pushups

When people start training with hindu pushups and hindu squats, they are often surprised at how difficult these bodyweight exercises can be. I remember the first time I tried a Hindu push-up. My body felt so unnatural, stiff and uncomfortable. I think I was only able to do 5 of them the first time. However, I kept going and before long my muscles began to learn to work together the way they were meant to. The movement you want to achieve is like an ocean wave rising towards the shore. Movement should be fluid. Even now I’m not quite at the “fluent” stage for this exercise, but I’m getting there. Below are a few more tips I’ve collected that you may find helpful when performing these bodyweight exercises.

One question I get is how fast or how slow you should do the Hindu push ups. The answer is that it really depends on you. I recommend mixing it up a bit for maximum effect. So in one day you can go as fast as you can while maintaining good form. Another day you could go as slow as possible. Going slow is really hard. Try it and you will see.

Another thing that people find difficult about Hindu push-ups is that it can bother their wrists a bit, as this joint is generally somewhat weak. To avoid this problem when you first start, try to keep your hands at the 11 and 1 o’clock positions when performing the pushup. This should ease any discomfort you feel.

With a bodyweight exercise like the Hindu squat, it’s often not a bad idea to warm up your knees first before beginning. This is particularly important if your knees are tight or stiff for any reason. One way to do this is to perform the hind squat until you are in the squat position. Now instead of coming up, hold this position for a few breaths. This should help warm up your knees a lot.

Another bodyweight warm-up exercise you can do for your knees is called bent-knee circles. This is a warm up you might recognize from martial arts class. For this all you do is keep your legs together and bend your knees a bit. Now, place both hands on your knees and start moving them in a circular fashion. Go clockwise and counterclockwise. 10 in each direction should be enough.

One piece of advice that applies to both of these bodyweight exercises, not to mention any others you might do, is that you ALWAYS want to use your mind. Concentrate on what you’re doing. Turn off the music and the television. The person who is focused on what they are doing will get 10 times more out of the exercise than the person who is not.

Focus your mind counting and visualizing the repetitions as you perform the Hindu push up or Hindu squat. By turning your Physical training into Mental training, you will also be improving your Focus in all areas of your life.