Hindu Push-Up

Hindu push-up is an advanced variation that uses a hybrid push-up and overhead press movement. It involves coming down from an inverted V-shape, bringing your head through your arms. With this, it is a challenging exercise with several additional benefits. 

In the article below, we look at the correct form, offer tips, and describe how to correctly program it into your routine. Alongside this, we discuss the suitable populations and benefits.

How To Do

  1. Set up next to a suitable mat or padded area. Assume a kneeling position and place your hands on the floor with your arms shoulder-width apart.
  2. Your hands should be slightly facing outward.
  3. Bring both legs back and come onto your toes. At the same time, walk your hands back until you form an inverted V-shape. Your glutes should be facing directly towards the ceiling.
  4. Inhale and engage your core. Exhale and bring your head diagonally down to the floor by flexing your elbows and extending your shoulders back.
  5. As your arms come behind your body, Extend your spine and bring your head and upper body in front. Do this by extending your elbows once your head passes your arms.
  6. Pause briefly at the bottom position. Inhale and flex your shoulders to come back down and through your arms, extending your elbows to press up diagonally.

Tips From Expert

  • Make sure that your arms are shoulder-width with your hands slightly pointing outwards. This provides targeted muscle activation and limits potential wrist stress.
  • Keep a neutral neck and head position throughout the movement. Your head should follow the movement of your body. This helps to limit potential injury risk.
  • Keep on your hands and toes throughout the movement pattern. Avoid bringing them off the floor at any point.
  • Keep your core engages to provide a stable lifting position. Avoid letting your hips sag or back round.
  • Use a controlled movement pattern in both phases of the exercise. This helps to maintain balance and correct muscle activation.

Optimal Sets and Reps

The ideal sets and reps largely depend on the training style you’re following. Use the programming table below as a general guide.

Training Type Sets Reps
Strength Training 3–5 4–6
Hypertrophy 3–4 8–10
Endurance Training 3–4 12+
Power Training 3–5 1–3 (Explosive)
Optimal Sets & Reps of Hindu Push-Up

How to Put in Your Workout Split

The Hindu push-up is a challenging bodyweight exercise that combines the push-up and shoulder press movements. It requires large degrees of muscular strength, coordination, and balance for correct performance.

It can be programmed in different ways depending on your training focus:

  • Bodybuilding Workout — The Hindu push-up works well as part of an upper body, push, or full-body workout. Program it after the weighted movements such as bench presses and overhead presses.
  • At-Home Bodyweight Workout — With no equipment needed, the Hindu push-up is great as part of a bodyweight workout. Pair it with exercises such as planks and mountain climbers for total body conditioning.
  • Functional Fitness Routine — Because of its functional applications, it’s great as part of a functional strength routine. Perform it alongside other exercises such as push presses and bodyweight dips.

As a bodyweight exercise, you don’t need to worry about loading recommendations. The intensity will depend on your strength and training levels. To increase the intensity, perform a slower movement tempo or decrease the rest periods.

For strength and power training, use a rest period of 2–3 minutes. For hypertrophy and endurance training, 60–90 seconds.

Primary Muscle Groups

Clavicular Head of Pectoralis Major

Muscles located at the top of your chest, running from your armpit to collar bone. Smaller portion of your chest muscle.

Sternal Head of Pectoralis Major

Large muscles located underneath your clavicle head. Makes up most of your chest area

Abdominal Head of Pectoralis Major

Muscles located at the bottom of your pectoral region, just above your abdominal muscles.

Clavicular Head Of Pectoralis Major

The clavicular head is the upper portion of the pectoralis major. As you perform the Hindu push-up, it flexes the shoulders to control the descent and bring the body over the arms.

A review study examining pectoralis major muscle activation over several studies showed a high activation rate in normal push-ups. Results showed an approximate rate of 60% MVIC. Because of the high Hindu push-up position, we expect the clavicular head to be the most activated.

Sternal Head Of Pectoralis Major

The sternal head of the pectoralis major, also known as the middle head, is between the clavicular head and abdominal head.

As the clavicular head flexes the shoulders, the sternal head abducts the arms, bringing them closer to the body. This is on the upward phase as you come out of the bottom position.

Abdominal Head Of Pectoralis Major

The sternal head of the pectoralis major, also known as the middle head, is between the clavicular head and abdominal head.

As the clavicular head flexes the shoulders, the sternal head abducts the arms, bringing them closer to the body. This is on the upward phase as you come out of the bottom position.

Secondary Muscle Groups

Gluteus

Large, superficial muscles located at your buttocks just below your lower back area.

Erector Spinae

Muscles that span the entire length of your spine on either side.

Upper Rectus Abdominis

Muscles located just below the lower chest and above the lower abdominals. Between your ribs and pubic bone.

Lower Rectus Abdominis

Muscles located below your upper abs and above your public bone between your ribs.

Triceps Lateral Heads

Muscles located on the back of your arm between your shoulder and elbow.

Triceps Medial Heads

Small muscles located at the back of your arms. Deep to the triceps long heads between the shoulder and elbow.

