Last month, I wrote an article on the Hindu squat and I have been receiving a lot of questions about the Hindu push-up and how to program them together with the Hindu squat. So, I have decided to outline a very simple bodyweight program that you can follow either 2 or 3 days a week. You will train only 3 movements: the Hindu squat, the Hindu push-up and the pull-up.
The plan is simple. There are two sessions that alternate with a day of rest between. You can do 2 or 3 sessions per week depending on time constraints. It looks like this:
| Session 1 | Session 2 |
| 100 Hindu Squats | 100 Hindu Squats |
| Pull-ups to session total — every time you stop, do 10 Hindu push-ups before your next set | Hindu push-ups to session total — every time you stop do, 5 pull-ups before your next set |
| 100 Hindu Squats | 100 Hindu Squats |
Every session is started and finished with 100 Hindu squats. Aim to achieve these in 3 minutes. Record your unbroken scores and keep trying to improve each session.
To progress the Hindu squats once the goal of 100 unbroken is accomplished, you can attempt them with a mouthful or water or add a 5lb weight vests. Keep adding weight over time as you get comfortable until you can do 100 with a 20lb vest.
Session one focuses on pull-ups. Use the chart below to determine how many pull-ups you will be aiming to complete each session. Once you achieve your session total in less than 5 sets go up to the next session total.
Complete a near maximum set of pull-ups (leave one in the bank). You will then need to complete 10 Hindu push-ups before your next set of pull-ups. Rest as needed, but try and keep it to a minimum. Keep going in this fashion until you have completed your session total. Don’t be surprised if you end up doing more Hindu push-ups than pull-ups in the first few sessions.
For session two, complete a near maximum set of slow and controlled Hindu push-ups. When you need to stop, do 5 pull-ups before jumping into your next set of Hindu push-ups. As with session one, when you can complete your session total in less than 5 sets, start aiming to achieve the next bracket.
Pull-ups Chart (Session 1)
| Current Max | Session total |
| < 10 | 30 |
| 10-15 | 50 |
| 15-20 | 75 |
| > 20 | 100 |
Hindu Push-ups Chart (Session 2)
| Current Max | Session total |
| < 10 | 30 |
| 10-15 | 50 |
| 15-20 | 75 |
| > 20 | 100 |
For elite level athletes, this program can be done with a vest from day 1. For raw beginners you can modify the Hindu push-ups by completing them from your knees and using a band for the pull-ups.
These sessions are repetitive, but if you’re looking for a minimalist approach for 4-6 weeks then this program will get your muscular endurance to an unparalleled level. A program like this can be a good reset if you’ve come off a particularly heavy training cycle or have some nagging injuries that you need to let heal.
