Most people are familiar with the classic squats and pushups that you see performed in most gyms but there’s a new variation making the rounds, known as Hindu squats and Hindu pushups. Indian wrestlers have used Hindu squats, which are known as bethaks, and Hindu pushups, which are known as dands, for decades. These exercises have begun to appear in the West, and my first encounter with them was in Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey. Though I often find the Furey brand to be more hype than product, I’ll admit that his time as a wrestling and kung fu champion has provided him with a great deal of insight into human endurance and strength training.
Despite Furey’s claim that these exercises build strength, power, speed, and endurance, I find that Hindu squats and Hindu pushups are actually best treated as an addition to a bodyweight calisthenics program. These exercises are intended to be done with high reps. I’m a firm believer that low rep, heavy weight training maximizes strength gains, but have nothing against challenging exercises like Hindu squats and Hindu pushups that improve your cardiovascular system and work your muscles in a slighter different manner than their traditional counterparts.
A well-executed Hindu squat works the same muscles as the traditional squat, namely the calves, quads and hamstrings, as well as your lungs, hips and lower back. To begin the Hindu squat, stand upright with your hands held close to your chest. As you lower yourself to squat, extend your hands behind you (downward toward the floor). Near the bottom of your squat, lift yourself up onto your toes. Then, as you extend your arms in front of you, propel your body upward at the same time. Bring your hands in toward your chest and begin a second rep.
The motion used to complete a Hindu squat should be fluid, not forced. Breathing correctly is one of the hardest parts to adapt to. For example, breathing is completed opposite to what you would do in a traditional squat, and you should instead inhale as you stand up and exhale as you descend down toward the floor. One of the toughest cardiovascular workouts you’ll ever try will be to perform several Hindu squats without stopping. Matt Furey claims to have done 2,000 straight, a mere drop in the bucket compared to his mentor Karl Gotch who was able to do 9,000 such squats over 4 1/2 hours; for the rest of us, a set of 100 reps is a fair goal.
A variation on the traditional pushup, Hindu pushups involve a motion that includes arching the back. In addition to the arm and shoulder involvement, this arching helps to incorporate the hips and back. To begin performing your first Hindu pushup you need to get your body into the traditional pushup position. Then, spread your legs wide apart and lift your glutes into the air. Your arms will be extended straight in front of you. To perform one rep, bend your elbows and lower your hips, pushing through until your arms are straight once again. You should still be facing forward, with your hips just a few inches from the floor. With your arms still in the straight forward position, return to your starting point. Once again, this movement should be relatively fluid.
This style of pushup is very similar to the dive bomber style of pushups, but with a very slight difference. With a dive bomber pushup, you would bend your arms on the way back into the starting position, while the Hindu pushup requires straight arms throughout. This provides more of an arm workout but reduces the back and shoulder flexibility benefits.
If you are looking for a couple of exercises that will help to increase your cardiovascular conditioning and overall endurance, Hindu squats and Hindu pushups will help a lot. After you get over the strangeness of doing these traditional exercises in such a unique and different way, you will be able to get the rhythm down pat and increase your speed in order to get an even better cardio workout. Overall, Hindu squats and Hindu pushups should improve both your flexibility and stamina.