Triceps Long Heads

Large muscles located at the back of your arms between your shoulder and elbow. Most outside portion of the tricep.

Wrist Flexors

Muscles that span the inside of your lower arm, between your elbow and wrist palm side up.

Wrist Extensors

Muscles that make up the back portion of your lower arm, between your elbow and wrist.

Anterior Deltoid

Muscles located at the front of your shoulder region

Lateral Deltoid

Muscles located at the side of your shoulder which gives your shoulders a rounded appearance.

Anterior Deltoid

The anterior deltoid, or front deltoid, is located at the front of the upper arm. It inserts into the clavicle, or collarbone, and inserts into the humerus, or upper arm. As you push from the bottom, the anterior deltoid flexes the shoulders, bringing the arms in front of the body. This happens as your elbows extend from the flexed position.

Lateral Deltoid

The lateral deltoids, or side delts, are between the anterior deltoids and posterior deltoids. During the Hindu push-up, they work with the anterior deltoids to perform shoulder flexion. Alongside this, they slightly abduct the shoulders as you lower into the bottom position.

Triceps Lateral Heads

The triceps lateral heads are the outer parts of the triceps. They’re noted as the strongest of the three heads and are only active during resistance. They originate from the humerus and insert into the ulna or forearm.

They primarily function to extend the elbows, increasing the angle between the upper arms and forearms. As you push up from the bottom position, they extend the elbows as the shoulders flex. In the same muscle activation study as above, the triceps showed an activation rate of approximately 45%–50%.

Triceps Medial Heads

The triceps medial heads are under the lateral heads. They are active during all forms of movement, including without resistance.

Like the lateral heads, they originate from the humerus and insert into the ulna. During the Hindu push-up, they work with the lateral heads to extend the elbows as you push up.

Triceps Long Heads

The triceps long heads are above the medial heads and next to the lateral heads. Unlike the other two heads, they originate from the scapula, or shoulder blade. Because of this, they also play a role in shoulder stabilization.

Like the other two heads, they perform elbow extension. Alongside this, they stabilize the shoulders during both phases, ensuring that they move correctly.

Upper Rectus Abdominis

The upper rectus abdominis is the upper part of the muscle group. During the Hindu push-up, it isometrically contract to maintain a stable body position. This means that it works without moving. In both phases, it maintains a stable torso position and prevents the spine from excessive flexion or extension.

Lower Rectus Abdominis

The lower rectus abdominis are the lower part of the rectus abdominis muscle group. They originate from the public bone and attach to the lower ribs.

When performing the Hindu push-up, they work with the upper rectus abdominis to ensure stable torso and spine positions. They extend the spine as you come down and flex the spine as you come back up. This ensures the correct amount of movement to limit injury risk.

Erector Spinae

The erector spinae is a group of muscles that span the entire length of your spine. Without the erector spinae, we would be unable to function. It also limits the chances of injury which can be caused by excessive movement.

During the Hindu push-up, the erector spinae helps maintain the stable lifting position. They allow your chest, shoulder, and tricep muscles to perform the necessary movement patterns.

Gluteus

The gluteus is a group of three muscles that are located at the back of the upper legs. These are the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus.

Each of them primarily functions to perform hip extension. This is the action of driving your hips forward so the angle between your pelvis and thighs gets bigger.

As the abdominal heads of the pectoralis major bring the shoulders back, the gluteus muscles drive the hips forward. This is as you come down into the bottom Hindu push-up position.

Wrist Flexors

The wrist flexors are a group of muscles located on the inside of the forearm. They consist of six smaller muscles that flex the wrists and fingers. Because of this, they help to maintain grip strength when they’re in a flexed position.

Any activity or exercise that uses movement or a gripping action will involve the wrist flexors to some degree. In the Hindu push-up, they flex the wrists in both phases of the movement. Furthermore, they prevent them from moving out of the correct lifting position.

Wrist Extensors

The wrist extensor muscles are on the outside of the forearms. They perform the opposite movement of the wrist flexors, extending the fingers and wrists.

When performing the Hindu push-up they extend the wrists during both phases of the movement. They also work to prevent incorrect wrist and finger positions.

Equipment

Bodyweight

Bodyweight

Requires bodyweight resistance and additional equipment for proper execution.

Variations

Exercises that target the same primary muscle groups and require the same equipment.

Push-Up

Doorway Chest Stretch

Dynamic Arm Swing

T Push-Up

Decline Push-Up

Wide Push-Up

Push-Up to Shoulder Tap

Clap Push-Up

Plyo Push-Up

Chair Chest Dip

Alternatives

Exercises that target the same primary muscle groups and require the different equipment.

Barbell Bench Press

Dumbbell Bench Press

Chest Dip

Decline Dumbbell Bench Press

Cable Chest Fly

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

Dumbbell Chest Fly

Incline Machine Press

Chest Press Machine

Barbell Decline Bench Press

Who Should Do?

Functional Fitness Athletes

Functional fitness athletes perform a large majority of their training using functional movement patterns. When done correctly with enough volume, this can improve function in daily activity and exercise.

The Hindu push-up is a functional pushing movement that uses the chest and shoulders. When driving an opponent back, similar movement patterns are used. When getting up from the floor, a pushing movement can be used before standing.

This makes the Hindu push-up a functional bodyweight movement that is easy to add to your functional routine. It can be added as a superset for weighted movements or towards the end of your sessions. 

Bodybuilders

Bodybuilders aim to improve their physical appearance using resistance training as the main exercise stimulus. Performing enough training volume allows beneficial adaptations to take place. Muscle hypertrophy occurs which helps to improve the overall flow and symmetry between muscle groups.

The Hindu push-up is a challenging bodyweight exercise that provides a workout challenge and a good amount of training volume. It works well as part of an upper-body, push, or full-body bodybuilding training split. 

Those Without Gym Access

If you’re looking to adopt a regular gym routine, navigating the barriers to access is half the battle. These include gym equipment, financial situation, and available time. For a lot of people, these are the stated reasons as to why they haven’t started exercising yet.

The Hindu push-up uses no equipment, costs nothing, and can be performed everywhere. It’s a great advanced movement for those without any gym access. It can be done outside, in your home, and at work in a suitable space. 

Who Should Not Do?

Anyone With Chronic Chest and Shoulder Issues

The chest and shoulder muscle groups are mainly responsible for performing pushing and pressing movements. In most cases, these require large degrees of shoulder movement, coordination, and balance.

Most gym movements require the chest and shoulder muscles to some degree. Because, of this, the shoulders are the most frequently injured muscle group at 7.4%. Furthermore, the amount of training volume should be properly managed to reduce the chances of overtraining. 

For those with chest and shoulder issues that cause pain and restrict range of motion, Hindu push-ups may not be a good idea. As stated above, they offer a challenging bodyweight exercise that requires a large degree of chest and shoulder activation. 

Alongside this, the amount of shoulder flexion and training volume may not be appropriate for those with pre-existing shoulder issues. Examples of common issues include rotor cuff tendonitis.

Beginner Gymgoers

At the beginner stage of training, time is needed to build up skills such as strength, balance, coordination, and posture. These skills allow you to progress from beginner movements to more advanced exercises.

The Hindu push-up is a bodyweight exercise classed as an advanced movement. Even though it requires no equipment and uses a function movement pattern, it’s hard to perform. It needs balance, muscle coordination, and a degree of muscular strength.

Beginner gym goers should look to perform simple movement patterns such as normal push-ups before progressing onto harder variations.

Benefits Of Hindu Push-Ups

Excellent Compound Movement 

Compound exercises require multiple muscle groups to perform the correct movement. They are the opposite of isolation movements, which work a single primary muscle group at one time. 

In terms of muscle growth, both movement types are similar when volume is equated. This is the amount of work performed. However, multiple joint movements are superior for muscle strength and oxygen consumption. 

The Hindu push-up is a compound movement pattern that requires fourteen different muscle groups to perform correctly. These include the chest, shoulders, triceps, and rectus abdominis. 

Working a large number of muscle groups at once through compound exercises means you can perform a larger amount of volume in a smaller period. If time is an issue, the Hindu push-up is a great bodyweight option.

Add it as part of a bodybuilding routine or advanced bodyweight session as a way to improve volume and gain strength.

Versatile Form Of Exercise

When it comes to resistance training, you can choose between several exercise types. The most appropriate ones depend on your training goals, preferences, and available equipment. 

Performing a large exercise variety adds training variety and helps improve motivation over a longer period. 

The Hindu push-up is a bodyweight exercise that offers several versatile uses. It requires no gym equipment, can be performed anywhere, and has no barrier to access. Simply use your body weight in a suitable space and follow the correct form.

Builds Functional Strength

Functional strength training can be defined as exercise or movement that aims to mimic the specific demands of real-life activity. In other words, it means using the body as it was designed for. When done correctly, functional strength training can make everyday activity easier and reduce injury risk.

Pushing exercises require functional movement patterns that use the chest and shoulder muscles as primary movers. When we go through a door, we need to push it open. When playing rugby, pushing away an opponent uses the same muscle groups.

The Hindu push-up involves a hybrid pressing and pushing movement pattern that works the chest and shoulder muscles. The shoulders flex, extend, and adduct during both phases. 

Even as a bodyweight exercise, the functional movement pattern is difficult to perform. This provides a good training intensity to improve functional strength. Therefore, adding it to your routine can help to improve function and reduce injury risk. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Hindu push-ups good for?

They are a great compound exercise, offer good versatility, and build functional strength. 

How many Hindu push-ups per day is good?

The correct amount of daily push-ups mainly depends on your training style. Use the programming table above to find the correct number of sets and repetition ranges for each goal.

What muscles do Hindu push-ups target?

Hindu push-ups use the clavicular head, sternal head, and abdominal head. The shoulders, triceps, rectus abdominis, erector spinae, and glutes perform secondary roles.

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Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.

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